How to Throw a Sunday Funday on a Budget

photos by kristen kilpatrick

We’ve been counting down to summer by prepping the patio at the Camille Styles Bungalow for outdoor party season! To break it in, we invited our crew to join us for a Sunday Funday full of laid-back eats and sips with a Moroccan twist inspired by our patio decor; add great music and a ping pong table and suddenly Sunday afternoon was the most festive part of our weekends! Our new patio furniture from Target created a chic space that felt party-ready, and we’re sharing the budget-friendly tips that allowed us to pull it all together in a snap.

Tip #1 Ditch your old cooler for a beautiful bar cart!

There’s no prettier way to display your beverages for the day. We set up a small-but-mighty drinks station — it takes up less room than a full bar and makes it easy for guests to help themselves to drinks. I’m loving our new Cassia Rattan Bar Cart from Opalhouse.

Here’s what you’ll need to make Moroccan Mint Sangria:

2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup agavé
1 bottle rosé
1 cup sparkling water
garnish with fresh citrus, berries & mint

Combine strawberries, mint, agavé, and rosé in a large pitcher and chill overnight. Add bubbly water & garnishes, and serve over ice. Cheers!

Tip #2 Even if you’re not traveling to an exotic destination this summer, create a Sunday Funday menu filled with dishes inspired by global travel.

On our menu:

Moroccan-Mint Sangria
Build-Your-Own Rainbow Avocado Toast
Fresh Fruit with Mint-Infused Syrup
Berries & Coconut Cream Popsicles

Tip #3 Everyone’s favorite avocado toast is made even more delicious when guests can customize it to their liking with delicious, seasonal toppings.

We’re going to be using this serving pieces from Target all summer long:

Tip #4 Sturdy, unbreakable dishes are must-haves for outdoor entertaining – and an affordable way to add on-trend pieces to your collection each season.

Melamine plates have never been so chic – and no one will believe that these drink tumblers are made of plastic!

Potted plants are the only centerpiece you need.

Ditch the cut flowers for this party: potted plants are affordable, stand up to the heat, and (most importantly) you can use them to decorate your patio long after the party’s over. If you want something super low-maintenance, succulents and cacti are practically hands-off solutions. They look really cool when mixed on the table with hurricanes and exotic carved wood candlesticks.

Childhood dreams came true for more than one of us when this ping pong table found a permanent home in our patio. Jenn Rose is still undefeated as of now, but rest assured that’ll be changing soon!

Tip #5 DIY Popsicles are an easy and inexpensive party trick that everyone will love.

Here’s how I made mine:

In a bowl, mash together 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, and a teaspoon of sugar.
Place about a tablespoon of the berry mixture into each container of a popsicle mold.
In another bowl, use a whisk to blend 2 teaspoons of sugar together with a can of full-fat coconut milk (from a can) and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Pour coconut milk into popsicle molds on top of berry mixture, drop a couple of mint leaves into each popsicle, then pop into the freezer for 30 minutes
Remove from freezer, stick popsicle sticks into center of each popsicle, then return to freezer for at least 5 hours and preferably overnight.

Feel free to get creative with whatever berries and herbs you love!

Tip #6 Send guests home with potted herb favors they can enjoy all summer.

Our favors added a mini herb garden to the party with these cute pots from Smith & Hawken. They’re pretty, fragrant, and also so useful since guests can snip from them to add to their Moroccan Mint Sangrias at home – we even provided them with a recipe card.

Download the cute favor tags right here!

Once the sun went down, we lit candles and turned on string lights to let the party keep going way past our bedtimes. It’s summer, after all!

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