How To Decorate a Red White and Blue Table for a BBQ Party

dinner club inspiration

If you are new here, let me explain about my virtual dinner club.

About three years ago, 5 of my blogger friends and I started a virtual dinner club.

Every other month we have a theme and we each create a table scape to go along with our theme.

We share our table ideas and inspiration on the last Thursday of the month.

We also create a menu to go along with our theme and we take turns with different courses of the dinner.

There is typically an appetizer, cocktail, main course, side dish, and a dessert and we share the recipes on the last Saturday of the month.

I have such a great time getting creative with our themes and seeing all of the ideas everyone comes up with.

Themed tablescapes is one of my favorite things to create, and I look forward to sharing these with you every month.

If you have missed our past tablescapes, you can see a few of my favorites by clicking on the photo.

Now, let’s get started on this backyard BBQ table decor with patriotic colors.

red, white and blue table decor inspiration

I like to start any design project with an inspiration piece. That includes any table setting I am creating.

Once I have my inspiration, the ideas begin to flow and keep me on track with my design and theme.

Since the Fourth of July is right around the corner and Labor Day not too far behind, I thought red, white and blue decorations would be fun for the BBQ party table settings.

I recently purchased a cute blue and white buffalo plaid tablecloth that I have been wanting to use.

And I also found a set of cute white linen napkins with a blue floral print at a thrift store for $6.00.

I thought the combination of the tablecloth and napkins would be perfect for my color scheme and an outdoor party, so this became my inspiration.

From there, I just started thinking about how to add a pop of red to my patriotic theme table.

I also started planning what other elements to use for a BBQ themed gathering.

place settings for a backyard cookout party

For each place setting for my BBQ table scape, I used cookie sheet pans in place of placemats or plate chargers.

They aren’t all exactly the same, but they were close enough in color and size so it didn’t bother me that they didn’t all match.

Next, I layered a white enamelware dinner plate and salad plate on top of the baking sheet.

On top of the white plates, I added a small 5″ cast iron skillet at each place setting.

I ordered these on-line recently because there have been several occasions when I wanted to use a small skillet.

I found a set of 6 that was a very reasonable price so I decided to make the investment.

For this particular dinner party, I used the tiny skillets to make individual servings of spinach artichoke dip on the grill.

The set of napkins with a blue floral pattern that I found at a thrift store was the perfect addition to my red, white and blue themed table.

I tied a knot in one end of the napkin and placed it to the side of my plate stack.

Lastly, a mason jar was used for a drinking glass.

The mason jar glasses added another casual element to my outdoor table decor.

centerpiece decor for a BBQ party

I used a blue and white check tablecloth on my back patio dining table for this outdoor patriotic party.

It gave the feel of a casual table setting and I think blue and white just screams summer.

A white chippy board became a table runner for my centerpiece and definitely added to the casual vibe of this outdoor party.

Glass coca-cola bottles added the pop of red I was looking for and became a fun element to this tablescape.

I filled the coke bottles with inexpensive grocery store flowers that look like small daisies.

If you wanted an added element of patriotic decor, you could add small American flags to the coke bottle arrangements.

In between the coke bottle flower arrangements, I added tin can luminarias.

The luminarias are easy to make and don’t cost a thing, if you save up empty cans from fruits, soups, vegetables, etc.

Lastly, I used small mason jars as candle holders and sprinkled them between the flower arrangements and luminarias.

The large tea light candles fit perfectly inside the small mason jars.

This centerpiece was super easy to create and gives a very casual and summer feel for an outdoor cookout party.

tin can luminaria DIY for an outdoor party

I think candlelight for a dinner party is a must! Even for a casual gathering.

It’s a great way to add a cozy element and provide an inviting atmosphere which makes your guests feel relaxed and welcome.

These luminarias are a fun way to add candlelight to a casual gathering and are so easy to make.

I have made these tin can luminarias before and thought this was the perfect occasion to use some.

Any size metal can will work for the luminarias.

Just save a few as you open them for cooking and recipes. Soup cans, canned fruits or vegetables will work great.

If you don’t typically use canned goods, you could probably ask a friend or neighbor to save some for you.

To make the luminarias, I just randomly poked holes using an ice pick. I found that it is much easier to start the hole with an ice pick instead of a drill.

Once I had the holes started, I used a drill to make the hole larger.

I used a larger drill bit in some areas and a smaller drill bit in others, just to create a little interest by varying the sizes of the holes.

However, that part isn’t really necessary if you don’t want to go to that much trouble.

You will still get the same affect if all of the holes are the same size.

These make the most delightful candlelight and fun element for your table with the light flickering through the holes of the luminaria as it begins to get darker in the evening.

Click on any photo to see the table decor and ideas…

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