Last Minute Tips for a Stylish 4th of July!

Some of the styling tricks I used for Better Homes and Gardens "Glory Days" feature. The magazine features an outstanding 4th of July tips for a super fun celebration.

Oil hurricane lamps, red ticking runner and 12 yards of 3/8" roping makes a stunning centerpiece!

Wrap a flag around a napkin! The flag napkin ring! 

Turn a large terra cotta pot into a ice cooler. Glue gun on yardage of roping to make it special,

 fill with ice!

Little toothpick flags turn any store bought or home made cake into a red, white, and blue  party cake in seconds.

Place assorted glass cookie jars, and fill them with summer treats for your guests.

Red white and blue water bottle, Remove lables: Wrap water bottle with small flags, use double stick tape down the back to hold.

scatter collections of canning jars filled with flowers and flags , how easy is that

Treat pails: Each guest gets a different number.  You can find adhesive numbers at Loews.

Create your own Fourth of July Wreath! DIY

Need a simple, yet impressive entrance for your home during your July 4^th celebration? These DIY wreath ideas will give your door a festive touch to wow all your guests on this holiday.

Nautical Rope Wreath on Door

This lovely rope wreath was the center of attention in the current Better Homes and Gardens July 2012 issue in the story called “Glory Days”.  The story had a nautical approach, so I was determined to create a wreath idea that revolved around this theme.  The rope was the perfect touch to create such a look.  It is easy to make, and here is how:

What you need:

24 Inch Lifesaving Ring (or use a Styrofoam ring for an alternate base)

175 Feet of Twisted Manila Rope 3/8 inches (Lowe’s)

Glue Gun

Two American Wave Flags on Wooden Dowel

Cut your 75 feet of roping into small pieces in order to make it easier to wrap the lifesaver ring (cut into approx. 25 ft pieces).  With one end of rope, glue gun end to back of ring and when dry begin to wrap around ring.  The rope on the inside of ring should be tight together with more space between the rope on the outside of ring. Glue end of rope on back and continue with new piece.  Flags can be glued at cross section and then glued down to lifesaver ring.  Then take some twine and wrap around cross section making an l l/2 inch wrap around.

Flag Wreath

In 2010, I created a 4th of July feature for Good Housekeeping filled with lots of DIY red, white, and blue projects.  This wreath is a favorite because it is so easy to construct. It also creates the perfect patriotic door decoration.

What you need:

Styrofoam wreath

Mini toothpick flags

  

Flag Garland

To add even more patriotic flare to your home entrance, you can add a simple garland draped around the edge of your door. Combined with the perfect wreath, you can easily create the ideal July 4^th look.

What you need:

Simple garland of rope

Mini clothespins

Flags