Backyard Pallet Picnic Ideas for the Perfect Summer Evening

There is something magical about dining outdoors on a warm summer evening. Add a few wooden pallets, oversized pillows, twinkling fairy lights, and simple dinnerware, and suddenly your backyard feels like an intimate outdoor café.

This backyard pallet picnic is one of my favorite ways to entertain friends because it proves you don’t need expensive furniture or a complicated setup to create an unforgettable evening. With a handful of decorating ideas and a few cozy touches, you can transform an ordinary backyard into the prettiest dinner party of the summer.

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Before we get started, if you’d like to recreate this magical pallet picnic, I’ve linked the pieces I used below. When an exact item wasn’t available, I’ve included a similar option.

Shop my pallet picnic with these products:

Slate placemats
Lenox Chelse Muse Fleur Dinner Plates
Battery Operated Fairy Lights
Blue Cloth Napkins
Wood Handle Flatware
Demijohn Vases

Why you’ll love a pallet picnic

• inexpensive to create
• perfect for summer entertaining
• works for birthdays, girls’ nights, family dinners or date nights
• easy to customize with any color palette
• creates incredible ambiance after dark

How many pallets do I need?

One pallet comfortably seats 2–4 guests. Two pallets placed end to end create a lovely table for four to six people.

Where can I find pallets?

Garden centers, flooring companies, Facebook Marketplace, local warehouses, or even recent home deliveries often have pallets available. Always choose clean pallets in good condition.

What should I serve?

• charcuterie
• sandwiches
• pasta salad
• grilled chicken
• fruit
• brownies
• lemonade
• sangria

I just happened to have a couple of pallets that were delivered with my new bathtub. I would have prefered a pair of pallets that matched, but these worked okay. I rolled out a spare rug I had for a nice base. If you don’t have a spare rug, an outdoor patio rug would work really well.

Think of your pallet picnic exactly like you would style a dining room table. Layer a rug first, then define each place setting with a placemat, bring in varying heights through your centerpiece, soften everything with textiles, and finally add warm lighting. Whether your “table” sits on four legs or rests on the ground, the principles of beautiful entertaining never change.

The color scheme for this evening was blue, and I wanted to go with a little bit of a boho feel. These blue and natural color placemats were the perfect choice to top the slate boards.

Stemware didn’t seem to be the correct choice so, I selected these ice tea glasses with wicker sleeves. These would be perfect for any beverage my guests would want, or I plan on serving.

When it was time to set the table, I chose wooden handled flatware and white Lenox dinner plates in the Chelse Muse Fleur pattern.

Chloe’s Tip: Tie your napkins in a simple knot instead of using napkin rings. The extra weight helps keep them from blowing away on breezy evenings, and I actually think the relaxed look fits an outdoor picnic even better.

It was time for my centerpiece! I have a collection of large demijohns. I used battery operated lights and added them down into each jar. For the jars with a neck too small to accommodate the battery pack, I just let the wire go down the side of the jar and hid the battery pack down under the pallets.

For a picnic like this, the more pillows, the better! I added lots of oversized pillows so that guests could get comfy around our pallet table.

As beautiful as the picnic looks during daylight, the real magic happens after sunset. The battery-operated fairy lights inside the bottles to create a warm glow that felt almost like dozens of fireflies dancing around the table. It’s one of the easiest ways to create an unforgettable atmosphere.

One of the things I love most about entertaining is proving that beautiful doesn’t have to be expensive. A few reclaimed pallets, soft pillows, simple dishes, and twinkle lights are all it takes to create an evening your guests will remember long after the last candle goes out.

If you create your own backyard pallet picnic, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram so I can celebrate your beautiful table with you.

Shop my pallet picnic with these products:

Slate placemats
Lenox Chelse Muse Fleur Dinner Plates
Battery Operated Fairy Lights
Blue Cloth Napkins
Wood Handle Flatware
Demijohn Vases