Cozy Up: An Outdoor Winter Party on the Roof with 5 DIY Entertaining Ideas for the Holidays

I’ve been meaning to make use out of our rooftop deck again, now that it’s usable (all the flooring up there had to be replaced because the roof was leaking and it took FOREVER), and the last few weeks of fall seemed like the perfect time.

So, I teamed up with Starbucks® and their line of TAZO® Chai teas to celebrate the chilly season with some hot tea, homemade waffles, and a handful of blankets to keep everyone warm.

Naturally, there are some super simple DIY ideas in the mix for this one…and a spiced waffle recipe that is easy as can be to whip up. Click through for more!

The weather has been up and down here in ATL lately, but as luck would have it, it was a perfectly chilly day when this little shindig came together. So it couldn’t have been more well-timed for a blanket-wrapped brunch.

I had a handful of blankets around the house and some pillows that I brought outside to make things cozy. And then I got to work on the fun stuff – decor, drinks, food, etc…

Spiced Belgian Waffle Recipe

The waffles are one of my new faves, especially since they’re only semi-homemade. I used a box waffle mix and added a few additional spices inspired by TAZO® Classic Chai Latte spices…cinnamon, sugar, and ginger, oh my! And they were really delicious. The spices are subtle, but really pair well with the Tazo teas. Here’s the recipe…

Makes 10-12 large Belgian waffles. 

Ingredients: 1 box of Belgian waffle mix, 4 eggs, 2/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger

Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk, until smooth. Let the batter sit for two minutes, then spray waffle maker with cooking spray and pour batter. Let cook on a medium setting for 2-3 minutes, remove. And start over again with your next waffle.

If you need a recommendation for a Belgian waffle maker, I use this one and love it.

DIY Ideas

Food and drink bar // To make things festive, I added a little greenery around the food table and a handful of pomegranates to play up the typical Christmas colors of red and green. And I added a mini Christmas tree, with a fabric wrapped base (to cover the tree stand).

We had a mini drink station set up with a Keurig for making chai lattes super quick, without having to go downstairs, etc. Super convenient. And then, we hung some tea bags from the tree – so guests could pluck some tea right from the tree, if they wanted. Kind of fun, right?!

P.S. If K-Cups aren’t your thing, no worries! TAZO® makes a variety of chai teas that come in a concentrate version AND traditional tea bags, so there are plenty of options. There’s even a skinny version of the concentrate! Check out all the versions below:

• TAZO® Classic Chai Latte K-Cup® Packs
• TAZO® Vanilla Caramel Chai Latte K-Cup® Packs
• TAZO® Classic Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
• TAZO® Vanilla Caramel Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
• TAZO® Skinny Chai Latte Concentrate
• TAZO® Classic Chai Filterbag Tea
• TAZO® Vanilla Caramel Chai Filterbag Tea

Table runner and centerpiece // I wanted to keep things kind of low key in terms of the decor, so I grabbed a scarf I had lying around the house to use as a table runner, along with every single candle I could find, to create a fuss-free tablescape with minimal florals.

Florals // I bought a variety of garden roses and peonies from Whole Food (they’ve had a really good selection lately) and mixed them all together in a low centerpiece, along with some holiday greenery.

Place cards // The place cards were hand written on leather scraps for an organic touch and I just rested them against some satsuma mandarins that I picked up at the grocery store. Easy as can be.

And that pretty much wraps it up. Let me know what you think!

Photography Amelia Tatnall
Styling Brittni Mehlhoff

What do you think of outdoor parties when it’s chilly outside? Would love to hear your thoughts.

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This post is in partnership with TAZO®. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.