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Lady Behind the Curtain

Bringing the simplicity of entertaining into your life

Backyard Barbecue Dinner Table

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Summertime is barbecue season, and there’s nothing better than gathering family and friends around a table filled with good food, laughter, and laid-back summer vibes. Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout or packing everything up for a picnic at the park, these simple Backyard Barbecue Dinner Table ideas make entertaining easy, fun, and completely portable. With cheerful red, yellow, and brown accents, playful barbecue-themed decorations, and plenty of DIY touches, this table is designed to celebrate everything we love about summer dining.

From free printable party downloads featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, mustard and barbecue sauce bottles, and festive stars to food tags, place cards, menus, and a cute triangle party favor, every detail helps create a memorable gathering. There’s even a fun mini grill centerpiece that instantly sets the barbecue mood. Add a few favorite cookout recipes like smoked ribs, burgers, and refreshing summer drinks, and you have everything you need to create a relaxed and festive dinner table that guests of all ages will enjoy. I hope these ideas inspire you to fire up the grill and make your next summer meal feel like a special occasion!

Table Covering

I keep my table coverings simple. Brown shipping paper is usually what I use. It gives me a natural background which allows me to use any color scheme. If I want to jazz it up, I can add themed stamps I cut out of a sponge (like hearts or stars)

Centerpiece

Small Jars

Fill 4 half pint jars with birdseed or any filler. Glue the double-sided cutouts (available for FREE download below) together, leaving enough space (without glue) for the skewer to slip in, forming a pocket. Slip bamboo skewers into the cutout pocket. Place in filled jars along with barbecue utensils ( I found mine at Dollar Tree). Put 2 on each side of the main centerpiece.

10 Tips for a Stress-Free Barbeque Party

  1. PREP FOOD BEFORE YOUR GUESTS ARRIVE: There’s nothing that stresses me out more than preparing food while my guests are gathered around the kitchen bar watching. For that reason, I try to have EVERYTHING prepped in advance. That means burger toppings, side dishes, patties made, desserts, drinks, appetizers… everything! You’ll be so glad you did!
  2. CHECK PROPANE for gas grill) AND CHARCOAL: It’s a bummer to have to leave your party to go get propane or charcoal and a little embarrassing.
  3. ASK GUESTS TO BRING SIDE DISHES: This one I totally stink at. I love it when my guests can come and enjoy the party without any prep. But….if this is something you’re comfortable with, then. This tip is for you! Most likely you’ll end up with an array of delicious foods.
  4. PUT UP DECORATIVE OUTSIDE LIGHTS: Lights are an easy way of setting the ambiance of the party.
  5. SERVE APPETIZERS AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN AND THE GRILL: This is a party, and nothing is more annoying than people congregating in the kitchen or around the grill. This is a sneaky way of taking the conversation away from the work area.
  6. SET UP A SERVE YOURSELF DRINK STATION: Pour Sun Tea, lemonade, or juice into Mason Jars. Place them in metal tubs filled with ice. Set up another tub with beer, wine, and other adult beverages also filled with ice.
  7. SIGNATURE DRINKS: Pre-make mocktails and cocktails. Add them to mason jars and place them in a metal tub filled with ice. One for mocktails and one for cocktails. Make sure the tubs or drinks are labeled!
  8. SET UP YARD GAMES FOR ALL AGES: Take your outdoor party to the next level with lawn games that both children and adults will enjoy. Have everything set up before your guests arrive. This way, the kids can go straight to playing while the adults are socializing.
  9. STICK TO SIMPLE SUMMER DESSERTS: Semi-homemade desserts are the way to go.
  10. CHOOSE A THEME FOR YOUR PARTY: For a truly memorable backyard party, choose a theme and decorate accordingly. Dollar Tree is perfect for this. Some of my favorite themes are Western, Fiesta, Luau, and you can’t forget the good old red, white, and blue! MOST IMPORTANTLY….HAVE FUN!

More Party Ideas

COUNTRY SHRIMP BOIL PARTY 2. OLD FASHIONED CARNIVAL PARTY

Best BBQ Appetizers

Tex-Mex Snack Mix 2. Seven Layer Dip 3. White Bean and Artichoke Spread 4. Cheesy Beer Dip …FOR OVER 100 APPETIZER RECIPES CLICK HERE→APPETIZER RECIPES

Place Setting

  • PLATE—Since this party was a little on the rustic side, I chose to use metal pie plates from Dollar Tree.
  • NAPKIN—I always use bandanas. If you purchase bandanas, make sure they are 100% cotton. I find mine at Hobby Lobby
  • MENU POCKET—Cleaning out your closet? Save the pockets off of your old jeans! TIP: Make sure when cutting out the pocket you include the back fabric.
  • BEVERAGE— Have fun with the beverages and include individual servings at each place setting or on the beverage table.
  • PLACE CARDS—Mostly, I use them as fillers. The guests are free to move their place cards.
  • OPTIONAL CORN BREAD— Add to the rustic theme with pots of cornbread at each place setting. Click here to learn how to season clay pots→ HOW TO BAKE IN A CLAY FLOWER POT. Click here to get the recipe→ CLAY POT JALAPENO CORNBREAD MUFFINS
  • PARTY FAVOR—These fun little triangle party favors can be filled with store-bought or homemade candy! Below is the FREE DOWNLOAD and instructions.

Simple Summer Barbecue Desserts

MASON JAR LID CHERRY PIE 2. PISTACHIO TRIPLE LAYER BARS 3. SEMI HOMEMADE BANANA SPLIT MINI CAKES 4. THICK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Sun Tea/Cold Beer

Fun little addition to a place setting. Get the full FREE collection below↓

Clay Pot Jalapeno Cornbread

These fun flower pot cornbread muffins are easy to make and super delicious. Perfect for a summer barbecue or a chili cook-off. CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE→CLAY POT JALAPENO CORNBREAD

FREE PRINTABLE

→FREE JALAPENO CORNBREAD TAG

BACKYARD BARBECUE PARTY FREE PRINTABLE COLLECTION

Backyard Barbecue Party FREE Printable Collection
Backyard Barbecue Party FREE Printable Collection: This collection has tons of summer printable options. From picks for a centerpiece, menu card, cupcake liners, food trays, banners, and more! Perfect for your summer gatherings with family and friends, family reunions, picnics in the park, and birthday parties. You’ll love the red, brown, and yellow barbecue decorations.

Party Favor

FREE PARTY FAVOR PRINTABLE AND DIRECTIONS

FREE PARTY FAVOR DOWNLOAD→ TRIANGLE PARTY FAVOR
FREE INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRIANGLE PARTY FAVOR→ INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look at my Backyard Barbecue Dinner Table! I absolutely love creating party tables that feel special but are also easy enough to pull together for a casual summer gathering. My goal with this table was to show that you don’t need elaborate decorations or expensive supplies to create a fun and memorable setting. Sometimes all it takes is a few playful details, delicious barbecue favorites, and the people you love gathered around the table.

I hope these ideas inspire you to mix and match decorations, print the free party downloads, and create your own backyard barbecue celebration. Whether you’re hosting a family cookout, enjoying dinner on the patio, or packing everything up for a picnic at the park, remember that the best summer memories are often made around the table. Happy entertaining!

Happy Partying,
Sheryl
Lady Behind the Curtain

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Backyard Barbecue Dinner Table

10 TIPS FOR A STRESS FREE BARBECUE PARTY

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Instructions

  • PREP FOOD BEFORE YOUR GUESTS ARRIVE: There's nothing that stresses me out more then preparing food while my guests are gathered around the kitchen bar watching. For that reason I try to have EVERYTHING already prepped. That means burger toppings, side dishes, patties made, dessert, drinks, appetizers....everything! You'll be so glad you did!
  • CHECK PROPANE( for gas grill) AND CHARCOAL: It's a bummer to have to leave your party to go get propane or charcoal and a little embarrassing.
  • ASK GUESTS TO BRING SIDE DISHES: This one I totally stink at. I love it when my guests can come and enjoy the party without any prep. But....if this is something you're comfortable with then. This tip is for you! Most likely you'll end up with with an array of delicious foods.
  • PUT UP DECORATIVE OUTSIDE LIGHTS: Lights are an easy way of setting the ambiance of the party.
  • SERVE APPETIZERS AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN AND THE GRILL: This is a party and nothing is more annoying then people congregating in the kitchen or around the grill. This is a sneaky way of taking the conversation away from the work area.
  • SET UP A SERVE YOURSELF DRINK STATION: Pour Sun Tea, lemonade or juice into Mason Jars. Place them in metal tubs. Set up another tub with beer, wine and other adult beverages.
  • SIGNATURE DRINKS: Pre-make mocktails and cocktails. Add them to mason jars and place in a metal tub full of ice. One for mocktails and one for cocktails. Make sure the tubs or drinks are labeled!
  • SET UP YARD GAMES FOR ALL AGES: Take your outdoor party to the next level with lawn games that both children and adults will enjoy. Have everything set up before your guests arrive. This way, the kids can go straight to playing while the adults socializing.
  • STICK TO SIMPLE SUMMER DESSERTS: Semi Homemade desserts are the way to go.
  • CHOOSE A THEME FOR YOUR PARTY: For a truly memorable backyard party, choose a theme and decorate accordingly. The Dollar Tree is perfect for this. Some of my favorite themes are Western, Fiesta, Luau and you can't forget the good old red, white, and blue! MOST IMPORTANTLY....HAVE FUN!
    •

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    © Sheryl

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