Patriotic Decorations for 4th of July

Need some July 4 holiday ideas? Just about every family in America celebrates their pride in being part of the United States. Of course, July 4^th is set aside for our nation’s special day – Independence Day. On every Fourth of July, millions of people across the nation will be hosting cookouts, picnics, and parties, and they'll be doing lots of BBQ cooking. Colorful fireworks demonstrations will be rampant, also. Since July 4^th is in the summer, most of the festivities are held outside to take advantage of the warm weather.

Fourth of July Decorations

To get everyone in the party spirit, you need to decorate your venue. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to do so. By careful shopping and a little creativity, you can find inexpensive Independence Day decorations. Heck, you can even make your own July 4^th decorations!

Picnic tables and other types of outdoor tables can be covered with red, white, or blue plastic table cloths, available at dollar stores for a buck each. If you want to “fancy” them up, you can use a star stamp and acrylic paints to add stars to the cloths. If you don’t have a stamp kit, make your own stamp from a potato. Just slice off one end of the tuber, making a flat surface. Then cut a star shape into the spud and remove the excess. Pour some acrylic paint onto some foil, dip the star-shaped potato into the paint. And blot slightly with paper towels. Then stamp your tablecloths! Let the cloths dry overnight in a warm, dry place before using. This is also a good idea for BBQ cooking aprons.

For napkins, use bandanas. These come in a variety of colors, but of course, for cheap Fourth of July decorations, you’ll want to use navy or red, or a mixture of both. Again, you can find these at dollar stores and at your local party supply store. Best of all, they can be washed and used again next year!

For plates, cups, and plastic knives, forks, and spoons, you can find plenty of these at dollar stores. Shop early, however, for the red, white, or blue items – they sell out quickly!

More cheap July 4^th decorations can be made with rolls of red, white, and blue crepe paper. Just braid the three colors together to create strands and swags that can be placed in various locations around your party area.

For Fourth of July centerpieces, buy cheap planters and spray paint them white. Add navy stars, using your potato stamp, and plant a red flower in each. Geraniums work well for this project. Or if you prefer, use silk plants instead. A red tablecloth, navy bandana napkins, and a white planter with navy stars and a red plant would be very attractive on your guest tables.

Small flags are inexpensive and can be used in several places around your party area. For one thing, they can be stuck into planters to add to your patriotic theme. You might also want to hang a large flag from a railing or from the eaves of your house.

If you’re having kids at your Fourth of July party, you might want to include helium balloons in your decorations. These are inexpensive and festive, and kids love them! Let each child take one home with them after the party is over. One less thing you have to clean up!

For patriotic serving bowls, buy cheap plastic bowls in red, white, or blue. I like to use red because they can be used again at Christmas or at a Valentine’s Day event. For dry foods like chips, pretzels, and rolls, the red bowls can be lined with navy bandanas. Another idea for serving bowls is to use plastic “Uncle Sam” hats. These can hold cold foods like potato salad, pasta salad, or fruit salad. If you insulate them, they’ll work for hot foods, too. Just wrap paper towels or napkins around a hat and sink it into another hat for easy insulation.

Also, consider using food as serving containers. For example, a hollowed-out red bell pepper is great for holding dip, carrot sticks, and celery sticks. A melon boat can hold fruit salad, and pineapple boats can hold dips, chicken salad, or fruit salad. Use your imagination!

Red or navy blue plastic tubs are great for icing down bottled and canned drinks. You can always paint white stripes on them or use your stamp to create stars. If you can’t find red, white, or blue tubs, create your own. Use spray paint that’s especially designed to be used on plastics. These large tubs are also great for icing down watermelons.

If your Fourth of July party is held next to a swimming pool, float patriotic flower wreaths on the water. These are easy to make. Just stick plastic or silk flowers in small Styrofoam discs.

If your event is held at night, buy cheap candles in red, white, and blue and place them on eating tables and serving tables.

For some great buys on Fourth of July decorations, check out the products below!