Patriotic spark
Capture the nostalgia of summertime with an eye-catching tabletop display that combines weathered croquet balls and baseballs. You can place colorful balls in a bowl for a simple look, or nestle them in wheatgrass (left) for a playful centerpiece.
For the wheatgrass display, cover the bottom of a bucket, basket or wood bin with a plastic sheet and fill with crumpled newspaper as a base. Then add a layer of fresh wheatgrass (with roots attached; trays of wheatgrass are available at grocery or pet stores). Cut to fit your container; the grass should stay fresh five or six days. Arrange baseballs and red, white and blue croquet balls on top. To finish, stick several small U.S. flags (4x6 inches) into the grass.
Breezy bouquet
Add a festive touch to an arrangement of white flowers with patriotic pinwheels (left). These wind toys add motion and color to your centerpiece.
Pinwheels work for other celebrations, too. Find the spinners in your school colors to make a teacher thank-you bouquet, or try flower-theme pinwheels for a garden party.
Star power
Transform basic table settings into holiday decor by sandwiching paper stars between white dinner plates and clear-glass salad plates (left). Dress up a stemmed glass with a flag-inspired hair band around the base.
These techniques easily translate to decorating for other seasons. Just substitute floral images for a Mother's Day brunch or snowflake motifs for a winter celebration.
Tie the knot
Tie up terry-cloth hand towels with red and blue shoelaces (left). No worries about messy picnic food when guests use these oversize napkins.
Try the same idea for a tailgate party! Just use shoelaces in your team colors.
Old Glory art
Create home decor or party favors by suspending plastic flags in matted frames (left), gluing only the top edges so the flags appear to float in the frames. If you're using the pictures as party favors, write the party date near the mat's edge.
Just about any small image will work for this idea--Santa or snowman images at Christmas, pumpkins at Halloween, or hearts for Valentine's Day.
Stars and stripes
Set the table with a cover of banners--one in stars and the other in stripes--laid in perpendicular rows across the table (left). Plan the layout so the banners create a place mat for each guest.
Graduation celebrations, birthday parties and Halloween gatherings could also benefit from this tabletop technique.
Door decor
Greet friends and neighbors with a wreath (left) created from flags, a ribbon-wrapped foam circle and a three-dimensional paper star. Snip through the ribbon to slide the flags into the foam form, then hang the star in the center.
Window dressing
Decorate your sashes with star-spangled banners (left). Cut V -shape plastic pennants apart; use a pushpin to hang one in each window. A bonus: They look good from inside and out.
Fab footwear
Hot-glue glow-in-the-dark stars to flip-flops (left) as a fun surprise for your guests when it's time to head outside for fireworks. Add a little suspense by staying mum when partygoers ask about the baskets of sandals sitting by the door.
Substitute silk flowers for the stars if you're hosting a garden party or wedding shower.
Patriotic dining
Assemble an inexpensive red-white-and-blue table setting (left) by starting with mismatched flea-market dishes. Top them with a blue napkin tied with a patriotic ribbon. For the star, use snips to cut the shape from tin (available at crafts stores) and then add a punched pattern by tapping a nail lightly with a mallet.
Salute the red, white and blue
Your porch or dining nook can be the setting for an all-out patriotic display (left). Look for finds such as tin stars, striped taper candles and starry fabric for a table runner and pillows.
Flag it
Give a room a touch of Americana (left) with a Folk-Art Old Glory sign made from an antique door panel, a super-soft handwoven rug and patriotic keepsake boxes.
On ice
Convert a plastic tub (left) into beverage central and set it in a convenient spot where guests can grab their favorite flavors. Slide patriotic towels through the tub handles. For other holidays, vary the theme of the towels to make a quick seasonal change-up.
Light the way
Votive candles make a simple and elegant centerpiece (left). Group white candles on a red or blue plate, or set out several plates with red, white or blue candles on each.
