One in a Melon: DIY Watermelon Party Decor Ideas
Is it possible that summer feels fast and slow all at the same time? In some ways, it feels like we were just kicking summer off, but in other ways, it seems like the days and weeks have been long.
My husband and I were commenting that this is the first summer in a long time that wasn’t jam-packed with travel plans and commitments since we were in college. One of the upsides of COVID-19 has been having the flexibility to build a fire in the backyard whenever we’ve wanted and get some much-needed projects done around the house! Our DIY fire pit was one of the first projects when we bought our house more than 5 years ago!
But, as a hostess at heart, it’s been hard not throwing big gatherings! Intimate gatherings with family, a few friends, or even your immediate family, can still be fun. Here are some tips for throwing a small watermelon themed party in your own backyard.
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It’s all about the table!
I am big fan of elaborate parties, but this season in life has resulted in focusing more on the dinner table and less on multiple stations that are often needed for larger gatherings. You can see how we turned our dining room table into a Nashville restaurant earlier this year after our trip was cancelled.
DIY Watermelon Banner
What You Need
Dinner sized green paper plates
Dessert sized red paper plates
Black cardstock
Glue
Scissors
Ribbon
Mini Clothes Pins
An easy DIY centerpiece is a go-to project for me because you can often find supplies around the house or just grab a few inexpensive items to make a big impact. I’ve used the same wood box to make everything from a Kentucky Derby themed centerpiece, to a St. Patrick’s Day one, to a Fall one! I also often use banners in lots of my party decor, so this time, I thought why not combine the two ideas into one?! A banner centerpiece!
To start, cut the red and green plates into half circles. Glue a red plate onto the green plate, leaving enough of a green rim to make your watermelon rind.
Next, use your Cricut to cut out watermelon seeds on black cardstock or you can free-hand this as well! Then, glue on the seeds. I just used a basic glue stick to attach them to the red plate.
To create the banner, I used a simple spool of black ribbon and attached the watermelon slices on with mini wooden clothespins.
After putting down a black and white buffalo plaid runner, I laid a mini banner on each side of a clearance watermelon tray I picked up at Target last summer. You could also use a real watermelon or any other fun watermelon decor or signage to complete the centerpiece!
DIY Watermelon Placemats
What You Need
Round neutral color placemats
Painter’s tape
Red acrylic paint
Green acrylic paint
Black acrylic paint
Foam paint brushes
Using placemats and chargers are some of my favorite ways to make a table feel a bit fancier. Often times I use staple sets of chargers that I’ve found at Dollar Tree or on clearance, but I’ve also enjoyed making some of my own DIY versions!
For this project, I picked up 6 of the Ikea SLUTEN woven placemats that are only a few dollars a piece, but any neutral color round placemat will do.
Start by taping off the center of the placemat with painter’s tape. Make sure it is as secure to the woven material as possible to minimize bleeding of the paint underneath the tape.
Next, begin painting your watermelon rind. You can use whatever shade of green your heart desires. I love using Plaid’s Folk Art paints which can pick up at any local craft store or order online. What’s great about the woven placemats is that they serve as your guide. I essentially just followed the first three “rows” of weave as I painted. I mostly used a foam brush, but you can use a smaller brush to clean up any small spots.
Set aside and let dry as you work on the next one. By the time you are done, you can go back to your first placemat and start with the red!
As a final step, use some black paint to create seeds. Again, the wicker served as a guide, but this is really a “wing-it” type approach. As hard as it was for the perfectionist in me, I love that these had that homemade feel and weren’t uniform. Let dry before using.
Place Setting Supplies
In addition to these watermelon DIYs, I was able to shop the house for a lot of the additional items. The buffalo plaid table runners and linen napkins are great for fall gatherings, Halloween, and Christmas! When investing in linens, I definitely purchase with reuse in mind.
The green dinner plates & wine glasses were originally purchased for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner party, but I’ve also used them for many occasions as well! Solid color plates and glassware are regularly available at Dollar Tree!
I also love layering on paper plates for dessert and used red disposable silverware here for easy cleanup. Both of these items I grabbed on a Target run.
Finally, my favorite find were these hand painted watermleon napkin rings at a local thrift store. I’ve definitely missed thrifting during these quarantine times, so I was glad to have snagged these last year. As shopping opens back up, it will be nice to start getting steals and deals again!
Now, all that’s left is to serve up your favorite summer dishes and some watermelon, of course!
Shop this Party:
In these wild times, it can be nice to have things arrive right to your door! I’ve curated similar items used here from Amazon to make it easy for you to re-create this look!
