Crafts & Decorations

Americas Fourth of July celebration is one of the most festive days of the summer! Friends and family across the nation gather at barbeques, parades and beach parties to celebrate our nations independence on this holiday.

When it comes to planning your festivities this year, get kids involved in making July 4th crafts that you can use as decorations. Making crafts with your children will not only give you some quality time together, but it also provides a fun way for them to learn about our nations history. Here are some July 4th crafts that children of all ages can enjoy.

July 4th Decorations

Whats a Fourth of July party without the Stars and Stripes? The American flag in any form makes great July 4^th decorations, and is a festive display of your patriotism. Some places you can feature the flag are:

• in the garden
• on the front porch
• on trays of food (grocery stores have mini paper flag decorations that you can stick in cupcakes or whatever else you choose).

For a variation on the flag as July 4th decorations, try using stars around your home or party area. While you can purchase star-shaped cut outs from craft stores, you can also make your own.

Making Your Own July 4th Decorations

Create your own July 4^th decorations for the table with this kid-friendly, easy-to-make 3D Star.

Materials needed:

• card stock or construction paper (one page per star)
• decorative items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, glitter, glue, etc.)
• printer
• printer paper
• scissors
• tape, optional.

Once you've gathered your materials, follow these directions to make stars:

1. Find a star template on the Internet. Print two copies.
2. Cut out each star to create a stencil.
3. Trace this design twice onto your card stock.
4. Cut each star out carefully from the card stock.
5. Decorate each one with crayons, markers, glitter, etc.
6. Cut slits in each star: On the first star, make a two-inch vertical cut into the center, between the two bottom points. On the second star, make a two-inch vertical cut into the center of the top point.
7. Slide the stars together, placing the star with the bottom slit on top of the star with the top slit.
8. Use tape for support if needed.

These 3D stars make wonderful centerpieces for July 4th spreads!

July 4th Crafts

Decorate walls, doorways, fences and more with a string o stars. To make this simple July 4^th craft, you'll need:

• construction paper
• decorative items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, glitter, glue, etc.)
• stapler or glue
• string or yarn.

Here's how to make the string o stars:

1. Measure the length of string you need. Cut desired length.
2. Depending on the desired length of your string, cut out a series of five-pointed stars. While you may want to string smaller cut out stars closer together, larger cuts may have to be spaced further apart. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong number here. Do what looks best to you.
3. Decorate each of the stars you have cut.
4. Fold over the top point of each star and staple or glue it to the string or yarn.
5. Repeat until you have attached all of the stars.

Flag Down Your Guests with July 4th Invitations

Whether you are hosting a block party or are just inviting a few friends over to celebrate the Fourth, fun invitations are sure to entice your guests into coming. Here are a few ideas for festive invitations:

• Uncle Sam Wants You! Create invitations featuring Uncle Sam beckoning for service to the nation, or in this case, to help celebrate Independence Day properly. Find a picture of the vintage war poster online, and print out a copy for each guest. On the back of the pictures, write the details of the party (when, where, RSVP information, etc).
• Flag Invitations: You can incorporate the American Flag into your invitations in dozens of ways. If you are using "snail mail" to send them out, add flag stickers and stamps to the outside of the envelope. This will help your guests easily recognize your invitations in both the mail and on their refrigerators as the date of your party approaches.
• One of a Kind Invites: Your guests will feel extra special when they receive a one of a kind invitation made by you and your kids. Gather together card stock in red, white and blue (available at any craft store); sequins; festive stickers; feathers; glitter; scissors and glue to create unique invitations. Hand write the critical info (time, place, what to bring, etc.) on the inside of the invitation or, to be more uniform, type up the "411" on your computer and print off the information to glue to the inside of the card.
• Themed cards: Create themed invitations to match your party's theme and decorations. Possible themes include firecrackers, fireworks, stars, stars and stripes, the American Flag, Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, baseball, barbecue, fun in the sun, etc.
• E-Invitations: Short on time? Consider sending invitations via e-mail using one of the free online invitation services. These sites offer a variety of themed invitations for every occasion. In no time at all, you can customize and send off your invites!

Other Ways to Decorate for Independence Day

You can decorate for your Independence Day party in any number of ways. If you prefer traditional July 4^th decorations, your local party store can provide you with:

• festive paper napkins, plastic utensils, cups, etc.
• July 4th balloons
• pinwheels
• streamers
• tablecloths
• window clings
• yard signs and more.

Want something a little more creative? Here are some unique July 4^th craft ideas:

1. Create festive luminaries from brown paper lunch bags your children have decorated festively. Weigh them down with sand and place tea lights in them. These make great decorations for evening gatherings.
2. Make a patriotic windsock using an oatmeal box and paper streamers.
3. Paint rocks with festive Fourth of July designs to hold down your tablecloth.
4. Paint the stars and stripes on small clay flower pots to hold your eating utensils.

Get creative with your July 4^th crafts and decorations this year to make your holiday party more memorable!