Guide

How to make a picnic stylish

3.8.2020

Translation: machine translated

Flower-filled meadows, a lake or a city park: there's plenty to make your day, especially if you've packed a picnic.

My dining room having become my office since the coronavirus, it's been a long time since I've had a dinner party. This isn't really a problem in the summer, when most of life is spent outdoors. So instead of having dinner at home, I invite my friends over for a picnic. As at home, I set and decorate the 'table' and always try to find new recipes and places. A quick look at social media reveals that picnics are all the rage: bloggers like Lena Runa, Jami Alix or designer Eny Lee Parker are putting their picnic blankets on display. In this article, you'll find a few tips on how to make the most of this summer staple. And without pretending to be an Instagram pro, you can even turn the simplest of meals into a magnificent tableau.

The basics

The picnic blanket forms the basis of our staging. Its size will determine the richness of the meal and the decoration. For optimum comfort for two, I recommend a blanket at least 180 cm wide. You won't need cushions if the blanket is big enough, but a little padding never hurts. For a two-in-one solution, opt for a padded [mat] (/en/s14/product/ferm-living-rolling-mat-sitzkissen-12786063) that can roll up.

A blanket, a few small plates and cutlery are all you need for a picnic.

If you don't have a picnic blanket, you can also use a nappe, a beach linen or a drap. The most important thing is to choose a place where the floor is nice and dry, as these fabrics don't have a laminated coating.
The same goes for the picknick basket: a jute bag can be a good alternative. If the bags swear too much, it's best to remove them from the field.

Separating things harmoniously can be attractive. You can also divide them into smaller groups for a splotchy effect on a canvas.

Whatever type of blanket or basket you choose, be inspired by their patterns and colours for your meal. A red and white checked fabric, for example, will go very well with an Italian aperitif. A blue and white blanket, reminiscent of the islands of Santorini or Mykonos, will be perfect for a Greek-style meal. Monochrome or white fabrics, meanwhile, are to a blank canvas on which you can paint as you please using the colours of your crockery and dishes.

No disposable tableware

To make your picnic a feast for the eyes, you'll need to treat your blanket like a real dining table. Imagine you're creating a table using real crockery instead of disposable crockery. As well as being prettier and cheaper, it's also more environmentally friendly. All you need to do is plan everything carefully, starting with the shopping. Choose attractively packaged products, presented in a glass or cardboard box, to save a few plates. Replace tins with jars, which are prettier and more practical. There are plenty of imaginatively designed labels, ranging from retro to minimalist.

Much prettier than plastic crockery, clear jars allow you to add a splash of colour.

No packaging

Before you leave the house, remember to unpack snacks and the like. Carry them in lunch boxes, which you can then put in your basket, or in jars whose lids can be used as supports. This will prevent you from accumulating nasty rubbish on the spot. I start by serving dry things, like bread or crackers, in cloth bags or paper breakfast bags. For everything else, I use recyclable beeswax packaging, which I've found to be very easy to recycle.beeswax packaging, which you can also make yourself.

You can transport your food in the original packaging, but it's best to get rid of it when setting up.

Although stacks of disposable towels can make well, I prefer to use cotton or linen towels. They are more elegant and can also be used to wrap cutlery and sharp knives during transport. I also use pretty kitchen towels to wrap the rest of the crockery and place it at the bottom of the picnic basket.

Like a real painting

There's no need to turn your picnic into a real feast. A few nibbles and cold drinks are all you need to have a good time. Remember to add cheese or fruit at the last minute to keep everything fresh. I'd also advise you to stick to a colour theme. Personally, I choose fruit in warm, yellow tones that go well with my tableware: for example, yellow cherries and a lemon-based drink. The same goes for the decoration. I bring more lemons than I need and a bouquet of yellow flowers for the finishing touch.

A simple bouquet of flowers will look great on your table.

Picked on the spot or brought with you, flowers will embellish every picnic. Personally, I like to use dried flowers that I always have at home. Poppy seed capsules, limonium, craspedia or lavender will last throughout the festivities. I also sometimes use simple herbs or twigs to decorate my fabric.

The art of lighting

Whether outdoors or indoors, good lighting makes all the difference - candles and outdoor lamps are essential for any picnic. They create a pleasant light that reflects off ceramic and glass surfaces, and will also help you light the way home in the evening. Take a cue from the bloggers mentioned above and plan your meal during the blue hour. The soft, pleasant light of this moment will guarantee you wonderful photos.

Candlelight creates a pleasant atmosphere.

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Pia Seidel

Senior Editor

Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.ch

Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.

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How to make a picnic stylish

The basics

No disposable tableware

No packaging

Like a real painting

The art of lighting

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