Charlotte, NC Magazine | Today's Charlotte Woman - Outdoor Dining Updated - Exclusive Content

Give Your Picnic A Pick-Me-Up

By Michelle Young Hubacher

If your idea of outdoor entertaining involves guests balancing flimsy paper plates on their knees and paper napkins dotted with ketchup floating across your lawn, think again. There are plenty of reasons to give your backyard barbecue a little style makeover — the main one being it’s as easy as your famous Vidalia onion pie!

Placemats and cloth napkins are an unexpected, updated way to make even the most humble hotdog cookout special. If you have seating room for all of your guests, why not set the table? Placemats with summer themes are available everywhere and at every price point. From sunflowers to cabbage roses to seaside motifs, you can create a theme or color palette that is visually fun and adds just the right touch of festive to the occasion. If your guest list is too large for seating at your patio furniture, and you expect diners to be standing or “perching” while eating, you can still provide cloth napkins — folded neatly and stacked on your outdoor buffet. Or you can roll your silver or plastic dining utensils in the cloth napkins and place them in a small bucket or container.

If you’re the least bit crafty, and if you have a specific celebration or theme in mind for your next outdoor party, you can even buy fabric that depicts just about any motif imaginable. Check out Modern Fabrics or Jo-Anne Fabrics & Crafts here in Charlotte, or enter the fabric mecca that is Mary Jo’s Cloth Store in Gastonia. I have been to Mary Jo’s dozens of times — and I’m no seamstress. But I own a basic Singer, and I can sew a straight line quite handily. That’s all it takes to make a napkin. I've sewn napkins and table cloths, and I’ve created both out of fabric covered in really cute summer themes: ants marching across red gingham, mustard and ketchup bottles side by side on a bright blue background. The last time I took my two daughters to Mary Jo’s, my youngest spotted cloth that had a giant depiction of The Last Supper. I admit I stood for a minute contemplating the possibilities. A little inspiration might be all you need to get started.

Whether you buy a set of ready-made table toppers, like the ones pictured here (available from Sur La Table, in stores or at surlatable.com), or craft your own, your guests will appreciate the effort. And you can use your new napkins and placemats throughout the summer! TCW

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