11 Fun Fourth of July Party Decorating Ideas

Have fun decorating your Fourth of July party with balloons, Fourth of July origami, red and blue Christmas ornaments, homemade bunting and tablecloths, and even Fourth of July edible decor. It's cheaper than buying everything ready-made, and it's a way to surprise your guests with some unusual Fourth of July decorations. Here's a festive bunch of ideas for your party amusement.

1. Fourth of July ornaments

Take out your Christmas decor box and fish out red, blue and silver tree ornaments. Hang the ornaments from red, white and blue ribbons. Suspend them from the eaves over your porch. Hang them from a chandelier over your Fourth of July feast. Or suspend them from a long ribbon strung horizontally from tree to tree over your outdoor barbecue.

2. Patriotic apples

Add flare to your party table with flag decor. How? Stick little U.S. flags in red apples. Display the apples in a wicker basket spray painted in red or blue at the center of your buffet table. Or set a patriotic apple beside each place-setting at your Fourth of July barbecue table.

3. Fourth of July party origami

Using Fourth of July wrapping paper fold paper hats and hand them out to your guests. Fold paper boats and display them in red and blue buckets of ice. Or fold paper planes from Fourth of July wrapping paper and hand them out to boys (young and old) to fly across the party sky.

4. Fourth of July balloon cluster

Kids just love balloons. So visit a party store to inflate helium into red and white balloons. Tie them with red, white and blue ribbons. And create a few clusters of balloons to float over your party. Of course, be sure to hand out balloons to little kids, which will create movable, adorable decor.

5. Patriotic bunting

Fold Fourth of July disposable tablecloth into an accordion. Cut it into segments of 10 inch length. Snip off the edges on the right and left of each segment to form a triangle tip. Then unfurl the tablecloth to discover your zigzag bunting, which you can hang around your party table, from fences, eaves or anywhere else you wish to decorate your four of July celebration.

6. Plastic Dishes

Just toss them in the recycle bin at the end of the party! That's one good reason to go with plastic. But the colorful decorating potential of plastic is another. Mix and match your Fourth of July colors: blue cups, red plates and white utensils.

7. Red, white and blue tablecloth

Take a white sheet and a bagful of glittering red and blue stars (from a party store). Glue the stars over the sheet for a stunning, homemade Fourth of July tablecloth.

8. Fourth of July Party Treats

Buy a stack of paper takeout containers at a party store. Glue red, white and blue stars and flags to decorate the boxes, and fill them with home baked cookies sprinkled with red, white and blue cookie sprinkles.

9. Cool party tubs

You'll find plastic tubs at supermarkets or party stores. Choose blue or red ones, fill them with ice and soda cans and let your coolers do some of your Fourth of July decorating for you. And for extra flare, stick blue, red or silver gift wrapping bows on the outside of the tubs, or red or blue glowing light sticks.

10. Flower balls

Create red, white and blue balls of flowers and display them on a tray or in a red or blue bowl. Buy florist sponge (oasis) at a craft store and cut it into the shape of a ball. Wet it and stick in the short stems of carnations. Create balls of mixed red, white and blue.

11. Fourth of July edible decor

Let your desserts do some of your Fourth of July decorating for you. Decorate white cakes with blue and red frosting or candles. Fill tall glasses with layers of whipped cream, blue berries and raspberries. Make red candy apples with sticks decorated with Fourth of July stickers or ribbons. Or pour red or blue Jell-O into star cookie molds to create star-spangled edible decor.

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