Pretty pots can do more than hold flowers on an outdoor table. They can be used to protect dips and other dishes from party-crashing insects. Lift the pot by sticking one finger through the drain hole, or create a handle by cutting an 18-inch length of 1/4-inch cord and knotting the ends together. Thread the looped end through the drain hole in the flowerpot.

Polypropylene cord, $16 for 100 inches, by Librette; jamaligarden.com.