Outdoor Table
Ideas
Meals outdoors are generally reserved for special occasions. There is no better way to celebrate birthdays, the Fourth of July or the big championship game than with a picnic. Unless you already have a large collection of outdoor furniture, seating and table space for more than just a few guests may prove challenging. There are plenty of ways to provide festive table space without breaking the bank.
Ready Made Tables
Bring the indoors outdoors. Using your kitchen or dining table outside creates a great dinner setting. Rugged, wooden tables work best. If the feet on your table are narrow, use small squares of plywood underneath them to keep them from sinking into the ground.
Cable spools make great tables. Construction sites and companies that specialize in communications or electrical service are great sources for discarded or unused reels. They come in varying sizes that serve well for end tables to small dining tables. Make sure you have a way to move it before offering to pick it up haul it away.
Improvised Tables
A pair of saw horses and a sheet of plywood will work nicely for a casual backyard barbecue or kids party. Use a king-size bed sheet as a table cloth to provide a slightly more upscale look.
Tree stumps make great table pedestals. Screw a round piece of plywood or a slice of a larger tree trunk to the top of a stump, or use several close stumps cut to the same height to support a larger table top.
An old wooden door can be used as a table top. Set two Ts made of 4-by-4 treated posts into the ground. You can use concrete to make them firmer. Screw an old door to the top of them for a permanent outdoor dining table. Add a thick piece of glass for a level table surface.
Setting Your Table
Decorate your table with layered table cloths and multi-colored china. Add your favorite wicker or stuffed armchairs to the table setting for a unique feel.
Floral arrangements and creative lighting will help to set the mood. Tin cans and old bottles with tapered or citronella candles provide nice ambiance. String Christmas lights in a tree over the table for great indirect lighting.
Sheets of plywood laid out on grass make a great temporary deck or patio. They will keep table and chair legs from sinking in, and after dinner you can clear away the tables and slide them together for an outdoor dance floor.
Tags: make great, dining table, from sinking, into ground, Outdoor Table, Outdoor Table Ideas