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Outdoor Party Ideas for Your Next Backyard Party

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Now that the weather is getting warmer, we are busy planning our next outdoor gathering! What better way to celebrate spring and summer than with an outdoor party in your backyard? We’ve gathered some of the best backyard party and outdoor party ideas and we think you’ll love them as much as we do!

15+ Outdoor Party Ideas

Outdoor parties have taken on a new meaning over the last few years and have become a popular choice for all sorts of events. Whether you are looking for a fun way to celebrate safely outside, or just want to host a special occasion in the great outdoors, a backyard party is always a good idea! It’s definitely an activity that you need to add to your summer bucket list.

We have hosted an outdoor movie night, a small pool party for the 4th of July, and up to 60 party guests outside in our backyard. But you don’t have to have a massive guest list for all of these back yard party ideas!

I have gathered some of my favorite tips and tricks for hosting dinner parties in outdoor spaces, backyard birthday parties, an outdoor summer birthday party, and more!

Ideas for planning your next Outdoor Party

Display and serve your make-ahead dishes for your backyard party in large glass jars. It looks awesome and will keep the pesky flies out of your outdoor party foods!

large glass canisters to serve picnic food via crate and barrel
Host a Backyard Engagement Party – Crate and Barrel
"These versatile glass canisters (one of our most-pinned items!) are a unique serving option that can add style and color to your table. Here, we showcased a trio of appetizingly colorful salads—and kept backyard pests away, in the bargain…."
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I planned an out door party that is perfect for summer or early fall, and it was so much fun! This peach theme with blue and white details was a great time celebrating with my best friends!

Design a Monogram in Cricut Design Space
Plan a Perfect Summer Party with DIY Peach Decorations
Summer is in full swing here and I absolutely love entertaining in the summer, especially outdoor parties. Because entertaining is limited to indoors 7-8 months out of the year in PA because of the weather, anytime I can throw a party outside I jump at the opportunity.
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Decide what cocktails you’d like to serve beforehand, and pre-mix them all in mason jars. Throw them in a big tub of ice and your guests can just grab and go. These are perfect for when everyone is outside wandering around and enjoying the party.

cocktails in mason jars for outdoor party
15 Creative Ways to Serve Drinks – Elegantweddinginvites.com
There’s nothing better than an outdoor party week and all kinds of drinks LOL But how to serve the drinks?
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Speaking of cocktails, another idea for an outdoor bridal shower or garden party is a DIY Sangria or Mimosa bar. You can even decorate with large paper flowers to match the surroundings!

DIY Mimosa Bar with Simple Ingredients and How to Make Mimosa Bar Decorations with your Cricut by Pineapple Paper Co.
How to Set Up a DIY Mimosa Bar with Martha Stewart and Cricut
Whether you’re planning a Bridal Shower, Mother’s Day Brunch, or just want to plan the best brunch ever with your friends, a Mimosa Bar is the perfect addition.
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If you don’t want to plan a signature cocktail, you can serve pre-bottled drinks and sodas in a creative container like a wheelbarrow! It’s a perfect display for a rustic themed party. What a great way to use what you have around your house!

Flora Farm 50th Birthday Party – Style Me Pretty
Get all of the farm party ideas and vendors in the post.
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One of my favorite backyard birthday party ideas for adults is a farm to table dinner party. Add some string lights and you can eat outdoors while spending time with your friends and family. You can haul a farmhouse style table outside or just use a picnic table!

farm to table outdoor party idea
Farm to Table Entertaining – Style Me Pretty
Farm to Table Dinner Party by Alisa Lewis via Style Me Pretty
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Celebrate the hot days of late summer with one of the quintessential outdoor party themes – watermelons! I even designed a watermelon party banner that would be super cute hanging on an outside trellis or porch!

Watermelon Party Ideas (Photo by Oh Happy Day)
If you’re celebrating a birthday or having a cookout this Summer, a Watermelon Party is the perfect theme! I’ve gathered up some incredible Watermelon Party Ideas including decorations, favors, cakes, food ideas and more to help throw the BEST Watermelon Party ever!
See All of the Ideas

Plan a “bar” like this amazing Bruschetta Bar from What’s Gaby Cooking. You could easily sit this in the middle of the table and keep the conversation going while your guests serve themselves! Sounds like a perfect patio party idea to celebrate an adult-only night outside. Who am I kidding? Even my kids would love this charcuterie board!

Bruschetta Bar – What’s Gaby Cooking
Hosting a Bruschetta Bar dinner party is the most exciting way to throw a dinner party! Plus it’s easy, delicious and everyone will love it!
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Outdoor lawn games are the perfect way to get the entire party to enjoy themselves. Even the little kids will love this classic game of tic tac toe using a shower curtain liner and outdoor toys!

11 Incredible Ways to Reuse a Shower Curtain Liner – The Krazy Coupon Lady
I’m all about recycling and reusing pretty much anything, but a shower curtain liner? Why not, right? I’ve got some incredible ways to reuse shower curtain liners. You can thank me later…
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I love parties held in the evening, and nighttime outdoor gatherings are the perfect time for a DIY lighting solution. These outdoor lanterns are cheap AND easy to make!

diy tin can lanterns
Make Your Own Lanterns – inHabitat
If you need a lot of lights, these lanterns would be an inexpensive option!
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Outdoor movie nights are probably my outdoor party theme and this rustic version from Jenny Cookies is what dreams are made of. You don’t need party favors for a movie night – just add to-go bags to your long table of candy and popcorn for all of your guests.

How To Throw an Outdoor Movie Party – Jenny Cookies
See all of the details of this outdoor movie night held at the Keller Farmhouse.
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Need an outdoor birthday party invitation? Perfect for a pool party or outdoor birthday on a hot summer day, these DIY popsicle invitations are perfect – and made from paint sample cards!

Popsicle DIY Party Invitations – So Festive
Want a COOL way to celebrate summer? Make these cute Popsicle Craft invitations for a popsicle party.
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Pool parties are a go to theme for summer outdoor parties. You don’t even need a huge swimming pool to throw the perfect party – check out this Palm Springs theme over at Kara’s Party Ideas – it’s next level and perfect for older kids, too! I love the idea of using pool lounge floats as if they were bean bags!

outdoor pool party
Palm Springs Pool Party | Kara’s Party Ideas
"Dive into this Palm Springs Pool Party by Traci Tritsaris-Fox of Cookie Queen Kitsch’n, out of Sydney NSW Australia! Floating with colorful decor, decadent pool themed sweets and more, this event is certain to make a splash!"
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Instead of beach balls, throw oversized balloons in the pool! This idea is great for a pool party, shower, or even an outdoor wedding!

large pink balloon floating in pool
Fun Ways to Use Balloons – Martha Stewart
Photo via Katie Stoops Photography
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Pre-package the outdoor party food. We love this take on a picnic set-up with the guests’ meals packed up in cardboard boxes and set on the table. It saves you from setting up an outdoor buffet, and everyone can just walk into the party and pick a seat.

cardboard boxes for food at outdoor party
(from Eric Kelley Photography)

For more tips and outdoor party ideas to make your next Backyard Party your best ever, follow us on Pinterest: @pineappleprco

outdoor and backyard party ideas

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about charynn

ABOUT CHARYNN

Hi, y’all! I’m Charynn, the owner and designer of Pineapple Paper Co. I’m a mom of four kids (two girls and two boys) living in Pittsburgh. I love hand lettering, anything southern, cocktails, and of course, pineapples! I am excited to share my SVG files, printables, and craft projects with you! The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, and I welcome y’all to my little corner of the internet. Read more…

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