Fireworks on the Fourth

Like many other people tonight, we headed downtown to watch fireworks. This was our 2nd year of being able to take Noah and we are hopeful that we can perhaps make it a tradition. He once again really enjoyed it. I watched the entire through my camera lens. 

Hope you had a happy and safe 4th! 

Weekend Wonders: Patriotic Treats

Need a last minute idea for a red, white, and blue desert/treat? Below are some of my faves.

4th of July Meringue Cookies

Shugary Sweets shares how to make these easy and festive red, white, and blue meringue cookies.  

Patriotic Popcorn

This patriotic popcorn at Bloom Designs looks perfect to make ahead of time and munch on it while watching fireworks. 

Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salad

Looking for a healthier option? Family Ever After shares a red, white, and blue fruit salad. 

Patriotic Poke Cake

Love Baked Goods shares how to make this fun and festive patriotic poke cake.

Flag Rice Krispie Treats

Class Brain shares how to dress up ordinary Rice Krispie Treats for the 4th of July.

Red, White, and Blue Layered Drink

The Sisters Cafe shares how to make this really cool looking red, white, and blue (non-alcoholic) drink. This would be a fun and impressive drink for kids and adults alike. 

Patriotic Tree

I started off with this....

a little pink tree I bought at the Dollar Store back before Easter.
(You may remember I dolled this same tree up for Valentine's Day.)

I made some stars out of different types of red, white, and blue scrapbook paper with twine or ribbon as hangers, bought a 97 cent patriotic bucket at WalMart, and added some shredded tissue filler and came up with this:

Cuteness!

(Linking up to the parties listed in my sidebar)

Chevron Flag

When I was thinking about my Patriotic Mantel I knew that I wanted a flag in some form. I decided I wanted to put a modern spin on the flag so I decided to make a Chevron striped flag. 

This was easy and inexpensive to make! In order to make your own, you will need:

Canvas, Plaque, or Board of some kind (I used an 8x10 tacky plaque from the Dollar Tree.)

White paint

Red, Blue, and White Cardstock

Star shaped punch

Mod Podge

Foam Brush

Sandpaper

What You'll Do: 

1. If you are using a plaque that already has a picture or something on it, like I did, you'll need to sand it before painting it. This will help the paint adhere better. After sanding it, be sure and take a rag and wipe it down to get rid of any debris. 

2. Paint your plaque white. I used 3 coats. 

3. Cut your red chevron stripes out of red cardstock. I used my Silhouette machine to do this but if you don't have one, you could find a chevron pattern online and use that instead. 

4. Brush some Mod Podge onto your painted plaque and glue down your red chevron stripes leaving an equal amount of space in between each stripe. Brush a layer of Mod Podge over all the stripes once you have them all down.

5. Cut a blue square out of the blue cardstock and use Mod Podge to adhere it to your board over the stripes.  

6. Cut out some stars with your star punch and adhere those to the blue square with Mod Podge.

7. Lastly, brush a layer of Mod Podge over the entire thing. And you are finished!

Proudly display your modern twist on the grand old flag!

(Linking up to the parties listed on my sidebar)

Weekend Wonders: Patriotic Decor

With the 4th of July just around the corner, lots of patriotic decor is popping up amongst the blogosphere. Below are some of my faves. 

Stars and Stripes Banner

Design Sponge shares this cute stars and stripes banner made from paint chips. 

Patriotic Pin

This adorable patriotic pinwheel pin  at A Glimpse Inside will dress up any outfit. 

Patriotic Subway Art

Bits of Everything shares this free printable for 4th of July themed subway art. Just print and pop into a frame for instant decor. 

Patriotic Yarn Wreath

This patriotic yarn wreath at The Creative Imperative is easy and inexpensive to make and a great way to dress up your door. 

Land that I Love 

This cute artwork was made by the gals at Eighteen 25 with a little vinyl, scrapbook paper, and a frame. Cute! 

Patriotic Candle Holders

This is an under fifteen minute, thrifty, green, and patriotic craft perfect for 4th of July decorating! 

You will need:

3 jars (I recycled some pasta sauce jars.)

scrapbook paper (patterned and solid)

tape

pop dots or dimensionals

star punch
candles (I use the battery operated tea lights.)

What you'll do: 

1. Cut your scrapbook paper to fit your jars and tape it in the back. I use tape so I can easily remove it and use the jars for something else after the holiday is over. 

2. Cut out the letters USA. I used my Silhouette machine to do this but you could use a stencil or even use sticker letters. 

3. Adhere the letters to your jars with pop dots. 

4. Punch out some stars with the star punch and adhere them to the letters. 
5. Pop in your candles.

And there you have it!
I have these on my mantel but they would also look adorable on a front porch as well! 

(Linking to the crafty parties listed in my sidebar)