15 ways to bring the summer festival feeling home

As Glasto kicks off, our thoughts (and sights) have become firmly set on the festival season; the style, the music, the stagemanship, the feelings of pure freedom and summery euphoria...

While some things should remain firmly at the festival campsite - think smelly wellies and mud - some sensations can (and should) come home with you. If you can't make it to a festival this summer, or just can't bear to let your live music experience go, here are a few ways to bring the summer festival feeling home... outdoor spaces preferable but, in most cases, not compulsory!

1 The Tipi

You cannot have a festival without a tipi. It doesn't have to be a tipi of epic proportions, capable of housing a crowd of revellers, but it's always better if it's filled with cushions and summery throws, and festooned with bright, patterned bunting. That's a party piece, right there.

2 Dine out

Think festival, think food stalls and the scent of cooking in the air. When you're out in the sunshine, dancing on the grass all day (let's be optimistic here), you need sustenance. We're sure the drinks are already sorted, we didn't need to tell you about that, but how about putting together a menu of festival food? Easy eats that take mere moments to make: barbecue, burgers, wraps and snacks. Gourmet fare... well, if you're channelling The Big Feastival, maybe do a little more work!

3 Live streaming

A few simple tweaks to standard garden furniture can totally change the atmosphere from garden to Secret Garden Party. String some colourful ribbons from chairs, make daisy chains, and let the summer breeze bring the whimsy to life.

4 Get Arty

Any festival worth its salt will have some eye-popping artwork on display or unexpected sculptures and installations hidden within its environs. There's no reason why you can't bring this long-lasting element to your home or garden for a reminder of the good times in an unspecified field/ beach/ woodland wonderland. Willow sculptures (such as the unusual seat above) or tribal totems are always a winner.

5 Dress up and get silly

Festival wear and everyday wear are two very different things. And one is FAR more fun to play with than the other. Fill a hamper/ box / basket with fancy dress pieces - frills, masks, feathers, glitter, sequins, day-glow, fringing, tribal print-covered - and let your inner child out. The next thing to do is...

6 Record the craziness

This one's simple. Whether you take some Instagram-style snaps on your phone, or go the whole hog and create a festival photo booth by hanging some empty frames in the trees to pose in/ with, these are memories to cherish. So do just that.

7 Hang out

After a full-on festival, you might need to recharge your batteries. Recreate the chill-out areas with a comfy, calming hammock in the shade. Drift away/ take a power nap, and you'll come out feeling more zen, recharged, and ready for action.

8 Discover an unexpected crazy corner

That moment when you turn a corner and are confronted with the BEST. THING. EVER? You can do that. Treat your home festival guests to a surprise statement piece, like this pom-pom-fllled nook. We're pretty sure you won't want to take it down. EVER.

9 Turn up the volume

Something's missing... Oh wait! We got so carried away with the details that we forgot the main event: the music. Set up some wireless speakers, get the decks spinning, and keep them that way until the neighbours ask you to turn it down. In fact, invite the neighbours so you can enjoy the summer spirit a little longer.

10 Be a firestarter

There's something about festivals and fire - fire-eaters, fire-pits, fiery-lanterns, Burning Men. Be careful with this one, it needs to be treated carefully but, at night, a brazier instantly adds a sense of ritual and midsummer-night magic. Alternatively...

11 Create a nighttime fairy grotto

Give a gazebo an overhaul and create a glowing haven, worthy of a fortune-teller, Shaman... or just your friends. A couple of lengths of a boldly coloured fabric, some interwoven fairy lights and lanterns, a table and chairs - instant bohemian rhapsody.

12 Live staging

No festival stage is complete without a big screen, allowing everyone waaaaay at the back to see what's going on on stage. So you don't have a headliner in your back garden or living room, but you can easily add some live action (or a film or music videos) with a projector and a blank wall or white sheet. The bonus is, you can use this for movie nights long after festival season is done.

13 Glitter and sparkle

Want the drama of main-stage pyrotechnics in your back garden, terrace or on your rooftop? Fireworks always offer a 'wow' moment, but sparklers or glow sticks are an even easier (and more cost-effective) way to pretend you are out in the Wilderness, enjoying the simple things!

14 Stargaze

After the headline act has packed up, and the after-party is dwindling, a little stargazing goes down a treat. It doesn't matter where you are (as long as light polluion isn't ruining the view) the awe-inspiring sight always does something for the festival-going soul.

15 Sleep outdoors and wake up with the dawn

...feel refreshed, smell the dew on the grass... and head inside to take a shower. Now you can't do that at a festival.

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