5 Tips for a Bright + Colorful Summer Picnic

Now that summer is right around the corner, it’s time to get outside, soak up some Vitamin D and enjoy a picnic! I’m sharing 5 tips for hosting a bright and colorful summer picnic! I encourage you to find time at least once this season to dine outside and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, even if they’re just your backyard! Make it fun and keep it colorful. It also doesn’t have to be expensive to be cute and stylish. Take a look at the tips below!

THE BASKET + THE BLANKET

While technically a picnic doesn’t have to include an official “picnic basket,” it sure is fun to fill up your favorite basket with all the essentials. Don’t worry if you don’t have the perfect picnic basket, a market tote or even a colored bucket or large pail can easily hold all the picnic items too. If you head to the craft store, you can often find large baskets on sale. Feeling really crafty? Take a can of spray paint to your basket to create a brightly colored picnic basket! These make great gifts when filled with the essentials (especially for newlyweds).

Always be sure to have a large quilt or other blanket for your picnic location! Even if you just grab a throw blanket, it will help keep everything cozy on the ground. If you’re looking for a specific color to match your theme, head to the fabric store and grab 2-3 yards of a sturdy and thick fabric and create your own picnic blanket to use this summer!

THE FOOD

Keep food easy to eat and delicious! I suggest sandwiches or roll-ups tied with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Pair them with fresh fruits and vegetables. Strawberries, blueberries, and other small fruits are great choices. For veggies, I chose easy-to-eat carrots, but mini bell peppers or bite size broccoli and celery are delicious options too.

For adult fare, keep it appetizer-style since mini bites are easier to pack in plastic containers as well as eat without too much fuss. Try bruschetta, mini tea sandwiches, or fruit skewers. Pair with a pitcher of white wine sangria for a delicious cocktail.

SERVEWARE + UTENSILS

I love bright and festive colors during the summer, so I opted for neon pinks, aquas, oranges, and greens. Always try to choose a lightweight plastic plate and flatware option if kids are included. For a sturdy catch-all for flatware, straws, and other items, try filling mason jars for each guest! They can use the jars as their drinking glass (or even a vase for picking wildflowers)!

Look for inexpensive and brightly colored cocktail napkins to use as picnic napkins. You can find coordinating colors to match your festive plates and keep it picnic pretty!

FUN PARTY SIGNS

Utilize your printer and some simple fonts to create fun picnic signs! Cut in simple flag shapes and display at your picnic! You can even label each food item for a larger picnic or print off coloring sheets for the kids to play with while they eat! I often forget the simple things I can make with just Microsoft Word! You can even find super cute (and free) fonts online to jazz things up (here are a few of my faves).

KEEP IT COLORFUL

Like I mentioned above with napkins and serveware, keep it colorful! You can stick to a duo color scheme (pink and orange are super cute) or go multi-color like I did. Neons are also quite fun and summer-perfect! The kids are automatically attracted to a bright and colorful set-up (and it makes for adorable photos). Fruit matches perfectly with a colorful picnic too! Happy picnicing, y’all!

Here are a few of my favorite sources for party plates + napkins:

• Shop Sweet Lulu
• Oh Happy Day
• Bash
• For Your Party

I originally shared this picnic over on Homes.com (see all my Homes.com ideas here)!