It’s finally time to eat every meal outside and I am HERE FOR IT! I love dining al fresco on our patio. But we have one rule: no glass outdoors. No one needs a pet or person stepping on broken glass! So with that in mind, I recently invested in a full set of reusable outdoor dinnerware, drinkware and serveware so that we are fully prepared for summer entertaining. Ready to do the same? Here are some super cute melamine plates, cups, and more to get you inspired!
Dine Outside All Summer Long with These Cute Melamine Plates, Cups & Serveware
Melamine is honestly the ultimate material to use for outdoor dining and entertaining. Not only is it lightweight, but it’s also easy-to-clean and shatter-resistant. I’m incredibly clumsy, so we have a house rule that ceramic and glass aren’t allowed on our patio… especially since I’m usually barefoot, too. Having a specific set of outdoor dinner plates and cups eases our worry over broken dishes and glasses outside. I also love melamine because it’s the perfect canvas for some really awesome bright and cheerful summer prints. Personally, I mix and match my outdoor plates and cups so that it’s more of an eclectic mix, but you can also get matching everything.
BTW if anything from the lead image on this post strikes your fancy, it’s all linked in our patio makeover post!
Melamine plates, bowls, and dinnerware
- floral melamine dinner plate
- melamine and bamboo dinnerware
- divided white plate
- bamboo and melamine dinner plate
- seaside dinner plate
- beach club plates, set of 4
- modern melamine dinnerware, set of 12
- hydrangea set
- Marrakesh 12-piece set
- bamboo and melamine dinner plates
- camp inspired round plates
- plaid dinner plate
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Melamine drinkware
- shatterproof champagne flutes
- green acrylic pitcher
- melamine tumbler
- stripe rim drinking glasses
- multicolored bordeaux glasses
- double old-fashioned glasses, set of 8
- acrylic goblet
- etched tumbler
- clear pitcher
- etched pitcher
- multicolored red wine glasses
- outdoor stemless wine glasses
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Melamine serveware
- coral tile serving platter
- bamboo melamine grain bowl
- gingham melamine burger trays
- whale shaped melamine serving platters
- blue oval platter
- plaid serving set
- terrazzo serving set
- light blue nesting bowl set
- beach club serving trays
- yellow serving tray
- matte white salad bowl
- divided server plate
- pastel cactus serving platter
- blue gingham servers
- lemon shaped plate
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A few things to keep in mind when buying melamine:
- You can also score some amazing vintage melamine pieces! Typically I keep this to a minimum as I’m always worried about BPA and other toxins that were used at one point, but it’s always an option worth exploring if you’re interested. For what it’s worth, the FDA has deemed vintage melamine safe.
- Shop around for durability & invest in a print or color combo you love — after all, melamine is technically a plastic and we should all be trying to use less plastic on a daily basis. If you love the set you get, you’ll be less likely to want to replace it next summer!
- Look for NSF certification which guarantees only pure melamine has been used and that the piece does not harbor bacteria.
- Don’t microwave your melamine as toxins can leech into your food once heated.
- Melamine dinnerware is typically only dishwasher safe on the top rack.
Do you have special outdoor dishes and cups that you use? Or am I nuts? Let me know!
