The team at CasaSugar helps us celebrate outdoors.

If you’re planning on hosting a party for Fourth of July festivities, you’ll want to make sure that your backyard is up for the challenge. Choosing decorative elements that are multifunctional is key, but it takes a bit of preparation. To ensure that your Fourth of July bash is a beautiful success, get organized with this list of backyard entertaining essentials.

• Shop for extra seating that can be easily stashed once the party is over. Folding wooden chairs, benches, and garden stools can be stored or repurposed in other parts of the house after the party is over.
• Add a pretty and protective service to outdoor tabletops with tablecloths. Oilcloths are offered in a variety of patterns and colors and are ideal for easy cleanup.
• Set down the bug spray and keep mosquitoes at bay with beautifully packaged citronella candles. We especially love the classic, subdued elegance of glass votive citronella candles.
• Make sure your yard has ample lighting by adding temporary options that can be taken down at the end of the season. If you have trees, arbors, or other tall structures, use string lights. If not, look for tiki torches or stake lanterns.
• Avoid having guests make multiple trips in and out of the house for a cold drink by shopping for stylish tubs to fill with ice and beverages.

• Instead of washing dishes throughout the night or dumping plastic and paper dinnerware, consider using biodegradable versions that can be composted.
• If you’re expecting warm weather, be sure to provide shading so that your guests don’t overheat. Umbrellas, tents, and DIY canopies go a long way.
• Let guests know it’s a party by decorating with festive touches like flag bunting, tissue pom-poms, or balloons.
• Trays are a fantastic way to transfer and organize items, but they can also provide extra table surface. Look for trays that can rest on stands or be removed when you have to haul something.
• To avoid confusing beverages, provide a way for guests to mark their drinks. For a hassle-free but stylish way to identify drinks, set out a roll of cute washi tape and a sharpie pen and let guests mark their own drinks. Or set out tags with ribbons for wine glasses and bottles.
• For double-duty centerpieces, assemble shiny red apples in glass vessels or pot pretty blooms to set at tables.

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Images: CasaSugar

The post Outdoor Entertaining: 11 Essentials for a Backyard July 4th Bash appeared first on EcoSalon.

The team at CasaSugar helps us create the DIY terrariums of our dreams. 

You might have seen our terrarium tutorial with floral experts Leigh Oakies and Allison Futeral of Crimson Horticulture Rarities. The design duo shared so many helpful insider tips about how to create and care for terrariums that we decided to pull together our favorite tips to share again with you. If you’re considering crafting a terrarium, you’ll definitely want to read these first!

When choosing a vessel, don’t limit yourself to the traditional glass bowl or vase. Leigh and Allison have experimented with everything from beakers to mason jars!

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Air plants do in fact need water. To water larger air plants, hold them under running water, shake off excess water, and dry them in the sun before returning them to their vessels.

For smaller air plants, simply immerse them in a bucket or sink of water and let them soak for an hour. Shake off excess water and allow them to dry in a sunny spot before returning them to their vessel. Watering should be done once a week.

For leafier plants like succulents and ferns, add activated charcoal as the first layer in your terrarium before adding sand or rocks, and soil. This will soak up excess water and keep the plants from developing mold. You can easily find activated charcoal at pet stores. If you’re using air plants, it’s fine to skip the activated charcoal and just use small rocks or sand.

If you have a terrarium with a lid, don’t be concerned if you see condensation – that’s a good thing! Just remove the lid overnight once a week to allow it to air out. Be sure to keep lidded terrariums out of spots that receive a lot of direct sunlight because the heat may become too intense for the plants.

Leigh and Allison mainly rely on paintbrushes, small shovels, and large tweezers to insert items into vessels and move them around until they are satisfied with their arrangement. Chopsticks are also unexpected but handy tools for arranging terrariums.

For a step-by-step terrarium tutorial, read this helpful guide!

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The post 6 Tips for Creating a DIY Terrarium appeared first on EcoSalon.