No need to get fancy. Here are some low-commitment life enhancers for entertaining indoors and out.
Above: Ikea’s new Egendom Enamel Plates are $3.99 each. (For a slightly more upscale version, we also like the Falcon enamelware Plate Set; $37.50 for a set of four.) Go to our Enamelware dossier for more ideas. Above: Julie’s favorite Ikea discovery of late: The clear glass 365+ Pitcher with Cork Lid; $7.99. 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,” she says). Above: The gauze-like Utility Napkin, $6 from Schoolhouse, 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: 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 are also available; 20 for $20. Above: Made of woven abaca fibers, Fishnet Placemat Sets from West Elm come in four colors (natural shown here); $16 for a set of two. Above: Saudade in London specializes in imports from Portugal, including these four-inch-tall Tin Garden Lanterns; £12 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 on Etsy, like this platter from Etsy seller Wild & Daisy. (A similar Ironstone Platter is $15.) Above: A long-standing 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 $11.99 to $34.99. For more ideas, see the Hibiscus-Dyed Drop Cloth and 8 Easy Low-Cost, Low-Commitment Summer DIY Projects with Painter’s Drop Cloths. Above: Impossibly thin glass tumblers are another Remodelista staple for wine and water—and even though they look extremely fragile, they’re not. CB2 offers Marta Barware, a similar but differently proportioned “micro-thin” collection; $13.95 for a set of eight. And Ikea’s 365+ Six-Ounce Glasses are $3.99 a six-pack. Find even more at 10 Easy Pieces: Basic Drinking Glasses. Above: Terrain’s Hammered Glass Citronella Votive is currently on sale for $11.95.
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