Fun Ideas to Lighten Up Your 4th Of July Celebration

A great 4^th of July celebration begins with impressive patriotic decorations and snacks.  So fire up the grill and check out these star-studded ideas. They will make your outdoor BBQ the hit of the neighborhood this Independence Day.

Decorations to Prepare Ahead of Time

Represent your deep patriotism by decorating before your guests arrive to the cookout with these easy and low cost ideas.

• Lawn Stars– Spray paint large red, white and blue stars on the grass by cutting out a star from cardboard or poster board and using it as a stencil.
• Confetti Balloons– Instead of using the usual red, white and blue balloons, get creative. Fill clear balloons with some festive confetti.
• Bandana Pillows– Wrap pillows you already have on your deck or porch with some red and blue bandanas and knot them in the back to add a touch of patriotism to your seating.
• Utensil Holders– cover boxes or other containers with patriotic paper, or tie simple red, white and blue ribbons around the rims of mason jars and use these to hold your eating utensils.
• Bandana Mason Jars– Everyone will have their own Mason jar filled with a red or blue bandana to use as a napkin and eating utensils.   The jar can also serve as a glass for their drink.
• Patriotic Water Bottles– Wrap dollar store American flags around Copco Hydra Bottles from Buydig.com for a simple and inexpensive decoration.

Get the Kids Involved in the Decorating

• Paper Chains– Have the kids make the traditional paper chains from red, white and blue construction paper to hang from the deck railings.
• Centerpieces with Something for Everyone– Fill small red and blue metal buckets from the Dollar Store with red and blue Tootsie Pop Lollipops. Then take 2-3 small American flags and set in the middle of the tables.
• Goody Bucket for Kids– Fill red and blue toy buckets with things to help entertain the kids. Do it after dinner while they are waiting on the fireworks to begin.  Putting bubbles, sidewalk chalk and an American flag for them to wave around in the bucket will keep the little ones amused until dark.

Red, White and Blue Snacks

These simple snacks will be a hit at your Independence Day celebration this year.

• Patriotic Fruit Salad– Whip up this easy red, white and blue fruit salad using blueberries, raspberries and diced apples.
• Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches– Take regular store bought ice cream sandwiches. Then roll the edges in festive sprinkles for an easy dessert.Cherry Bombs– Dip maraschino cherries into melted vanilla chocolate leaving some red showing near stem.  Then spin the cherry in blue sugar crystals just covering the bottom. You can substitute strawberries in place of the cherries if you desire.
•  Patriotic Fruit Kabob– Cut stars from a watermelon and place them on the tip of a wooden skewer.  Then slide several blueberries onto skewer covering almost the entire skewer making it look like a sparkler.
• Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches– Take regular store bought ice cream sandwiches. Then roll the edges in festive sprinkles for an easy dessert.
• Firecracker Jell-O Cups– Simply layer Jello in clear plastic cups with blue on the bottom, whipped cream for the middle layer, and red Jello on top.  Top each cup off with a cherry on top to resemble a firecracker for a refreshing treat.
• Patriotic Popcorn– Pop up some delicious popcorn in the Waring Pro Popcorn Maker Trolley from Buydig.com to serve during your firework display.

These tips and ideas are fun, easy to make and the snacks aren’t just patriotic, they are delicious too!