Party Table Decorations

Pool parties are meant to be relaxing and fun. That means decorations can be zilch or simple summery silliness.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Straw bags are fun as tabletop centerpieces. I picked up children’s straw purses at Walgreen’s and filled them with colorful flip-flops, sunglasses, and a pretty pinwheel. Each item was $1 each which means each table’s decorations cost only $4.

Tablecloths will be my pareos (sarongs), easy to toss in the wash later. A few sea shells from my vast collection will be tumbled about here and there.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Since we don’t allow anything glass near our pool, plastic will have to suffice as serving containers. A few large hard-plastic sea-themed serving bowls found at Fry’s grocery store will hold the salad, chicken fajita concoction, and rice. These bowls are huge, but I’ll re-fill as needed.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Pails are so evocative of summer and the beach. They work great for holding party things, such as napkins.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Lined with napkins, pails also work great for things like flatware. Lined baskets will hold things like chips and other dry snacks.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

These aren’t decorations per se, but they are the prizes for the pool tournament we hold at our party each year. Get it—pool tournament for the pool party? I know, terribly lame, but my husband gets a kick out of saying it. He draws up some kind of intricate roster like they do for play-off tournaments and folks sign up, whether they know how to play or not.

Everyone plays in teams of two and the winning team gets a silly prize each year. This year my husband selected squirt guns which I’ll immediately ban from play in the house.

Okay, gotta run. I have a flute lesson this morning and then yard work when I get home.