Decorating Your Home for the 4th of July
By the time July rolls around, it’s been a while since any big holidays. Easter falls somewhere in March or April, and Memorial Day closes out the month of May. But across the summer months of June through August, there’s essentially only one major holiday to celebrate, and it’s the holiday that encapsulates everything that an American summer should be. Hot dogs and hamburgers. Swimming and lawn games. Hot sun and cold drinks. Most importantly, the beginning of July brings a day to round up your friends and family for some good old fashioned fun together. This is the 4th of July, and a day this good deserves to be decked out just as well!
Why We Celebrate the 4th of July
We all know what the 4th of July celebrates – independence from England – and when it was first celebrated – July 4th, 1776 –, but here are some fun facts that you might not know about Independence Day. Though the 4th of July is the day when delegates from the 13 colonies officially signed the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the decision to declare that independence from England was actually voted on on July 2nd. Because of this, John Adams predicted that celebrations throughout the coming years would fall on July 2nd rather than the 4th, and he always begrudged the fact that Americans consistently celebrated the signing rather than the voting from the earliest years and forever onward.
Something else that you may not know about the 4th of July is that, unlike many older and international holidays like Christmas and Easter, the way that people have celebrated the 4th of July across the last roughly two and a half centuries has not changed much! Granted, there have not always been cookouts, but there have always been parades and especially fireworks. History.com shares this about the very first 4th of July celebration: “The Pennsylvania Evening Post reported: ‘at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with thirteen rockets) on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.’ That same night, the Sons of Liberty set off fireworks over Boston Common.” You can read more about the history of the holiday here!
Where to Start Decorating
There aren’t nearly as many stores selling decor for the 4th of July as there are selling Christmas decor at the end of each year, but, in spite of this, decorating your house for the 4th of July is much more doable because of its simplicity. Independence Day decor is pretty straightforward, and it comes in basically two categories: colors & accessories.
Red, White, & Blue
While some holidays feature decor of various color schemes, the 4th of July is easy as pie! All you need are the USA’s national colors of red, white, and blue, and you’re off to the races! For your front door, hang a red, white, or blue wreath and set out some red geraniums on either side to add a pop to your patriotism. In your kitchen, swap out your regular hand towels for some red, white, and blue ones or use those colors in your dishware or even food! From tablecloths to rugs to throw pillows, if your house is filled with red, white, and blue, then your friends and family will be feeling festive for Independence Day.
Flags & Fireworks
If you don’t want to go all out with patterns and accessories, then stick to decorating with just the color scheme, like above. But, if you’re looking for a little more bang for your holiday, then bring on the flags and fireworks! Flags are a great way to dress up your home, especially mini flags. You can line your driveway or sidewalk with mini flags stuck in the ground, or you can use flags in centerpieces or just scattered around your house! Best of all, they’re cheap as well as easy. You can get sixty mini flags from amazon for under $15 here. But don’t stop at flags! Bring on the sparkles to represent fireworks and pinwheels to spin in the breeze! The 4th of July is a day to loudly and proudly celebrate our freedom in the United States, so decorate your house accordingly – loud and proud!
Bonus Ideas
Since the 4th of July has a pretty standard color scheme and set of classic decorations, it’s a great opportunity to get creative in how you deck out your house! Here are some more ideas of how to incorporate red, white, blue, stars, stripes, and sparkles into your home this summer.
Scatter stars confetti on your tabletops
Tie balloons or red, white, and blue ribbons on your mailbox to add some flair for your neighborhood
Invest in some red, white, and blue lights to light up your front porch or back patio
Cover your front yard with white stars made of flour (#9 on this list of ideas)
Hang festive banners or garlands along your mantle, your doorways, or across bookcases
Arrange centerpieces for your tables with pinwheels, flags, and red, white, or blue flowers
If you have a front porch or a fence, diy some patriotic bunting to dress up the outside of your home (#38)
That’s all for this post on decorating your house for the 4th of July. However you celebrate Independence Day – from parades to cookouts – enjoy spending time with friends and family, enjoying the freedom we are so blessed to have. The next post will be all about decorating your house for the whole season of autumn and for Halloween! Look out for that post soon, and check out other posts and blogs like this one at the links below.
