Guide to outdoor entertaining this festive season

It’s the Aussie way to spend the festive season entertaining your guests in the backyard. Are you hosting a Christmas celebration in your backyard this year?

Here are our tips for decorating and entertaining in your outdoor area this Christmas.

Whether you are entertaining in the alfresco, balcony or on the lawn you’ll want to ensure you have at least a six-seater table for your guests to sit around. Decorate the table with a linen tablecloth, festive florals and delightful crockery, flatware and glassware.

Choose a colour palette and use that as inspiration when selecting and coordinating your table decorations and bonbons. Copper and rose gold continue to be a popular choice, with the look changing into sparkling and pink hues.

Enhance that Christmas wonderland feeling by hanging garlands and baubles throughout your outdoor area and backyard. Have an empty spot? Try placing a Christmas ornament!

Don’t forget about the Christmas lights! When the sun sets and the party really starts, fairy lights, garden lights and candles will look magical and add a great ambience to your festive celebrations. Use citronella candles and tea lights in jars as an extra deterrent against those pesky insects.

Try Australian-inspired floral arrangements this Christmas including red kangaroo paw, pine cones, dwarf Christmas bush, gum leaves and fresh flowers. Use sprigs of rosemary tied with string in small jars to decorate your table.

Set up a self-serving refreshment station to take the pressure of providing drinks to your guests. Be creative and try fun Christmas-inspired punches and cocktails or fruit juice if it’s a morning event.

Lastly, provide some fun and get guests out of their chairs by setting up some outdoor games. This is also great entertainment for those with children and teenagers. We suggest table tennis, badminton, bocce and the obvious… backyard cricket.