Simple and Cheap DIY's for the 4th of July

On a budget? Yeah, me too. And that can be really hard around the holidays, especially when you love doing crafts and decorating...but, it can also inspire your creativity!

My husband and I both like saving money, but we both love gatherings, parties, game nights...I guess you could say we are both people persons :-)

Here are some easy and cheap DIYs I put together for this 4th of July

I thought I would show different ways you can work with some basic things, some you might already have around the house!

1. My big DIY for the 4th - This Paperclip Flag Wreath. I only Spent $1!

I already had a pack of clothespins (It took 43 pins) and paint (I've had the paint since High School, believe it or not :P).  I only spent $1 for the circular plaque in the middle.

(I'm guessing the clothespins might be around $5 for the big pack - I got them at Walmart quite a while back.. They come in handy all the time and are worth having some around...just look at the fun wreath I made with some of them! :D)

2.  Red, white and blue rice + tea light

This one is really simple.  I selected the glass I wanted to use, filled it with rice, and then divided up the rice as I wanted in 3 plastic cups. Add red color to one cup and mix well. Then add blue to another and mix well. The third cup remains plain. Pour them one on top of the other into your selected "candle holder" in the order you desire and whala! Just add the tea light and you are set!

3. Ways to display/set your silverware

 I love the cup, napkin, and silverware are all in one here...It looks cute, festive, and simple.


You could decorate a jar by painting or using ribbon. 
Makes a cute addition to your buffet table.

Or the simple, roll the silverware in the napkin...
(Or roll up the napkin and stick in the silverware like I did here, haha :-) )

4. Napkin fun...I chose a star...or flower? lol It is my attempt at a star anyway. :-)

I bought the flag fabric at Walmart for under $2 a yard and just cut big squares to make my napkins...sewing the edges will have to come later. I also still have some left over fabric that I have some ideas for.

There are more napkin folds with links on how-to on one of my earlier blogs here.

4. Use ribbon

You can spruce up just about anything with a little ribbon. :-) 

5. Red, white or blue dishes...even if they have a pattern of some kind, if they are in those colors then you can probably work them in ;-)

6. Paper Flowers

Top left are handmade paper flowers. I had the white ones and made the red.

7. Use some fabric in red, white or blue over your table as a runner or table cloth.

These are simple. It's not a huge collection of decorations, but they were fun and it was what I had time to do this year.  The fun part is that I will be able to add to what I have every year and hopefully have a really fun assortment after a few years.

This shows what I made...I will show how I use them for the 4th festivities later and add the pics below :-)

Have a blessed Independence day!