4th of July Decorations & Food Ideas
The Fourth of July means parades, flags, fireworks and celebrations with family and friends. Whether you are planning a small family barbecue or a neighborhood-wide block party, Fourth of July-themed decorations and food are a must. Regardless of your budget, a few food ideas can help make your celebration a success. Does this Spark an idea?
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Yard Decor
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Make your sidewalk, driveway or lawn patriotic by decorating them with flour stars. Simply cut out a star from the middle of a large piece of cardboard or posterboard and use the cut-out as a template. Lay the cardboard on your surface and spray the surface with water inside the star shape. Finally, sift some all-purpose flour in the same area; lift the cardboard for an instant star. This idea is ecofriendly and will wash away in the next rain or with a quick spray of the hose.
Other patriotic ways to decorate your yard include red, white and blue balloon bouquets, red and blue Christmas lights strung up along a fence, gazebo or deck, or homemade paper stars strung together for a Fourth of July-themed garland.
Patriotic Table Decor
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No Fourth of July party is complete without a patriotic table. Fill clear Mason jars with alternating layers of red, white and blue sand, then insert miniature American flags, red, white and blue pinwheels, or sparkler decorations into them for an instant patriotic table decoration.
Create a patriotic place mat from a red, white or blue place mat by sewing on the pocket from an old pair of jeans as the utensil holder. Decorate the place mat with coordinating trim or iron-on stars and stripes.
Be sure to use a red, white or blue tablecloth, flag-themed plates, cups and colored silverware for a complete patriotic look.
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Flag Cake
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Store your flag cake in the fridge until serving time to keep the frosting from melting. A flag cake is a light and refreshing dessert on hot and and humid Fourth of July evenings. Bake a white sheet cake, remove it from the pan and frost it with a cream cheese and whipped topping frosting or just plain old canned frosting. Decorate the cake to look like an American flag by creating a square of blue berries at the top left corner of the cake and adding horizontal red and white rows by alternating strawberries or raspberries and bananas on the rest of the cake.
Snacks and Appetizers
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It is easy to incorporate patriotic colors into your Fourth of July snacks and appetizers. Make an edible Fourth of July sparkler by dipping large pretzel sticks in white chocolate and decorating them with July 4th sprinkles; for a healthy red, white and blue snack, put together flag fruit kabobs made with blueberries, bananas and strawberries layered onto wooden skewers. Alternatively, you can serve a hot or cold taco dip with red and blue tortilla chips or decorate cheese cubes, mini sausages and stuffed mushrooms with American flag toothpicks.
Patriotic Beverages
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Even beverages can take on a Fourth of July look. Mix up a blue martini with vodka, bitters and blue liqueur or make a bright red martini using vodka, cranberry juice and club soda. For the kids, serve a frozen fruit concoction of red juice, frozen berries of your choice, lemon-lime soda and apple juice, or purchase bottles of blue and red soda.
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