Fourth of July Crafts for Klutzes

July Fourth is coming again and you don't have any decorations. Do you buy inexpensive (and cheap looking) decor at the dollar store or shell out a lot of money for something in a gift shop? Neither. Even if you're not a "crafty" type of person there are still some easy patriotic projects you can make alone or with your children.

Make a cute patriotic box. First, find a box with a separate lid such as an ice cream box. Using a small paintbrush, paint the entire box and lid white with acrylic paint. Set the lid to the side. When the white paint dries, dip a large scruffy brush in red paint and wipe off most of the paint with a paper towel. Paint the box red; it should look streaky. Now repeat using the blue paint on the lid. When the box and lid are dry, dip three rubber stamps which spell out "USA" into white paint and stamp them on the box. Use white paint and a star stamp on the lid. Again when everything dries, seal the box with spray matte acrylic. It's just that easy. And of course, you can use other stamps if you so desire.

Here's another amazingly simple project that can be used to decorate indoors or outside. Get some small paper cups, normally used to hold condiments, from a restaurant or restaurant supply store. Using a small paintbrush, paint the cups red and blue with food coloring. After they dry, cut a small x in the center of the bottom of each cup. Slide a cup over each bulb in a strand of white Christmas lights, making sure to push the cups past the bulb onto the plastic. Voila! You now have shaded patriotic colored lights for a fraction of the cost of ready made shaded lights.

Patriotic place mats painted with images of fireworks are a third easy craft. Fill sections of an egg carton with red, white and blue tempera paint. Add some glitter to the paint if you wish. Tape a piece of blue or black construction paper to the inside of a 13x9 baking pan. Dip a marble into one color of paint. Now place the marble in the pan and tilt the pan back and forth so the marble paints a design on the paper. Repeat with the other colors. When the painting dries, take it out of the pan and laminate it with contact paper. Make as many as you need to set your table.

You can use all three of these crafts year round for a patriotic theme. The box and light ideas can be altered to fit any holiday. They are easy enough for either kids or adults who are craft novices, but look polished enough for almost any home. Now you can't say you aren't crafty!