With a few simple additions, these garden party essentials will have you swapping the packed pub for your own private screening.

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Image: Wayfair

Whether you’re an avid football fan or not, the much-awaited arrival of the Euros 2020 brought us all a welcome dose of energy and excitement. But with most places fully booked, the chances of getting a seat in the pub for England v Scotland this Friday are slim. So how about hosting the ultimate Euros 2020 garden party for all your friends and family to enjoy? 

In order to create the perfect private screening, you’ll probably need to make some additions to your set-up. Handily, MyToolShed have spoken with some fellow experts, and come up with a list of garden party essentials that we think are worth considering.

1. Start with the seating area

Image: John Lewis

With garden furniture demand and pricing at an absolute high, how about building your own seating area? Much easier than it sounds, use upcycled materials like wooden palettes to make the frame of the benches and table, and simply coat them with a lick of paint before screwing together. Perfect for any garden party, your seating area will be on-trend and Scandi in style – but will only cost about £100 to build!

Keen to ensure your seating set-up lasts well beyond the summer, DIY expert at MyToolShed, Jade Shaw, adds: “Sand down the palettes to ensure there is no splintering and coat your finished seats in a protective stain. Using a varnish stain will provide a protective coat and prevent the wood from water damage and scratches”.

Read more: 2021 Garden furniture: 8 must-have pieces still available

2. Set up the cinema screen

Image: MyToolShed

Rather than all crowding around the family TV,  ensure everyone has got a great view of any goals by picking up a projector screen. Just pick a good wall or fence to display the screen on, and you’re all set for a summer of football and cinema evenings in the garden.

Surprisingly affordable, a home cinema projector costs upwards of £35, while an outdoor projection screen can be as little as £25. But if you’re feeling super savvy, you could ditch the screen in favour of a clean and well-ironed white bed sheet.

Order your outdoor projector from Wayfair

Read more: 5 inspiring outdoor cinema set-ups for your garden

3. Install an ice pit to keep your cans cool

Image: Amazon Handmade

The last thing you want is to be the host who serves up warm beers. So free up some fridge space by investing in an ice bucket!

If you’re planning on hosting a myriad of summer soirees, then getting hold of a 3-in-1 fire pit should be another thing on your list of garden party essentials. Typically costing less than £100, they’re pretty affordable, and can supposedly add up to £3k to your home’s value.

Order your pineapple ice bucket here

4. Bring some pizza to the party

Image: Cuckooland

After a month of non-stop barbecues, the idea of going to a garden party where there’s a different type of grub is pretty exciting. Munching on homemade pizzas while watching a tense penalty sounds ideal!

Although a pricey investment, installing a proper pizza oven in your garden is pretty much guaranteed to add value onto the price of your home. In fact, BrickWood Ovens owner Catherine Calridge claims that many of their customers found their pizza oven was valued at 5.6x more than what they paid for it when they came to sell their house.

Order your Cuckooland Ooni Koda gas-powered outdoor pizza oven here

5. Build a pergola to provide added protection

Image: VonHaus

It’s set to be a warm summer, so in our books, any items that bring shade are garden party essentials. We love a pergola! Available in loads of different materials and styles, choose a wooden pergola for rustic charm, aluminium for a sleek and modern look, or something with a retractable roof for optimum functionality.

Jonathan Rolande, Director Property Surveyor at Housebuyfast.co.uk, adds: “A simple but often overlooked garden addition is a pergola or sail, which can add both shade and value to a property”.

Order your VonHaus Outdoor Pergola with Adjustable Canopy here

Are you thinking of looking into any of these garden party essentials? Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.

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