Perfect Lawn Party

Here are ideas for creating the perfect party scene.

• Look for a spot with trees and a soft, grassy carpet underfoot.
• Furnish your yard with tables, benches, and chairs usually used indoors or on the porch. Bring out cushions and pillows to toss on the ground. Cover the tables with pretty linens.
• Carry tableware from the house to the party site in large baskets to reduce the number of trips.
• Wrap wire around the necks of tempered glass jars, fill the bottoms of jars with sand, place votive candles inside, and hang jars from tree branches. If you don't have tempered jars, put a little water in the bottom of the jar to make it safe for holding candles.
• If there's an electrical outlet nearby, wrap white Christmas lights around trees and shrubs.
• Be kind to the host -- you -- and keep the menu simple.