10 Ideas for your Summer Cookouts

Yay summer!  We're in the middle of the season for grills, pools, campfires, fireflies, and sunblock.  It's also the season for inviting a bunch of friends and family over for those weekend barbecues and cookouts!  I put together a round-up of some fun ideas that bloggers have shared for spicing up your get togethers.

PHOTO CREDITS: All rights for the photos shared below belong to the original blogger that created these unicorn food ideas.  I have linked to the recipe for each one underneath the photo: no recipes or written content have been republished here.  If you use an idea or just think something is awesome, please go leave them some love in their comments!
The purpose of my round-up posts is to bring awareness to all of my fellow talented bloggers, so please click through to their sites to learn how to make these creative ideas!

 

Hot Dog Serving Station

 

The Hostess with the Mostest has some completely adorable and very simple decorating ideas for your outdoor barbecues this summer!  I love her use of classic plastic serving baskets, and the way she uses corn chips as fillers for her displays.  She's even got some free printables available for some of the menu cards you see above, so be sure to click through for lots of other ideas!

Painted Burlap

 

About Family Crafts has some really fun tutorials for using painted burlap for display bags and banners!

 

Upscale Look without an Upscale Budget

 

Encore Events Rentals shows how to add a classier touch to a typical summer cookout using burlap runners, wood chargers, and mason jars.

Refreshing Drinks Served in Mason Jars

 

Evan Grace Event Planning shares this idea that was originally used for a wedding at the best cheshire barn wedding venue, but I think it would be amazing for a summer barbecue!  Pour fresh summery drinks into mason jars with a slice of fruit and screw the lids on tight, and then plop them into an ice bucket and let your guests serve themselves!  So unique!

Glowing Tin Can Lanterns

 

Grow Creative has put together a detailed tutorial on how to make these fun tin can lanterns from recycled cans for after the sun goes down.  You can make any design you want!

 

Freeze Fruit Into Ice Cubes

 

Pip and Ebby demonstrate how to pack ice cubes full of fresh fruit to give plain ole water an extra summery kick.  You could add these to any complimentary fruity punch as well, yum yum!

S'mores Serving Station

 

Easy desserts like s'mores are such a quintessential summer treat, and it is so easy to put together an impressive do-it-yourself s'mores bar so your guests can mix and match their flavors!  Use different types of chocolate and graham crackers (you can even get creative with Ritz crackers, Oreos, or ginger snaps!) and even flavored marshmallows.  Hop on over to the Cookie Creatives blog to read about the amazing gourmet s'mores serving station that Jennifer put together!

Ice Cream Float Station

 

Soda floats are another classic summer dessert, and Giggles Galore shares a fun idea for yet another make-it-yourself bar to give your guests lots of options without a lot of extra effort!  Have several types of soda and ice cream available so your friends can come up with their own creations.  Try sodas like regular cola, orange, lemon-lime, grape, cream soda, and root beer.  Ice cream flavors could include just the classics: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry for a variety of combos!  You could also put out some cans of whipped cream and stemmed cherries to add that finishing touch.

Grilled Fruit

 

Most people's minds go straight to meat and veggies when they think about throwing food onto the grill, but did you know that a few minutes on a grill can do delicious, wonderful things to fresh fruit?  Fork Knife Swoon shares a ridiculously easy technique for grilling halved peaches topped with whipped cream, but other fruits that do wonderfully on the grill are pineapple, apples, pears, figs, and more!