Bars and buffet tables must be adequately lighted, but they're often located far from electrical outlets. An easy, inexpensive solution is to gather clear apothecary bottles and fill them with lamp oil and wicks. Arrange the bottles under a large hurricane for protection; we set these on a sturdy glass cake stand (make sure the bottles are evenly balanced on the stand).

Pair two of the best things about summer: fresh blueberries and ice cream. Make a sauce by melting 2 teaspoons unsalted butter in a saucepan set over medium heat; then add 1 pint blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook, stirring, until blueberries release juices, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly, and spoon warm sauce over ice cream. Garnish with more blueberries, if desired. Makes 1 1/3 cups.

Create a mini gardening center that you can tote while you tend your plants. Start with a carpenter's nail belt, which has one big pocket: Measure the width of each tool, such as a trowel, then add an inch for extra space. Use a pen to mark widths on belt. Stitch along marks, creating several pockets. Tie the belt around a bucket, which you can use to hold larger items or to collect debris.

Clay pots gradually whiten with age, showing evidence of minerals leaching from water through the years. But with lime powder, you can get that charming, weathered look without waiting.

A few easy folds is all it takes to turn plain paper into cheery cups for servings of fresh fruit salad and more.

Bamboo candles, which have built-in shelves, are a pretty way to decorate the table the next time you're entertaining, both indoors and out.

Decking your yard with tiki torches is an inexpensive, festive way to bring island style home -- and to light up the night without electricity. Use them to line a path or surround a patio. If the ground is paved or rocky, you may not be able to find places to poke the torches into the soil. Instead, anchor them in gravel-filled, galvanized-steel flower buckets, and have yourself a tropical night.

Flexible and strong, willow edging is a traditional English garden border whose form is naturally in line with its function. The willow branches have even been known to take root and sprout, creating a living, organic boundary.

Enjoy sweet summer corn in a new way -- as an hors d'oeuvre for a casual party. Cut ears of corn into rounds about 1 inch thick, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a medium-hot grill, cut sides down, about 2 minutes per side.

This pink juice tastes as sweet and refreshing as a slice of the fruit -- with less mess. Cut the flesh of a seedless watermelon into chunks, and puree them in batches in a blender. Strain the fruit through a sieve, and chill before serving. A 12-pound watermelon yields about 5 1/2 quarts of juice, which will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Cold drinks, slippery with condensation, can slide around on a plastic or metal tray, so line it with a sheet of cork to hold glasses steady. Rolls of cork sheeting, about 1/8 inch thick, are available at office-supply stores. Trace the bottom of a tray onto a piece of cork, and cut it out with scissors. Affix cork inside tray with double-sided tape.

Keep your garden hose from cutting into flower beds when snaking around a corner by adding a homemade hose guide.

This airy shelter can be moved wherever you need to shield tender plants or seedlings from full sunlight until they're established.

Make a down-home meal more fun with pinwheel napkins made from bandannas (they're easy to find and inexpensive).

Fresh pesto -- that delicious basil, garlic, pine nut, Parmesan or pecorino cheese, and olive oil sauce -- quickly turns from green to brown if it is not stored properly. The flavor is unaffected, but the color is less appetizing. To prevent this discoloration, which results from contact with air, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top and refrigerate in an airtight container.

To ensure that kebab ingredients obey when you try to flip them -- instead of staying put as the skewer spins -- spear them on two skewers. The extra handle also decreases the likelihood of meat or vegetables breaking free and dropping into the coals.

Grilling chicken whole keeps it tender and moist; if you butterfly it, the parts will cook evenly. Use kitchen or poultry shears to cut down either side of backbone; remove it. Spread chicken flat, skin side up; tuck wings behind shoulders. Make a small slit in skin with a knife at tip of breast near thigh; insert end of drumstick; repeat. If desired, rub with lemon and herbs. Grill chicken over medium heat, turning occasionally, until juices run clear when breast is poked with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the bird.

Beef up your condiment offerings for burgers and sandwiches with these four easy blends. Start each with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add: peppers (1/4 cup, finely chopped); Kalamata-olive puree (3 tablespoons); sun-dried tomatoes in oil (1/4 cup, drained and finely chopped); or pesto (3 tablespoons). Don't leave mixes outside for more than two hours; refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days.

Vines appear to defy gravity -- and let your wall show through -- when they climb without supportive woodwork. Eyehooks screwed into siding or walls and networks of medium-gauge wire hold delicate vines.

Let a flock of colorful paper butterflies loose, and you'll instantly give party decorations a lift.

More Outdoor Decorating Ideas

• Gorgeous Outdoor Patios
• Summer Garden Crafts
• Creative Outdoor Spaces