Last week, we shared clever Amazon buys and crowd-pleasing cookout recipes. To round out our July 4th prep, we scoured Instagram for creative tips and tricks that make for a memorable event β presentation ideas, flavor infusions, grilling hacks, and more.
Layer Up!
Ever tried making one of those Instagram-worthy layered drinks with disastrous results? Here, @lunchboxdad shares the secret β it’s all about the sugar. Watch to learn how to layer colored beverages with beautiful results.
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DIY Ice Tray
No time to snag a specialty chilled tray? No problem. As long as you can get your hands on some aluminum trays, you can easily create a chilled tray for fruit, cheese, dips, and more, as demonstrated here by @alifebetterorganized. If you’re short on time (or freezer space), simply layer ice on the bottom of your larger pan β it won’t be as level, but it’ll still do the job!
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DIY Ice Tray Plus
This method from @vasseurbeauty is similar but allows for an elevated presentation. She places a bag of ice in a bowl, covers it with bibb lettuce, and then puts her veggies right on top! This method may not stand up in extreme temps, as the lettuce is likely to wilt, but just imagine the possibilities. Depending on what you’re serving, you could experiment with layering with patterned parchment paper or even bundles of herbs.
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Festive Floral Arrangements
If you’re going for a traditional red, white, and blue motif but you’re struggling to find fresh blue flowers at your local market, consider this simple food coloring hack from @athomewith.shannon. It safely dyes the water a vibrant shade of blue, so you’re free to choose whichever white and red flowers you love best. (And yes, the food coloring will eventually begin to tinge the white flowers with a hint of blue if they sit long enough!)
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Hot Dog Hack!
This reel by @eatinghealthygram includes five grilling hacks, some of which we have seen before. They’re all great, but the one that caught our eye is #5 β a trick for quick and easy hot dog flipping. All you need is a couple of skewers!
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Easiest Ice Cream Sandwiches
Hacks can be about making things quicker and easier, yes, but they can also make things more memorable. Imagine a DIY ice cream sandwich setup for your guests with a variety of cookies, ice cream flavors, and add-ons. This trick from @thefeastkings makes the ice cream element SO much easier, making the setup a lot less daunting β and a lot less messy.
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One more for the ice cream lovers …
Prefer to skip the cookies and get straight to the ice cream? Grab a package of popsicle sticks for this easy serving method from @life_hacks. You can use larger ice cream containers for this hack, too!
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Garbage Can Game-Changer
One un-sexy aspect of hosting a cookout is garbage takeout. Between cups, cans, wrappers, and other disposables, it adds up fast. This clever tip from @homeaglowΒ will save you and your guests a LOT of fumbling. If you’re a regular host, consider investing in a few attractive trash cans so you can place them around your event, stocked with plenty of replacement bags!
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Floral Wine Cooler
We’ve all seen these beautiful floral wine chillers all over social media, but they’re easier to make than you might think. You don’t need a fancy mold β just a plastic pitcher, a smaller plastic vessel (large enough to hold a wine bottle), and some kind of weight. Here, @allinspiredwellness uses a small dumbbell, but you could use whatever you have on hand. You can easily tailor the flowers and greenery you use for any occasion β you can even use herbs and fruit!
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“Smoke Bomb”
Courtesy of @howtobbqright, this is a super simple way to achieve a smoky flavor for folks who don’t own a smoker. All you need is a small aluminum pan, a sheet of aluminum foil, and your preferred variety of wood chips.
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Here’s to a party to remember!
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