How to Create a Shabby Chic Outdoor Garden Party

Last Updated on January 15, 2026 by Stacy Averette

We like to party, and by party, I mean hang out at home with friends and family, eat good food, and chat under the stars. Home is our favorite place to party, and since indoor space is limited, we decided to take advantage of the mild weather and gather outside.

Our yard normally looks like this.

Pretty but not very party-like.

I had a vision for what it could be, and thankfully, I had some good helpers!

We added the back porch and patio furniture, moved furniture from inside, hung some lights, grabbed some old blankets, and added buckets of wildflowers, and we were ready.

The party was wonderful thanks to the friends and family who came.

The cousins gathered for a photo.

The girls did, too.

And then we tried to make a family photo.

The first one looks OK.

Until the legs of the cot we’re sitting on began to sink into the ground. The giggles had started, but we (some of us) maintained our composure for one more.

And then we lost it.

At least the girls did. I think it’s funny that the guys look totally cool—maybe because they weren’t sitting on a sinking cot.

I wanted just one photo of my family, so Eric decided to join us on the couch. I’m trying to get up and Maddie’s warning him not sit down.

It didn’t turn out well.

Plan B: Put Dad back in the tree.

Friends and family left, and we lingered in the magic a little while longer.

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