The key to great outdoor entertaining is arranging all those much needed home and outdoor features without breaking the bank. Banish bugs, create some shade, make some memories with your family, and host the best backyard parties around. This set of cheap and easy DIY party ideas will set you up for an amazing barbecue season (on a budget).

Assemble your own bug repellant candles.

Project via Marty @Marty’s Musings

Keep your patio and dining areas pest-free with homemade mason jar citronella candles. All you need is some torch fuel and a few empty jars, and you can keep the party going late into the evening.

Add some bug repellent plants.

Project via Tawsha and Patti @Organized Chaos Online

If you live in a particularly pesky area, keep bugs at bay all day long with just a few strategically placed planters. Pests hate these inexpensive plant varieties, so create a few container gardens and arrange them around your outdoor areas.

Screen in your porch or patio.

Project via Kim @Exquisitely Unremarkable

Another great option is adding DIY screen to your porches or patios. While having screens installed can amount to a pretty high price, adding them yourself is easier than you think. Buy mesh material and create easy hanging curtains, or buy screening material off the shelf and attach it to your porch beams yourself.

Set up shade stations.

Project via Kendra @The Kreative Life

During the warmer months, it’s important to keep yourself and your cookout guests cool. While you might not be in the market for a large tent, you can set up these easy sunshade stations, so that people can escape the sun and cool off while they enjoy their food.

Make your own lawn game to entertain the kids.

Project via Angela @Blue I Style

While you’re chatting with friends, make sure younger guests are enjoying themselves too. There are all kinds of lawn games you can buy for kids, but instead of spending money, make your own summer fun with a DIY lawn game like these giant wooden yard dice.

Upgrade with a DIY drink cart.

Project via Nancy @Life:Designed

Instead of dragging a table outside every time you want to host a cookout, add a permanent bar cart to your outdoor space for maximum guest-pampering. This industrial bar cart is made from wooden boards and pipes, and there’s even a rack to hold glasses.

Hang a simple serving station.

Project via Kelly @Live Laugh Rowe

If you’re a seasoned BBQ host, make your life a little easier by adding a DIY serving station to your outdoor space. This simple design gives you the perfect spot to store extra dinnerware, tools, or utensils when they’re not in use, and an extra available surface for all kinds of uses under the sun.

Provide plenty of seating.

Project via Angelica @Jojo & Eloise

It goes without saying that you need plenty of outdoor seating for a successful cookout, but you might be hesitant to pull out last year’s dirty plastic chairs, or even buy some new ones cheap. Instead of splurging, turn your ugly seating into colorful lounge accessories with a little creativity—and a lot of spray paint.

Build a homemade fire pit.

Project via Marie @The Interior Frugalista

For those cooler autumn gatherings, give guests a place to warm up and roast s’mores. While buying one from a store can get pretty pricey, the cost of making your own ranges from acceptable to practically nothing. Go very simple, with the paver stacking method, or get a bit more creative with something like this DIY adirondack fire bowl table.

For more ideas for outdoor entertaining on a budget, visit Hometalk’s outdoor living page.