4th of July Decorating Ideas

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I think it's because I love summertime, barbecues, swimming and just being outside. Being from the south, that means huge family get-togethers with lots of food thrown in for good measure.

I remember growing up and everyone congregating at my grandparents' home for every holiday. 4th of July was no exception. The kids spent hours playing croquet on the lawn, swimming in the pool and running in and out of the house. All to the music of my grandmother's voice: "Don't slam that screen door again!"

As I have grown into adulthood, and begun to create my own holiday memories, I've picked up some tips from Grandma and my aunts on ways to save money on decorations for our family get togethers! With the 4th of July weekend fast approaching, I thought it only fair, to share some of those with my readers!

The first step is to decide what you want to use as a base for your tables. We have several 6 foot long tables each with 10 folding chairs, that we keep in our storage shed. They come out at holiday time. Since they stay put away most of the year, they tend to get very dusty and dirty. So I always want them covered. Plus, it just looks better!

You have several options here. You can always purchase the plastic tablecloths that simply get thrown away when you're finished with them. But here's the problems that I've found. First, they aren't long enough for my tables. I end up having to purchase two. Which means that you have to figure out where you want them overlapped. Plates, cups, arms and elbows get caught in the edges, and the first thing you know, they are pulled completely off the tables. The overlapping just isn't pretty either. You can try taping them together, but when you have guests, you really don't want a bunch of scotch tape running down the center of your table!

If you still want to use plastic, there is an option. All of the party supply stores, and most of the craft stores that carry party supplies, now stock plastic table sheeting in big rolls. We purchase it in 100 foot rolls for about $20, and it's available in almost every color of the rainbow!

For those of you who can sew a simple seam...I have an even better idea. And one that will add some pizzazz to your tables. I found Patriotic material in the fabric section of my department store...some of it on their bargain table, which was as little as $1.00 per yard. I purchased several prints and patterns, as well as a solid red, white and blue cotton in 8 foot lengths. Took it home, and added a hem to all four sides. They make lovely table cloths that can be washed, stored and used over and over again. ( My store also had fabric for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving on their bargain table)

Once you've gotten your tablecloths, it's time to decide where you want to go from here. I found that it's time to head to my local All for $1 shop! Decorations made easy...and cheap.

Knowing that we were going to start our family barbecue at about sundown to beat the heat, I decided we needed candles for the tables. But I didn't want to just buy a candle and plunk it down on the table. Instead, I found mirrors! Some round, some square, each about 8 inches in diameter! I placed three at each table, about 2 feet apart. On top of the mirror, I added a small saucer made of cut glass. Each table then got a red, a white and a blue pillar candle. The finishing touches were red, white and blue craft rocks (like you would use in the bottom of a fish tank). I added them to the tops of the mirrors, around the saucers. When the candles were lit, and it got dark, the candlelight hit the mirror, bounced off the facets of the rocks and shot brilliant sparks off the tables. Who needs sparklers?

I also found metallic garlands that were 6 feet long. I purchased two, in contrasting colors for each table. I kept with the patriotic theme, using red, blue, but then adding a touch of gold and silver. I placed them on the table, hiding the bases of 6 crystal candle holders, which held red, white and blue taper candles. Again, the light reflecting off of the metallic material of the garland added a nice touch.

For those of you having your picnics in the daytime, you might not want to add candles. How about a simple, but edible centerpiece for each table? I purchased 8" round styrofoam balls, cut them in half, and then spray painted part of them red and blue. I left a few of them white. Once the paint was dry I took red and white peppermint hard candies, individually wrapped red and white melt-away mints and several large packages of patriotic lollipops that I've found at the dollar store and a package of straight pins, and went to work.

Start with your candies, and pin a layer of hard candy all around the base of your ball. Add another layer of the melt-away mints. You want to pin them as close together as possible, so that very little of the styrofoam is showing. Keep layering these two until you have covered up all of the ball. Go back with your lollipops and insert them in between each of the layers of mints, pushing the sticks gently down into the styrofoam in a downward angle. Kids and adults alike will have fun "picking" a treat from the centerpiece after the meal!

Something along that same line that is also fun if you have silk ficus trees on your patio, or low hanging limbs that are easily reached.

Purchase a small gift for each of your guests. I was able to find small trinkets that came two or more to a package at my $1 shop. Wrap them up in patriotic themed paper and write their names on the boxes. Tie the gifts onto the branches of the ficus trees, or your low hanging branches. Your guests will have an absolute ball finding the gifts with their names on them, and getting them off the tree.

The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating. Use your imagination, mix and match, use contrasting and coordinating colors, you name it...you can do it.
I hope that some of these ideas will give you a jumping off place.
Oh! And eat a hot dog for me on the 4th will you?