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Roundup: 12 Clever Ways to Serve Food and Drinks at Your Next Backyard Get-together

by on Jul 22, 2015

Deciding what to serve at a backyard party can be easier than deciding how to serve it. Where do we put the drinks? Do we have enough serving dishes for all this stuff? How do we set up a buffet table if we don’t have a buffet table??? Yeah, there are a lot of decisions to make. Lucky for us, we found 12 very clever ideas that will make the serving part of our next back yard party stress-free. 

Brew is within easy reach with this DIY backyard table with a built-in cooler

An outdoor table and chairs near a grill.
Photo: ManMade

Have an old–or new–wheelbarrow on hand? Then you already have a way to serve bottled and canned drinks.

Drinks are being served out of a wheelbarrow outside.
Photo: Glamour Living

No wheel barrow? A children’s wagon will do just fine, thank you very much.

A person hauls wine in a little red wagon.
Photo: B Lovely Events

How about making a Sterno S’mores buffet?? Now that looks like fun.

People are heating up marshmallows over gas burners.
Photo: The Kitchn

Mason jar = drinking glass; bandana = napkin; add some flatware for a grab and go serving ware serving idea.

Red and blue bandanas help to wrap utinsils.
Photo: A Soft Place to Land

 Another grab and go idea that frees up some valuable plate space: green goddess veggie dip cups cups. 

A variety of veggies are sitting in clear cups with ranch at the bottom.
Photo: The View From Great Island

Although watermelon sort of has its own built in handle (the rind), the addition of a stick adds to its delightful presentation. Plus, dainty eaters will love it. 

slices of water mellon
Photo: Hi Sugarplum

Forget water mellon boats; pineapple boats are the way to go. Especially if they have pineapple salsa in them.

A pot with an open pineapple full of little fruits
Photo: evite

 Serve potato chips and the like in brown paper bags for guests to munch while mingling.

a basket of food outside of a greenery patio
Photo: Redbook

These clever DIY paper plate fruit baskets don’t require any glue or staples; just four cuts and a length of twine.

A white paper plate is folded to form a basket and tied with twine to hold blueberries.
Photo: Hometalk

If you have the right setup (a window that overlooks your backyard entertainment area) this idea is the cat’s pajamas: a DIY window buffet. Even better if the windows in question were in the kitchen/dining area of your home, then you could easily serve from inside to out while still visiting with your guests.

Flowers are shown on the outside of a window of a grey house.
Photo: Bright Green Door

And, finally, for a grand-daddy buffet, this ladder-turned-buffet is the way to go. Look at all that serving space!

Colorful candles are on a pyramid shaped stand.
Photo: Wedding Chicks

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