Popsicle Sticks Save.
Watermelon is another tasty – but messy – summer staple. Make it easy to eat by cutting your melon into nice triangles and inserting Popsicle sticks into the rind portion. Voila!
Cue the Cupcake Liners.
Kids love popsicles, but you hate sticky hands. Grab a cupcake liner and slide it up the stick and underneath the frozen treat to prevent drippy messes.
Bug Off.
Unfortunately, bugs can be unwanted guests at your summertime party. Hey – they might even want to take a dip in your drink. Keep them away with this handy do-it-yourself citronella floating candle creation from nestofposies-blog.com: gather up some mint, lemon, lime, and rosemary and add some water and citronella bug off oil to mason jars. Next, add some floating candles. Super easy!
Read the Red Solo Cup.
Did you know the lines on your red Solo cup have meaning? It’s true! Help guests from imbibing too much. The first line from the bottom marks 1 ounce for hard liquor, the second marks a 5-ounce serving of wine, and the third marks 12 ounces of beer.
Stop Sloshing Around.
Hate how ice melts away into a mess when it sits in the sunshine in a cooler? Get a colander. Set it above a bowl and the ice water will melt away, leaving just cubes to pluck when you – or guests – need them.
Make it Stick.
Even a slight wind can create big problems during an outdoor bash. Keep Velcro handy to help secure picnic table coverings and more.
Pass the Ketchup, Mustard & More.
No need to set out individual bottles for each condiment when you can simply fill muffin tins with some of each and pass them around. Just add plastic spoons.
Floral Décor.
Think some blooms would perk up your party environment but don’t want to put your nice vases outdoors? Use empty wine bottles. They’re the perfect alternative.
Don’t forget the Sprays!
Set up a station with sunscreen and insect repellent to prevent burns and bites, sure fun ruiners. Tin pails and old-fashioned wagons are good spots for these essential items.
Healthy Ice Cream.
Trick kids and adults into grabbing a cone that’s good for them by scooping fruit with a melon baller and serving it in an ice cream cone.
Fruity Fun.
Want to jazz up your average glass of water? Freeze some fruit! Blueberries, grapes, strawberries and more make perfect ice cube substitutes.
Quick Start.
Have a charcoal grill but hate the process of getting it started? Try this trick: take a cardboard egg carton, fill the gaps with charcoal, place inside the grill, and light the entire package. You’re all set!
Fun after Dark.
Round up your friends for a unique game of nighttime ring toss. Secure some ground posts, circle up some glow-in-the-dark necklaces to use as rings, and it's game on!
Shoo, Fly!
Keep those pesky flies away with simple household items. All you need is a glass, water and 4-5 pennies per glass. Place your pennies in a glass of water and set the glass where you want to prevent flies from landing. It works!
Serve up Snack Fun.
Have young guests attending or planning a summer birthday party for your son or daughter? Keep it beachy by serving pretzels, chips and the like in plastic sand pails, using shovels as serving spoons.
Make it glow.
If your party will run well into the evening, dark will eventually be upon you. Instead of randomly fishing for mystery cans and bottles in a cooler, illuminate it by adding a couple of glowsticks. Voila! You can see what’s available to you!
Make-Your-Own Slushies!
Don’t cry over dropped soda bottles. Actually, shake up a soda bottle. Then put it in the freezer while sealed for 3 hours, 15 minutes. When you take it out, loosen the cap to let some pressure escape, then turn upside down and pour into a container. Bonus: it works with any kind of carbonated soda.
Pop in some Water Balloons.
A cooler filled with bags and bags of ice does the keep-it-cold trick, but what fun is it? Instead, fill some water balloons, freeze, and pop them in instead.
Movie Night.
Create your own drive-in of sorts by renting a projector and screen and showing a favorite film outside in your backyard. Popcorn, lemonade and other goodies complete the experience.
Have a great party hack of your own? Share it with us by emailing bcleditor@berkscountyliving.com and we might share it on our Facebook page!
Compiled by Robyn L. Jones & Nikki M. Murry
