When you think of an outdoor 4th of July get together what do you think of? Barbecues with hot dogs, ribs and hamburgers, fresh corn, refreshing drinks and sparklers? Are you planning on having a get together with friends and family? Here are some great tips for throwing a fun outdoor gathering:
Keep it simple and pick easy traditional foods!
If you are looking for food inspiration, check out these ideas from the Food Network. Here is one of my favorites for Lemonade Iced Tea – yum! Use beautifully colored by nature fruits such as watermelon, blueberries and strawberries to create the perfect table settings. Have you seen the Stripes & Blue veggie Terra chips that you can purchase at the market? They look fun and taste great! If you are looking for some dessert ideas to go along with the patriotic theme, go to one of my favorites, Epicurious.com and check out the delicious options.
Create a fun table setting!
While writing this post I found a very unique table linen look that looks fabulous! DIY Ombre Table Linen, so unique everyone will wonder where you purchased them! Click here for the instructions which are hosted on HGTV.com, the article is by Kristin Guy/ Dine X Design – thank you Kristin for this great idea!
Other great ideas:Â
- Use red, white and blue bandannas as napkins.
- Keep in mind you don’t have to use stars and stripes. Using any combination of floral red and white or blue and white fabric would present a lovely July 4th setting and could be used for other events. Go to your local fabric store such as Joann’s and look for decorator fabric or the outdoor fabric that is generally 54†wide and use it as a table cloth or runner and if you rip the edges you won’t have to hem them! Bonus time saver!
- I love the idea of mixing elements when setting your table. For example, if you plan to use a bold patterned napkin set it with a solid colored plate or mix in a fun textured place mat.
- Create colorful votive candles using dyed rice! Fun idea for the kids, click here for those instructions.
- Pick up some items from your local home store such as Pier 1 or go online and see the many options at OrientalTrading.com.
If you are in the Philadelphia area, they are having a parade starting at 11am at 6th and Chestnut Streets, click here for more information. Whatever your plans this July 4, I hope you find time to enjoy and appreciate good friends, family and freedom.
For all your home staging, training, or redesign needs contact Debbie@RedesignRight.com.
Debbie Correale is founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at www.RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz and Google+.