Throw an Alfresco Bash

Just add friends for great summer picnics and parties.

Give drinks a summer kick by using these fun

Paper Straws ($3 for 50; KikkerlandShop.com). They're way more green than their plastic counterparts.

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Instant cheese party

The top of the Picnic Time Brie Cheese Board Set ($26; Amazon.com) swivels open to reveal three serving tools for soft and hard cheeses.

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Better than glass

Add a major dose of sparkle to your summer quenchers with this shatter-proof, BPA-free acrylic Glitter Goblet ($28 for 4; FrenchBull.com).

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What a dish

This colorful, hard-to-break, and reusable Jonathan Adler KaleidoscopeDinner Plate ($12; JonathanAdler.com) is perfect for casual meals or picnics.

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A cold one

Throw some ice and drinks into the handy El Deano Insulated Scout Tote ($20; BungalowCo.com) and you've got a lightweight cooler for your backyard or hitting the road.

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Grill time!

Make barbecuing a breeze with the compact Weber Charcoal Go-Anywhere Grill ($45; Amazon.com). It has a sleek porcelain-enameled lid and base with a steel cooking grate, plus glass-reinforced-nylon handles for easy carrying.

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Store it

These leak-free melamine Multidot Storage Containers ($32 for a set of 3; FrenchBull.com) are great for storing dips, fruit, chips, and other snacks.

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Drink up!

Make plain water look and taste great by adding berries and fragrant herbs (like basil) to a glass pitcher of ice water, suggests Jill Donenfeld, founder of The Dish's Dish, an at-home chef service in New York City and Los Angeles.

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Get creative

To serve dips, use clever edible containers: a cleaned-out green pepper, for instance, or a bowl made of bread, says Katie Brown, host of the Katie Brown Workshop on PBS. Cleanup is a cinch—just eat the containers!

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