35 Budget DIY Party Decorations You’ll Love This Summer

What better way to enjoy the summer and the sun than with a party? So get ready. Start working on the decorations and make sure everything is just perfect. And if you really want the party to be special then you’ll have to pun in a little more effort. We have some DIY party decoration ideas you might want to try.

DIY Signs.

Make a party sign to let everyone know what it’s all about. You could get some of those vintage letters that light up and display them. You could, of course, make the letters yourself but it’s more complicated and takes some time.{found on ohhappyday}.

If you really want to make a sign yourself, then try something simpler. Print out an image or a word. Then place it on a sturdy surface and position the projector on top of it. Turn on the projector and trace the outline of the image on a the wall covered with blank paper. Cut out the outline and hang your new sign.{found on craftsunleashed}.

You can also make smaller signs and use them to decorate the table and let everyone know what those goodies are. Make signs using embroidery hoops and chalkboard paint.{found on hwtm}.

Decorate the glassware.

Here’s how you can turn some simple glasses from plain to chic. Tape off the bottom of each glass and stick some dots onto the bottom too. Cover the top of the glass with a bag. Spray paint the bottom of the glass with gold spray paint. Remove the tape.{found on houseofearnest}.

You could also paint colored dots on the glasses using craft paint. First clean the glass with rubbing alcohol. Then dab on the polka dots and let the paint dry.{found on somethingturquoise}.

If you like glitter then you can make some wonderful projects. For example, you can cover the stemware of the glasses in glitter and then apply two glossy top coats to seal it. This way the glasses and the glitter will become washable.{found on inspiredesignandcreate}.

You can use tape and craft paint to create all sorts of interesting designs for the glassware. For example, you can make stripes, polka dots of a combination of patterns.{found on iheartnaptime}.

Instead of using your fancy glasses for an outdoor summer party, you can make mason jar straw lids for cocktails and drinks. Drill a hole in the lid and slop a rubber grommet through the hole. Put a straw in it and that’s all.{found thatswhatchesaid}.

Drink coolers.

Instead of putting ice in the cooler, you can use balloon ice packs. Fill the balloons about ¼ with tap water and freeze them overnight. Then put them in a big container to keep the drinks cool.{found on boxwoodclippings}.

Make a cooler big enough for all the bottles and drinks. Make a big box out of wood and place it on a table or attach two legs. Fill it with ice and put in the bottles.{found on michaelaraej}.

To make easier for the guests, have a long cooler for all the drinks and a tall table or a bar nearby so they can rest their drinks on it. Also, it would be practical to compartmentalize the cooler.{found on rocknrollbride}.

Add some rustic charm to your outdoor summer party and use an old wheelbarrow as a cooler. Just put some ice in and rest the bottles on top.{found on 2shopper}.

Regular coolers not big enough for you? How about using a boat as a cooler? You would surely need a lot of ice but, if you have lots of bottles to put in, it will be an impressive focal point for the party.

This cooler looks very interesting. It’s actually a container willed with ice and champagne bottles but it’s placed in a cart so you can move it around.

A big barrel can also serve as a great cooler. It’s perfect especially for parties with a vintage or rustic theme. It could also be an interesting element for a rustic wedding décor.{found on site}.

Comfy seating.

Forget about chairs and sofas. Plan a different kind of party with hay bale seats. You can use them to make a big and long bench and you can add extra cushions for those that need more comfort.

Another option is to make individual seats. Each hay bale can be covered with fabric and you can arrange them and organize them however you want.

Table centerpieces

Even if it’s an informal party, you can still have centerpieces on the tables. For example, use a plant pot and fill it with fruit. Use lemons, oranges, grapefruits and decorate them with leaves.{found on cherylstyle}.

If you want to go the traditional way and use flowers, don’t put them in vases. Use instead juice bottles. It’s more practical and, if they break, they’re easy to replace.

Popsicle stick table runners.

Don’t throw out the Popsicle sticks. Save them and make an interesting-looking table runner to use for your next party. Glue the sticks together and then use acrylic paint diluted with a little bit of water to splatter color all over the runner.{found on athomeinlove}.

You can also paint each stick and then combine them to create an interesting and colorful display. Don;t try to make them look perfect.{found on hwtm}.

Organized utensils.

If you’re planning a party with food, snacks or deserts and utensils have to be used, then pack them nicely for each guest. For example, wrap a fork and a spoon in a tissue and put them all in a bucket.{found on hwtm}.

Another option is to put them in paper bags and to also add tissues or napkins for each guest. You can then put them all in a big container or box.{found on site}.

Make colorful utensil holders using empty cans and colored crayons. Clean the cans and remove the label. Then arrange the crayons and tie them with a ribbon to the can. Make three: one for the forks, one for the spoons and one for the knives.{found on chickabug}.

If you’re planning a garden party, you can make garden-inspired utensil holders. Use flower pots and either glue labels on and paint chalkboard labels on each of them.{found on hgtvgardens}.

Light up the party.

Here’s an interesting idea: make LED balloons. First gather the LEDs. Then assemble the balloons. Before you fill the balloons with helium, turn on the LED lights and insert them into the balloons.{found on brit}.

Make twine lanterns and hang them from trees. Mix corn starch, glue and warm water. Blow up a balloon. Take yarn or twine, let it soak in the mixture and then wrap it around the baloon. Let it dry and then pop the balloon.{found on anthologydestination}.

Candles.

Candles are nice because they can give a romantic vibe to your party. But to make them stand out more you can dip them in glitter, first you’d have to apply a coat of glue to the bottom of the lanterns after you’ve use tape of delimit the area. Then dip it in glitter and let it dry.{found on momtastic}.

You can also use gold glitter tape, like in this example. It’s much simpler to use tape. You cut decide on a pattern or design, cut out pieces of tape and use them to decorate the candles. Similarly, you can use polka dots or other shapes.{found on apumpkinandaprincess}.

Natural bar.

You’re going to love this project. You can make a leg out of a watermelon. Wash the watermelon and cut off a small piece from both ends. Hollow out the melon with a spoon and cut a circle for the spigot to fit through. Fill the keg with your favorite punch or juice.{found on ministryofalcohol}.

Spruce up the backyard pathway.

Mix flour and food coloring. Transfer the mixture to a baggy. You can repeat the process with a different color if you like. Then freehand a big heart on a piece of paper and cut out the shape to make a stencil. Place it on the pathway and sift the flour over the stencil.{found on apracticalwedding}.

Confetti decorations.

If you want confetti for your party, consider using balloons. They’ll serve as decorations and they’ll be easy to pop. Use transparent balloons which you can leave as such or decorate with markers or decoupage confetti.{found on prudentbaby}.

Want to make the balloons stand out more? Use gold foil confetti. Take the inflated balloon and apply glue to the bottom. Then sprinkle the confetti on. Shake the balloon up to get rid of the excess confetti and let it dry.{found on studiodiy}.

If you want, you can also make confetti poppers. Of course, it’s easier to just but them but you could always make them yourself if you have enough spare time.{found on weddingbells}.

Here’s how you can make a confetti tablecloth. First wash and dry a simple tablecloth. Cut card stock into pieces and punch out the center to make stencils. Then start painting one color at a time. When you’re done with all the colors, let the tablecloth dry.{found on ohhappyday}.

Reinvent fun games.

What’s a party without games? Any simple game can be fun if you play it right or if you reinvent it. For example, this is a version of the classical Tic-Tac-Toe. To make it, take a bunch of rocks and paint them to resemble cute insects. Then freehand the lines on the wooden board.