A backyard party doesn’t need a rental company, just a fence, a few trees and a free afternoon. These 19 easy DIY decor ideas for backyard parties cover every spot guests will notice: garlands for the fence, flowers and centerpieces for the picnic table and a backdrop for the group photo. Most use cheap supplies like tissue paper, plastic tablecloths, balloons, crepe paper and craft paint. A few are built to survive the weather, like a tassel garland cut from plastic tablecloths, while others are quick table toppers you can finish the night before. DIY JOY favorites with step by step videos are mixed in too, including a marigold paper flower garland and banners made from toilet paper rolls for a birthday or the Fourth of July. Pick a color scheme first and every piece will look like it belongs together. More ideas live on the backyard ideas hub.
1. DIY Marigold Paper Flower Garland
Marigold paper flowers bring warm color to a fall get together or a harvest party table. Cut six 2 1/4 inch circles of crepe paper, stack and staple them in the center, then fringe the edges. Separate each layer and scrunch it toward the center, twisting different directions for a fluffier bloom. Thread four flowers onto string with a large needle, add a small white pom pom as a stopper and repeat. Multi blade scissors make the fringing go much faster.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
2. Pretty Painted Pineapples
Painted pineapples are the easiest tropical centerpiece around, and they’re done in about 10 minutes each. Lay down a tarp or kraft paper, then hold the fruit by its body and coat the leafy crown with acrylic craft paint using a foam brush. Get a good base coat on first, then switch to small paint brushes to work paint into the nooks between the leaves. Thick craft paint barely drips. Let them dry overnight and line a table with pastel tops for a luau or summer birthday.
Get the full tutorial at Everyday Pursuits.
3. DIY Pom Pom Tassel Garland
A pom pom tassel garland is a cheerful go to that works for birthdays, baby showers, spring parties and even everyday decor in a kids’ room. String puffy craft pom poms, wooden beads and yarn tassels in bright colors along a length of string, mixing sizes as you go. Make your own yarn tassels, or buy ready made craft tassels to make it even simpler. Swag a few strands across a fence or a dessert table for an instant party backdrop.
Get the full tutorial at Alice and Lois.
4. Weatherproof Outdoor Tassel Garland
Tissue paper tassels wilt the moment they meet humidity, so this garland uses plastic tablecloths instead. Leave the tablecloth folded, cut an 8 to 10 inch section through all layers, then cut along the fold to get two long rectangles. Fold one in half and cut 1/2 inch strips up to an inch or two from the fold. Unfold, roll it up, twist the middle, bend it into a loop and staple below the loop. One 54 by 108 inch tablecloth makes about 20 tassels.
Get the full tutorial at The Craft Patch.
5. DIY Tissue Paper Poppies
Tissue paper poppies look delicate and real because of one trick: bleached edges. Mix 1 tablespoon of bleach into 1 1/2 cups of water. Cut 3 inch tall strips of tissue, roll each strip so the long edges line up and dip that edge into the mix for about 5 seconds. Unroll and hang the strips to dry completely before you build the flowers. Every color reacts a little differently. A low temp glue gun makes assembly safer for kids.
Get the full tutorial at Lia Griffith.
6. DIY Piñata Balloons
Piñata balloons get the fringed look of a piñata in a fraction of the time. Cut crepe paper streamers long enough to wrap the middle of a 12 inch balloon and fringe one edge about halfway up. Inflate the balloons, then tape a strip just below the midpoint with double sided tape and layer two more on top. Helium balloons start sagging after 6 to 8 hours, so assemble them close to party time. Air filled balloons on sticks last for days.
Get the full tutorial at Design Improvised.
7. DIY Birthday Banner With Toilet Paper Rolls
Save your cardboard tubes, because this birthday banner is made from them. Soak toilet paper rolls in water for 2 to 3 minutes until the layers separate, then fold each piece in half into a pennant. Seven rolls give the 13 pennants for HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Let them dry under a flat heavy object so they don’t curl. Paint them, trace each letter in pencil and fill it in with acrylic paint markers, then draw a dashed border. String them on ribbon and hang.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
8. DIY Decorated Fence
A bare wood fence becomes a garden of giant flowers with nothing but dollar store dishes. Pick out colorful plastic cups, bowls, plates and platters, then stack and glue them together into big layered blooms. A heavy duty, UV resistant marine adhesive holds up best outside. Run lengths of green garden hose down the fence for stems, then mount the flowers on top. It’s a cheerful backdrop for a summer party and stays up long after.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
9. DIY Cocktail Straw Flowers
Cocktail straw flowers are quick, colorful and never need watering. Cut the bendy part off about six straws and cut the straight parts in half for 12 pieces. Thread a needle and sew through the center of each piece, stacking them as you go, then pull the thread tight so the ends fan into a circle. Wrap and knot the thread to lock it. Trim the petal tips at an angle, glue on a green straw stem and top the center with glitter foam.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
10. DIY Paper Rosettes
Giant paper rosettes for a backdrop start with an unexpected supply: temporary pleated paper window shades from the hardware store. Pull a 36 by 72 inch shade around until the top meets the bottom and seal it with the built in adhesive strip, and you have a 36 inch rosette. Hot glue a poster board circle on the back so it holds its shape. Cut shades into 12 inch strips for small rosettes. Spray paint them, then glue everything to a lightweight foam insulation board.
Get the full tutorial at Design Dazzle.
11. DIY 4th of July Banner With Toilet Paper Rolls
This Fourth of July banner is made from empty toilet paper rolls and a little paint. Soak eight rolls in water for a few minutes until the pieces separate, fold each piece in half into a pennant and let them dry. Paint seven red and seven blue, then trace the letters for HAPPY 4TH OF JULY and color them in with acrylic markers. Glue two halves of an unpainted pennant into a rectangle, paint it white and draw on a flag. String everything on white ribbon.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
12. DIY Balloon Garland
Balloon garlands look complicated, but this one comes together in about 20 minutes. Thread a sewing needle with fishing line, knot it and push it through the balloon tie offs, alternating colors and sizes. Arrange balloons pointing up, down and out, and tack them in position with a low temp glue gun, since a regular one pops balloons. Fill gaps with small balloons or mini honeycombs. Blow them up by mouth or pump, not helium, and the garland can last over a week.
Get the full tutorial at Pretty Providence.
13. Vintage Inspired Painted Mason Jars
Painted mason jars with a worn, vintage look are one of the simplest vase projects there is. Make sure the jars are clean, then brush on two coats of acrylic craft paint, letting it dry between coats. Rub a nail file over the raised letters and a few edges so the glass peeks through. Finish with one or two coats of sealer. Sealed jars wipe clean with a damp cloth but shouldn’t be soaked. Pint jars are a nice size, but any jar works.
Get the full tutorial at Live Laugh Rowe.
14. Tutti Frutti Cocktail Umbrella
These fruity paper cocktail umbrellas turn any drink into a party. Cut a circle of thin colored paper about 16 cm, roughly 6 inches, across and fold it in half eight different ways, then push the small triangles alternately in and out to form the umbrella shape. Add a smaller decorated circle on top, like a red one dotted with black stickers for watermelon seeds. Pierce both with a pin, slide a cotton ball onto a skewer, add the canopy and top it with a fuse bead.
Get the full tutorial at We Like Mondays.
15. Tropical Leaf Paper Garland
A tropical leaf paper garland sets the scene for a summer barbecue or luau. Cut monstera and palm leaves from text weight paper in shades of teal and green, plus small white blooms from metallic paper, using the free style leaf and flower templates or a cutting machine. String the cutouts into a garland, about 4 feet long as shown, or scatter loose leaves and flowers down the table. Swap in coral and yellow papers for a brighter look.
Get the full tutorial at Lia Griffith.
16. Hanging Flower Heart DIY
This hanging flower heart is a big statement piece built on a styrofoam base. Sketch a heart on craft paper, trace it onto styrofoam sheets and cut it out with a serrated bread knife, an electric carver or a jigsaw. Pull faux flowers off their stems and hot glue them straight onto the foam, three shades of pink for an ombre. Glue a cup hook into each top curve and hang it from ceiling hooks with fishing line. Faux flowers mean it lasts.
Get the full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
17. How to Make Paper Flowers With Cupcake Liners
Cupcake liners make paper flowers in five minutes, since they’re already round, textured and easy to fold. Stack 12 liners, stretch them out and staple the center. Flatten the stack and cut the sides into 8 equal sections, then shape each into a rounded petal. Scrunch each layer up toward the center one at a time. For a rainbow version, stack 6 liners in different colors, cut 15 pointed petals and crumple each layer. Glue them to jute twine for an easy garland.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
18. Beach-Themed Decor
A beach themed backyard starts with a wave wall on the fence. Staple long swags of blue gossamer across the fence boards in rows to mimic water, then hook fishing line through the nozzles of a few beach balls and hang them in the waves. A staple gun goes in fast and pulls out easily after the party, and the fabric is reusable. Add big paper lanterns, a sucker bouquet in a sand bucket and paper umbrellas on the cupcakes.
Get the full tutorial at The Craft Patch.
19. Giant Geometric Heart Backdrop
This geometric heart backdrop is a fresh change from the usual paper poms. Print triangle templates onto colored paper, about 100 triangles depending on the size of your board, and fold them into 3D shapes. Lightly draw a geometric heart on a large foam board. Glue the triangles around the outside of the outline, lining up their flat sides with the pencil lines so the heart shape stays sharp. Leave the middle open. It’s quick, sturdy and doubles as wall art.
Get the full tutorial at Bespoke-Bride.
