4th of July Cupcakes: Decorating Ideas and DIY Cupcake Wrappers

If you are looking for some fun decorating ideas for your 4th of July cupcakes, you have come to the right place. Celebrate this Independence Day with our red, white, and blue cupcakes wrapped in a homemade cupcake wrapper and topped with do it yourself firecracker cupcake toppers. Your guests will adore all of the added personal touches on this patriotic dessert idea.

For more information on how to create these decorating ideas, read further for a list of supplies and step-by-step directions for making our festive 4th of July cupcakes.

If you want to go all out this 4th of July, make a batch of red, white, and blue cupcakes. Your guests will be delighted to find a patriotic look both inside and outside of this festive dessert. All you need is a white or yellow cake mix and red and blue food coloring. Below you will find step-by-step directions for how to create these multicolored cupcakes.

Directions:

1. Blend together all the ingredients to make a yellow or white cake mix.

2. After you are finished blending, divide the cake mix equally into 3 separate bowls.

3. Add 3 to 4 drops of red food coloring to one bowl and stir well. Repeat process with blue food coloring in another bowl.

4. Add a spoonful of each color of cake mix into baking cups making sure not to fill up the cups more than halfway full.

5. Bake in oven according to the time and temperature on the cake mix package.

Give your 4th of July cupcakes a personal touch with do it yourself cupcake wrappers. These wrappers are very kid-friendly and can keep children entertained while you are busy preparing the cupcakes. We used Do-A-Dot paint bottles to create our firecracker inspired wrappers. If you don't own a set of these bottles, use a small circular sponge or cotton ball to apply red and blue washable paint to create your design. Here is the list of supplies you will need and the directions for creating our DIY cupcake wrappers.

Supplies:

• White cardstock paper

• Red and blue Do-A-Dot paint bottles

• Scissors

• Ruler

• Pencil

• Tape or glue

Directions:

1. On a sheet of white cardstock paper, apply red and blue dots with paint bottles. After my boys applied the dots, I went back and lightly applied smaller dots to make it appear more like a firework display.
2. When the sheet is fully covered, use a ruler and pencil to create long strips of paper measuring approximately 1 and 1/4 inches wide. You should be able to make 6 cupcake wrappers per sheet.
3. Wrap the cupcake wrappers around your cupcakes and cut off any excess length. Secure the wrapper with either a piece of tape or glue.

Another festive idea for your 4th of July cupcakes is to make do it yourself cupcake toppers. This homemade craft is also one that the kids can help with. Have them paint the coffee filters with red and blue paint while you are frosting the cupcakes with a delicious batch of buttercream icing. Once you are completed with this project, you will have a super cute cupcake topper that resembles a firecracker. Below you will find a list of needed supplies and directions for creating these patriotic toppers.

Supplies:

• Coffee filters

• Paper plates

• Red and blue Do-A-Dot paint bottles

• Toothpicks

• Scissors

• Tape

Directions:

1. On paper plates, spread out the coffee filters and cover with red and blue paint. Wait for paint to completely dry or use a hair dryer to speed up this process.
2. Once completely dry, use scissors to cut out small circles from red and blue coffee filters. I cut out four circles from each coffee filter.
3. Place a red and blue circle on top of each other and cut small slits all the way around the circles.
4. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the two circles and twist the filters around the top of the toothpick.
5. Use a small piece of tape to secure the filters to the toothpick. Spread out the red and blue filter to resemble a firecracker.
6. Once the cupcake toppers are finished, insert your firecrackers into the middle of each cupcake.

At your 4th of July party, serve your guests a batch of these festive cupcakes on a cute, patriotic platter or cupcake stand. If you are using a cupcake stand, dress it up with small American flags or red, white, and blue ribbons. With these added decorations, your guests will most certainly feel the American spirit flowing throughout the dessert table.

If there will be kids at your Independence Day celebration, keep them busy with some fun patriotic crafts. For several craft ideas, be sure to check out 4th of July Crafts: 5 Fun Patriotic Craft Ideas for Kids.

I hope you have found these decorating ideas helpful for creating a festive batch of 4th of July cupcakes. If you have any questions or comments about any of the above ideas, feel free to leave these in the comment section below. Wishing you and your family a very happy 4th of July!