Top 4th of July Party Ideas

Celebrate our nation with a festive, backyard barbecue or house party, using these decorating ideas. The 4th of July is the perfect holiday to showcase your vintage Americana style, and these decorations will bring antique charm to your gathering. So throw together a few patriotic vignettes, and enjoy the special day with friends and family.

• Fancy Front Door

  Beckon friends and family into your home with this delightfully rustic ornament. This pussy willow, burlap, and star-studded wreath is the perfect addition to your Fourth of July party, and brings vintage flair to your gathering. For this homespun look, use a metal wreath frame as the foundation for your decoration. Next, use flexible pussy willow stems to construct your branching wreath. Once you have fashioned a thick wreath, loop a burlap ribbon around the top and tie into a bow around an over door hanger to suspend your display. Finish your arrangement by securing a metal or grapevine star in the center of your wreath. Photo from House Hunt

• Colonial Centerpiece

  With simple, summer-inspired details, this red, white, and blue centerpiece is sure to evoke patriotic feelings at your backyard barbeque. This 4th of July party decoration will perfectly embellish picnic or farmhouse tables. To recreate this look, start with a petit wooden planter box as your foundation. Next, wrap red, white, and blue jute ribbon and a strip of white tulle around the outside of the box, and tie into a simple knot in the front. Place 3 vintage glass bottles in the planter, and fill each with sprigs of baby’s breath, red poppy sprays, and blue daisies. This planter box centerpiece will bring a vintage Americana look to your gathering. Photo from Creations By Kara

• Mantle Masterpiece

  Add a patriotic touch to your summer home décor with a banner, stars, and pedestal candles. This glorious but unobtrusive scheme is a perfect 4th of July party decoration, and will add a simple, vintage touch to your seasonal décor. Use linen pennants stamped or painted with red paint to create a banner reading “America” to suspend across your mantel. Next, place 2-3 blue star lanterns on your mantelpiece, and garnish with a grapevine star. Place a few wooden pedestal candle holders with white pillar candles on your mantel, and complete the display with a vintage table clock. Photo from Tater Tots and Jello

• United States of Texture

  Bring a beautiful bounty of textures and color to your party with these apothecary jars. This 4th of July party idea will bring patriotic color to your entryway, mantelpiece, or wall shelving. Emulate this interesting look by clustering together three apothecary jars of different shapes and sizes. In one jar, layer preserved red, white and blue flower petals, creating colorful, floral striations. In another jar, layer red, white and blue sparkle sand to add texture and a bit of twinkle to your overall display. In your last jar, layer red preserved pomegranates, blue porcelain globes, and white sola balls to fashion a creative, striped look. Photo from Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

• Stripy Snacks

  Reminiscent of midcentury summer parties and gatherings, this snack table spread is sure to add a pop of patriotism to your holiday décor. For this 4th of July party idea, paint red and white stripes on the panels of a couple large chipwood basket, and line one with a square cutting oftablecloth once it’s dry. Fill the lined basket with freshly popped popcorn, and place a vintage candy scoop in the corn so guests can serve themselves. Turn the other painted basket upside down, and top with a fresh wood plate of chocolate chip cookies. For a final, America-inspired touch, tie strips of festive ribbon to a strand of twine, and hang as a garland behind your tantalizing snacks. Photo from Tater Tots and Jello

• Bringing Back Burlap

  Add texture and patriotic colors to your banquet table with this homespun runner. Recreate this 4th of July party decoration cutting a heavy burlap strip to form your desired runner size. Next measure and cut slits on both side of your runner to fit your width of ribbon (in this case, slightly more than 1 inch). Next, weave red ribbon through the slits on one side of the runner, and blue ribbon on the other. There is no need to sew or glue the ribbons to the runner, as they will be secured by the weaving. Top off your simple runner by filling a blue mason jar with red and white artificial daisies. Photo from Domestically Speaking

• Red, White, and Cool

  Pay homage to our country’s yesteryear with this 4th of July party decoration. Incorporating our flag’s colors into your beverage cart arrangement will capture the imagination of your guests, and act as a decoration on its own. To recreate this look, utilize a 2-3-shelf cart with a little vintage flair. Next, arrange 3 large glass beverage dispensers on the top shelf, and fill them with water, or clear juice or soda. Next, use red and blue food coloring to tint the content of two of the beverage containers. Add textural interest by sprinkling preserved red rose petals in each of the containers. On the bottom shelf, fill a partitioned wooden caddy with vintage milk bottles to be used as cups by guests. Photo from Ciao Newport Beach