15 Adorable Thrift Store Finds To Make A Budget-Friendly Outdoor Summer Party Come To Life

Summer is the perfect time to take full advantage of your outdoor space by hosting gatherings of friends and family. Planning any party, however, can be expensive, especially in spaces that you may not have access to all year long. This means buying things that you can use secondhand or thrifted is the key to spending less money and energy on basics and more on enjoying your backyard festivities. You can find all sorts of things at the thrift store that will make your outdoor space more amenable to entertaining, including dishware, seating, lighting, and more.

The best part is that not only are these thrifted items inexpensive, but you can always re-donate them when you're finished with them, freeing up storage space in your home or garage. Using thrifted items means you don't have to worry about using your inside home goods, like dishes and servingware, outside where they may get damaged or broken. You can also find inexpensive and easy elements that add a lot to the atmosphere you want to create, like candles, lighting, and comfy places to lounge. 

Throw pillows and large cushions, especially upholstered ones designed for outdoor use, can be a great thing to pick up. You can use them temporarily for your gathering or cover them in water-resistant materials for longer use outdoors. Use them on existing outdoor seating, which can sometimes be a little hard and unyielding, or, for larger cushions, strew them around the yard. It's also a great way to create lounging spots for a fun backyard movie night. 

You can turn pretty vintage light fixtures into stunning outdoor budget-friendly patio lighting by removing the electrical wiring and cord and adding a solar bulb adhered to where the regular bulb would normally go. This fun trick works with hanging lanterns, regular lamps, or floor lamps, which can be placed upright along a path or used to light up your backyard patio. Combine these pretty fixtures with string lights to light up your outdoor space elegantly. You can also outfit a thrifted chandelier with solar lights. 

Rugs, especially those in natural and woven materials, are great for softening surfaces outside, even if only temporarily during your event. Use them to cozy up seating or dining areas, or place them around on the grass to serve as ground-level picnic seating that is a little more hearty than a blanket or tablecloth. You can even layer and overlap them in one place to make a fun dance floor in the middle of your festivities.  

You can create a stylish outdoor bar with any wheeled cart and some accessories. Place your collection of bottles or glassware on one shelf and add an ice bucket, martini shaker, and some other tools to the prep area on top. The wheels allow you to move the cart in and out of the house, as well as to place it wherever you want to bring the party. You can also use more permanent wood pieces of furniture as outdoor bar set ups, like dressers, sideboards, and console tables, if you give them a protective outdoor coat. 

Candles and candle holders are always a welcome addition to outdoor spaces for creating a cozy glow. Pick up votive cups, taper candle holders, and pillar platforms at the thrift store to save a fortune on centerpiece additions. You may also be able to find other kinds of glassware that make excellent vessels for candles, like glass jars, teacups, and other pieces perfect for various candle varieties. You can even fill a teacup or other glassware with a wick and citronella wax to fend off bugs. 

If you're looking to add some entertainment, keep an eye out at thrift stores for outdoor games and equipment. Great finds include croquet or badminton sets, lawn darts, regular darts, horseshoes, cornhole, and other similar outdoor games and activities. If your crowd loves sports, you can also pick up other kinds of equipment for sports like soccer, basketball, soccer, or softball. Or, get some fun board games or checkers to keep people occupied while enjoying time outdoors. You can also turn a wooden pallet into a fun outdoor chess board with some paint. 

When having a party, you can never have too much seating. This includes typical outdoor options like lawn chairs and lounges, but can also include regular chairs around a table or scattered throughout your outdoor space. Folding chairs (and tables!) are an especially lucky find since they can be easily tucked away in a garage and brought out when you need them. You can also use a couple of thrifted barstools in front of a kitchen window to create an adorable outdoor bar.

Thrift stores are filled to the brim with dishware and glassware that make finding something you love for an outdoor party a breeze. Mix and match different floral designs for a garden party look at your table. Or, pick out a pretty selection of colored vintage glasses to have guests use during the duration of the party, instead of paper or plastic cups. While you will have to wash them afterward, real dishes are a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic and styrofoam.

If you don't entertain often, you may have an absence of servingware like platters, large bowls, pitchers, and utensils. The thrift store is an excellent place to pick these items up at a bargain (and you can always donate them again if you find you don't have a place to store them or a chance to use them again). Large trays also work great for carrying things in and out of the house in fewer trips. Wooden cutting boards and bread boards make perfect charcuterie boards.

Coolers are a must for outdoor parties, since you may wind up storing both food and beverages inside them, making having a few extras on hand very useful. Since they are secondhand, be sure to check for leaks, cracks, and other damage before using them. Even if cosmetically they are less than beautiful looking, you can cover them with some adhesive vinyl or paint them to cover up imperfections and make them more in line with your outdoor aesthetic.

Room dividers or privacy screens, whether they are made from wood, paper, or fabric, can be very useful outdoors for blocking unsightly views in your yard, like heating/cooling equipment, ugly exterior walls, trash cans, or an electrical box. They can also offer shade and create privacy where needed. While not all are made for outside use, keep one folded up in your garage as a quick fix for outdoor entertaining. You can also replace the damaged fabric or paper of a folding screen with some outdoor-friendly waterproof vinyl. 

If you find you do not have enough coolers, and want beverages out in view, pick up some extra plastic tubs and large buckets to fill with ice. You can even do this with a plastic kiddie pool or a large plastic garbage can and a thick plastic bag to create an easy way to serve drinks and keep them cool. Other fun containers that work great for this use include metal washtubs, old wheelbarrows, plastic planter boxes, and children's wagons. 

If you plan on firing up the grill, you can never have too many spatulas, long forks, and other tools associated with grilling. You may also want to keep an eye out in thrift stores for skewers, fire tripods, and roasting sticks if you plan to have a camp or bonfire as part of your festivities. You can even create an outdoor fire pit from an old grill if you saw off the longer legs and add some shorter ones. 

Old sheets make great picnic blankets and table cloths for your outdoor gatherings. Since they are old and inexpensive, there is no danger in staining or ruining them. Or, rip them up and use them to create easy outdoor napkins in pretty patterns. You can also use a large white sheet as an easy DIY screen set-up for an outdoor movie if you have a projector. Or use them to make impromptu sleepover tents for kids (or adults who partied a little too hard) with some rope in the backyard.

This versatile glassware can have a multitude of outdoor uses, from creating charming little candle lanterns to serving as vases for flowers from your garden. They also work great to hold silverware, napkins, and other items for a picnic. Keep a few on hand for your outdoor entertaining needs. Stick a taper candle inside a bottle filled with sand for a stunning and easy centerpiece addition that won't blow over if there is a little wind.