The 4th of July is the perfect time for you to hone in on your crafting skills. Whether you are planning a huge get-together with family and friends or you just want a few DIY decorations to put around the house, we’ve got a great collection of 40 crafts to get you into the patriotic spirit.
You can find everything in this collection from luminaries to light your walkway to wreaths to hang on the front door. There are also many different things that will help you to decorate for cookouts like a pro.
We’ve even thrown in some fashion in the mix. Learn how to make your shoes 4th of July snazzy and there are great projects for the kids like poppers and piñatas.
Whatever you are in the mood to do for the 4th and whatever craft level you prefer, there is certainly something in this collection for everyone. Let’s get started on some patriotic crafts and really spruce up around the house for the 4th of July!
Patriotic Paper Flowers
Make paper flowers that you can use to decorate your dinner table, deck or anywhere you need just a bit of patriotic flair. You’ll need scrapbook paper, floral stem wire, washi tape and some stencils or you could use different sized bowls to mark off where you need to cut. You may also want some wooden dowels if you are planning to add your flowers to a vase for a centerpiece or you could string them together with twine or yarn and create a banner with them. They are very easy to make and if you have scrapbook paper in various reds, blues and whites they won’t cost you anything.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Livelaughrowe
Tie Dye Patriotic Pillow
Oh, how we love to tie dye. This beautiful pillow is a great tie dye project even for beginners. It’s made of burlap which gives it that great rustic look and you can attach metal buttons or studs for the stars to make it even more rustic looking. You just have to choose the colors or mix them yourself if you are an avid tie dyer and then mark off where your stripes should go as well as where your blue should be for the starred section. This is such a pretty pillow that you are going to want to display it long after the 4th has come and gone.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - The36thavenue
Fruit Salad Sailboat
Ok, so technically this is a food and not just a craft but we had to include it because it’s just so cute. It’s a little sailboat made out of watermelon. You just have to cut the watermelon and then add a sail and use fruit to fill. This will make an excellent centerpiece for your Independence Day dinner table or any outdoor gathering that you may be attending. Plus, if you were planning to take along a fruit salad anyway, you just have to add a sail on a dowel rod and you’re all set.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Bhg
Embellished Tin Pails
These tin pails are absolutely adorable and so easy (not to mention cheap) to make. You can find tin pails at the Dollar Store for around $1 or less a piece and then you just need scrapbooking paper and some mod podge. Create whatever design you want using your red, white and blue scrapbooking paper and then just add a colorful ribbon for a handle. These are great for holding silverware, straws or other items on your cookout table or you could add flowers to create a beautiful centerpiece with them.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Modpodgerocksblog
Mason Jar Luminaries
You can make patriotic luminaries with mason jars, mod podge, crepe paper and paint. The jars will be red, white and blue and when you add candles to them they will light up the pathway to your door or you could use them to light up your deck or backyard for 4th of July cookouts. These are so easy to make and can be done in any design that you want. Best of all, they’re cheap. If you already have mason jars on hand and craft supplies, you just need tealight candles which you can get at the Dollar Store for around $1 for 6 or so.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Fortheloveof
Denim Flag Wreath
This denim wreath is perfect for adorning your door on Independence Day. You will need some denim (this is a great way to get rid of torn jeans or shorts) in blue and red as well as twine, some silk flowers or other decorations and a patriotic banner that you can buy or make. You also need a wreath form which you can get at your local craft store. Styrofoam works best. You need a hot glue gun to keep it all together. Decorate it however you want but the flag design is so great and it will only take you an hour or so to complete.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Madeinaday
4th of July Paper Stars
These paper stars are the perfect way to dress up the deck or backyard for an Independence Day celebration. You will need red, white and blue forms printed on text weight paper, a hot glue gun and scissors. Once you have the forms printed off, just cut them appropriately and then assemble your stars using hot glue to hold them together. These 3D looking stars are great strung up on ribbon or rope and you can hang them anywhere that you need a little extra decoration. You can print off the free templates and each template gives you a large swirl star and a smaller, solid colored relief star.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Elli
Apothecary Jars
These apothecary jars spell out “USA” and have a wonderful beachy feeling to them. You will need apothecary jars and you can use 3 of the same size or toggle the heights. You also need sand to fill the jars – or whatever you want based on your individual theme. The jars have letters that are actually brown metal tags which you can pick up at most craft stores or you could paint on the letters if you wanted. Wrap it all up with burlap bows or tie a nice patriotic bow around the base of each jar. This is a fully customizable project that you can do however you want.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Uncommondesignsonline
Betsy Ross Painted Cabinet
So how about going all-out in your celebration and painting this beautiful Betsy Ross cabinet? If you have a cabinet or dresser that needs a little facelift anyway, this is a wonderful way to do it. You just need to sand and then paint the stripes and stars on the front. That’s it. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours depending on how good you are at painting and the result is an elegant cabinet that you are certain to love displaying. You can use it for your 4th of July decoration and then display it all year long.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Pressingon-miranda
Rustic Pallet Flag
Have we mentioned lately how much we love pallets? Honestly, you can do so many things with a pallet and some places will literally give them to you for free just for getting them out of their way. You can take an old pallet and repurpose it to create a rustic American flag that can be displayed in so many different ways. Just draw out the flag beforehand and then paint. You can use the individual slats for each stripe which makes the painting part really easy and then display your flag on the outside wall or you could even add legs and make it a patriotic table.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Planitdiy
Stars and Stripes Garland
Make your own garland by simply printing off letters in Oklahoma size 400 and then using those letters as a template on paint sample chips. You could use just about anything for the actual garland but the paint chips give it such a lovely look, don’t you think? This is a really easy project and a great way to use up those paint chips that you may have on hand from remodeling. Once you have your letters ready, just string them together and hang them up with baker’s twine or something similar.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Rebekahgough
4th of July Sidewalk Chalk
If you are planning a get-together and you need something for the little ones to do before the firework show starts, make them this patriotic sidewalk chalk. You’ll need a star mold – ice cubes in star shapes work really well – plus Plaster of Paris, water, food coloring to get the red, white and blue colors and a few other supplies. You just mix everything together and pour into your silicone molds. When it dries you have great star shaped sidewalk chalk that kids will love playing with while they are waiting on other festivities to begin.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Projectalicia
Red White and Blue Burlap Framed Flag
Burlap is so versatile and gives you the basis for so many different projects. This one is a beautifully rustic ruffled flag in a frame. You only need about ¾ of a yard of burlap and a frame that you can put your completed flag in. Use fabric paint to create the stars and stripes and then attach to the frame backing. You may want to remove the glass from the frame so that the ruffles don’t get squashed but you can leave it in if you want. This entire project shouldn’t cost more than $5 or and will only take you about an hour to complete.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Mama-says-sew
Stars and Stripes Rope Wreath
To make a beautiful stars and stripes wreath for the front door, you will need a 12 inch Styrofoam wreath mold, 3/16 inch rope or cording in red and white. Note that you need about 5 yards of red and 25 yards of white. You also need a hot glue gun and blue stars that you can buy or make yourself. The design really depends on what you want. You can measure out precise lengths to place the red or just intertwine it wherever you want. Either way, the effect is beautiful and once you have the wreath form completely wrapped in red and white rope, you just glue on the stars.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Justcraftyenough
Mini Patriotic Wreath Pin
Decorate yourself just a bit with this adorable mini wreath pin in red, white and blue. It’s made of denim (for the blue) and burlap (spray painted red and white or you could leave the burlap color instead of white). You make the wreath form out of cardboard so if you have the denim and burlap on hand, this could be a completely free project. Just form the burlap to create neat ruffles that wrap around the denim. You can also add a few white buttons or other embellishments for the stars and then just add a pin to the back.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Thescrapshoppeblog
Shooting Star Piñata
Imagine what fun a piñata would be at your 4th of July celebration! You can make your own piñata for around $30 and give everyone at your get-together quite a thrill. This shooting star piñata not only serves as a neat decoration, you can fill it with candy or other items to make your party even more special. It does take some time but you can have it completed in a day and it is totally worth the effort. Of course, you could always go out and buy a piñata but what fun would that be? Make your own and really impress your guests plus you can fill it with whatever you want from candy to firecrackers or small toys.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Confettipop
Firecrackin Picnic Poppers
Make guests of all ages their very own treat filled firecracker with these picnic poppers. To make them you will need a canister with a pop top. Think Pringles cans, bread crumb containers or anything that is cardboard with a plastic top. You also need paper to cover and decorate them, a few embellishments and treats to fill them up. Fill them with candy, small child-friendly fireworks or anything you want. You can give everyone at your party their very own treat filled firecracker and if you have a few cans already on hand, they’re not at all expensive to make plus they take very little time to create.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Lizoncall
Patriotic Clothespin Wreath
Clothespins painted in red, white and blue along with a wire wreath form work together to create a beautiful wreath that you can hang on the front door. You just paint clothespins in red and white and a few in blue with white stars. Then just attach them to the wire wreath and hang with a ribbon or bow. This is such an easy project and clothespins are so cheap that the entire wreath will cost less than $10 to make. If you want to make it even cheaper, just take some wire that you have on hand and bend it into a circle to make your own wreath form.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Missbutterbean
Star Spangled Straw Caddy
You can make this star spangled caddy for your straws out of things that you have just lying around the house. Just decorate a Pringles can with paper, glitter or anything else in order to make it patriotic. Find a plastic bottle that will fit inside the can and cut it so that it holds the straws but fits in the can without being seen. You just basically have to remove the top and you can glue a dowel rod through a hole in the top and add streamers to make a “fuse”. When you need straws, you just pull on the “fuse”. This is such a neat project that will only take a few minutes to create and serves as a wonderful decoration for your table.
Wall Decoration
This great 4th of July wall decoration will cost you a whopping $2 to make and it will look great decorating your indoor or outdoor walls. You will need striped straws which you can get at the Dollar Store for around $1 per pack. It takes 2 packs to create it and you just glue them in a circular pattern around a piece of cardboard. Paint another piece of cardboard with whatever you want on it and then just use a ribbon or some twine to hang. This is a really easy, fun and cheap project that will give you beautiful décor for your Independence Day celebration.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Christinasadventures
Ruched Flag Pillow
You can create this adorable ruched flag pillow and display it all year round. You need strips of fabric in red white and blue as well as backing fabric. This is a sewing project but it’s a really easy one so you can do it even if you’ve never used a sewing machine. If you prefer, you can do it by hand although it will take a bit longer. Overall, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. It’s so easy that you may want to make several to have on your outdoor furniture or spruce up the living room for the 4th with throw pillows on your couch and chairs.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Icandy-handmade
Festive 4th of July Lanterns
These paper lanterns are so easy to make and really inexpensive. You can use them to decorate your patio or deck. You just need to roll sheets of red, white and blue paper and then decorate them with punches and/or scissors into the design that you want. Tape handles on them cut from the same paper and then just push simple clear Christmas string lights through the handles. The lights serve as the hanger for the lanterns and help to add a bit of decorate outdoor lighting at the same time. Hang them from the deck or porch railings or use them to decorate your outdoor dinner table.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Allyou
Patriotic Shoes
You want to stop and think about dressing yourself up for the holiday when you are decorating, right? These patriotic Kicks are perfect for 4th of July celebrations and all you need are white canvas shoes and some red and blue markers. You could also use fabric paints if you wanted but the markers work nicely and they’re a bit easier. The types of shoes that you decorate are completely up to you as long as you begin with something white. Let your little ones decorate their own patriotic shoes and have a family theme going on.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Dreamalittlebigger
Fourth of July Tablescape
Creating a beautiful 4th of July dinner table is easy and it doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. You need plates in a variety of red, white and blue colors as well as some cheap bandanas and maybe just a bit of burlap. Just layer your plates and then use the bandanas and burlap to create wonderful napkins. You don’t necessarily have to use glass dishes, either. Your local Dollar Store should have plastic dishes in red, white and blue and they’re really inexpensive. It will only look like you’ve spent a lot of time and money creating the perfect patriotic tablescape.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Uncommondesignsonline
Table Fireworks
You don’t want real fireworks on your table but these firework inspired pom poms are perfect. You just add paper pom poms that are attached to skewers all around the table. Stick the skewers into jars filled with sand or you can use them to decorate cakes or cheese plates. You’ll need vellum to create the pom poms, which is a really simple process. Basically, you just fold and cut and make them in different colors of red, white and blue. Glue them to the skewers and then use them to decorate all around your dinner table.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Marthastewart
Festive Kite Garland
Kites are such fun and when you use that inspiration to create red, white and blue garland, you get the perfect decoration for your 4th of July celebration. To make this adorable garland, you will need cardstock or scrapbook paper in red, white and blue. You can pick these up at your local craft store for about $1 per sheet. You also need paper straws in red and blue, ribbon in red, white and blue and some bakers twine to hang it all up. You just cut out the kite shapes, glue on the ribbon and straws and then attach it all to the twine for hanging.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Brit
Stars and Stripes Napkins
These stars and stripes napkins are a bit more traditional in a great Americana style. You will need blue fabric napkins and a couple of bleach pens to create them. You want to be sure to be careful with the bleach which is why the pens are perfect. You can pinpoint exactly where you want your stripes and stars to go. You have to let them sit for at least an hour for the bleach to set before you rinse then and it is very important that you choose napkins that are 100 percent cotton in order for them to set properly.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Houseofearnest
4th of July Bunting Banner
This beautiful banner can be created in just an hour or two and is filled with patriotic design. This project requires a bit of sewing and you will need about ⅓ yard of blue and red fabric and the same amount of burlap. The actual amount of fabric that you need will depend on the size that you want your flags to be. You also need some string or yarn for hanging and circles to trace out the designs. Use red, white and blue threads when sewing to really make it look great and add any other embellishments that you want.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Sugartotdesigns
Paper Table Runner
This table runner costs less than $10 to make and is perfect for indoor or outdoor tables. You will need drawing paper in the length that your runner needs to be and then items that you can use to decorate. Wooden stars make the perfect stamps when you paint one side with blue or red paint and you can simply press them onto the paper to create a great design. Paint stripes, add stars or whatever you want to make your table runner unique. This is a really easy project and one that costs very little compared to buying table runners at the store.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Eastcoastcreativeblog
Patriotic Lei
While you certainly want to decorate your home for your 4th of July celebration, you may want to consider decorating your guests as well. That’s going to be really easy with these patriotic leis that you can make in just a few minutes. You will need paper punches in various styles, regular printing paper, fabric tape, baker’s twine and a few other craft supplies. They are very inexpensive to make and you can have the kids help you to cut everything out to save time. These will be great adorning your guests when they arrive to your cookout or fireworks display.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Blog.paper-source
Decorative Sign
Decorating your home for the 4th could be as simple as painting this very elegant sign. You can use any phrase that you want, although we really like the “Land That I Love” used here. You need a piece of wood cut to the size that you want, a can of spray primer, red spray paint, white spray paint, contact paper, a template of the words that you want to use (print these off your computer) and sand paper if you want to give your sign that distressed look. You could also use blue paint if you prefer or mix it up and use red, white and blue to really make it patriotic.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Josiejones
Firecracker Rag Wreath
We just love wreaths for all occasions and this firecracker rag wreath is perfect for your 4th of July celebration. You literally make it with old scraps of fabric and then embellish it with firecrackers that you can easily create from empty toilet paper rolls. Tying the rags around your wreath form will take the most time and once you’ve finished that (will probably take a couple of hours) you just have to add your firecrackers and whatever other embellishments you want to make it unique. If you have the fabric on hand, this one won’t cost you anything except a wreath form.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Createcraftlove
Patriotic Necklace
You want to look your best for those Independence Day celebrations and this adorable necklace will help you to do that. You can pick up the supplies needed at your local Hobby Lobby or other craft store. It takes white cord, red necklace beads, blue necklace beads and some jewelry cord. You can use whatever type of beads you want. Wooden beads look really nice and if you can’t find them in the colors that you need, you can always paint them yourself. You can also make it in whatever size and length you want so it’s completely customizable and takes less than an hour to put together.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Tatteredandinked
Jeweled Firecrackers
These jeweled firecrackers are beautiful and they are perfect for dressing up tables or general house decorations. The best part is you can make them with empty toilet paper tubes so they’re really inexpensive, especially if you have the other craft supplies already on hand. You will want an assortment of resin rhinestones in red, white and blue, some colored paper or paint and jute for the “fuse”. Fill them with rice or beans to make them a bit heavy and you can use them as balloon holders or create a centerpiece with them.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Hubpages
Patriotic Button Art
If you love button art, this patriotic picture will be perfect for your 4th of July decorations. Gather those old buttons up and sort out the red, white and blue ones. Then just hot glue them to cardstock and insert into a frame. This is one of the easiest projects and one of the least expensive as well. You get a beautiful new picture that you can display all year through and this would make a wonderful gift if you know someone who has a birthday on the 4th. You can create any design you want which makes it really great because it allows you to be as creative as you want to be.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Itsybitsypaperblog
Independence Day Pinwheels
Let the kids help you to make these adorable pinwheels that they will enjoy playing with all through your Independence Day celebration. You need cardstock in whatever red, white and blue colors or designs you want. You also need mod podge and some wooden dowels to hold the pinwheels as well as push pins to hold them on. You can use these to keep the little ones occupied during your celebration or use them as decorations if you prefer. They are great and really easy to make. Plus, if you have some scrap cardstock and a few dowels on hand, they’re really cheap to make, too.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Adiamondinthestuff
Patriotic Filigree Earrings
You can buy cheap filigree earrings at most Dollar Stores for about $1 per pair. When you get them home, paint them in patriotic red, white and blue and wear them proudly on the 4th of July. You just need spray paint and something that you can use to create lines so you can paint them in different colors. These are so very easy to make. They’ll probably take you about 15 minutes or so per pair and even if you have to buy all of the items needed to make them, you’ll still be able to create beautiful earrings for less than $5 per pair.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Kadie-sevenalive
4th of July Magnetic Frame
This great frame uses scrapbook paper to make it very patriotic. You can pick it up at most craft stores for under $1 per sheet. You will also need a frame which you can get at the Dollar Store for around $1 as well. You can find sheets of metal at home improvement stores and it is very inexpensive. Just use mod podge to make the scrapbook paper stick to the metal and then decorate your frame. You can then add magnets (which you can also get at the Dollar Store) to dress it up a bit more and make it really patriotic.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Craftycagirl
Firecracker Candlesticks
Turn those boring old wooden candlesticks into firecrackers that can adorn your table with just a bit of paint and a few other supplies. You can paint them in stars and stripes or any other red, white and blue designs and then just use hot glue to attach “wicks” to the top. Jute works well for the wicks. These are great for any table and you can even use them to dress up an outdoor table if you are planning a cookout. They are easy to make and will cost less than $10 depending on how many you want and where you get them.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Littlecorbinhill
Rustic Old Glory Sign
This rustic sign is perfect for adorning your porch and giving it a little country flair. If you have an old piece of wood (think old fencing or even a pallet) you can add a little paint and have a beautiful decoration for the front porch. This is where your creativity comes in. You can do a traditional flag design or go with whatever design you want. The color scheme is perfect for the 4th but you can proudly display it all year long right beside your real flag. It’s a really easy project that lets you use up those crafting supplies and old wood pieces.
DIY Instructions and Project Credit - Too-much-time
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