No need to get fancy. Here are a dozen low-commitment life enhancers for entertaining indoors and out.
Above: Julie's favorite Ikea discovery of late: The clear glass 365+ Pitcher with Cork Lid; $6.99. Another easy way to serve drinks: Sarah keeps a stash of clear-glass wine bottles on hand—"good-looking ones that I've recycled; I use them for water and cold beverages, shrubs being a current favorite."
Above: Black Rim Enamelware Dinner Plates from Crate & Barrel are $8.95 each. Go to our Enamelware dossier for more ideas.
Above: A longstanding Remodelista favorite: the painter's drop cloth as tablecloth (to soften the fabric, we suggest you launder it first). Ace Hardware offers heavyweight Canvas Drop Cloths in several sizes, ranging in price from $13.99 to $35.99. For more ideas, see 7 Easy Summer DIY Projects with Drop Cloths and the Hibiscus-Dyed Drop Cloth.
Above: The gauze-like Utility Napkin, $5 each from School House Electric, is handwoven by fair-trade artisans in India. We also like using Ikea's red-striped Tekla Dish Towels—all cotton and 79 cents each—as napkins.
Above: Saudade in London specializes in imports from Portugal, including these four-inch-tall Tin Garden Lanterns; £12 ($18.93) each. See more in Michelle's Outdoor Lighting post on Gardenista.
Above: All of us at Remodelista have collections of vintage ironstone platters in a range of sizes—"Ironstone isn't expensive and lends a look of bleached shells to the table without being obvious," says Justine. Source Ironstone Platters on Etsy; this 9 1/2-inch-long Homer Laughlin example from Etsy seller Gypsy Road Market is $5.
Above: Impossibly thin glass tumblers are another Remodelista staple for wine and water—and even though they look extremely fragile, they're not. Basic Tumblers (shown) from OK in LA are made in Italy and come in three sizes, priced at $4, $5, and $6 each. CB2 offers Marta Barware, a similar but differently proportioned "micro thin" collection, starting at $1.50 a glass. And Ikea's 365+ 6-oz. Glasses are $2.99 a six-pack. Find even more at 10 Easy Pieces: Basic Drinking Glasses.
Above: Gracefully shaped French Olive Wood Spoons are $19 each from Pod in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Above: Made of woven abaca fibers, Fishnet Placemat Sets from West Elm come in four colors (natural shown here); $12 for a set of two.
Above: Compostable Wooden Hot Dog Trays from Food52 are made of balsa wood wrapped in rice paper; $20 for 20. Compostable Wooden Corn on the Cob Trays also available; 20 for $20.
Above: Cut Glass Stripe Votives are $3.95 each, marked down from $8, at Terrain.
Above: Kaufmann Mercantile's Forged Steel Dinner Bell is made in Casey, Iowa; $19.
Help yourself, there's plenty more:
- 7 Romantic Summery Tablecloths
- Steal This Look: Tiina's Summer Tabletop Setting
- Currently Coveting: Ilse Crawford's New Collection for Ikea
- DIY: Scented Candles to Repel Insects, Not Humans
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