Easy Patriotic 4th of July Table Decorations

These easy patriotic 4th of July table decorations will let you show your American pride and throw an Independence Day party with style.

The 4th of July is almost here (can you believe it’s almost July already??!!)

And I’m in the final stages of planning my annual Independence Day party. As usual, I will be hosting a cookout that is a pretty casual affair.

Even though most people are fine with finding a seat anywhere and eating with their fingers, there are a few people in my crowd who prefer a proper table setting. So I always have a couple of tables set to make them happy.

Plus I get to have fun creating 4th of July table decorations.  To be honest I probably would set them up even if nobody really cared to sit there 🙂

Since this is an informal event, I don’t go too overboard with the table decorations. Just enough to provide some patriotic color, and a beautiful place to sit.

This year, I’m going to use the deck and table at the back of my yard. They are kind of hidden from the main entertaining area, so it feels a bit like an outdoor dining room.

The Place Settings

To make red, white and blue place settings, I mixed and matched a set of red dishes with a set of white ones, and put them on dark blue place mats*.

Since I was setting 2 tables, I decided to use white dinner plates with red appetizer plates on one.

And switched it around by using red dinner plates with white appetizer plates on the other.

This way, the tables are coordinated but it’s a little more interesting than setting everything the same way.

The Napkins

Red, white and blue plaid cotton napkins* were the perfect addition.

For the first table, I used a dragonfly napkin ring (these ones* are similar) to hold the rolled up napkins.

On the second table, I put the napkins in mason jar glasses*. (these are great for outdoor parties since they are pretty indestructible).

My party is casual, so I don’t have prearranged seating.  

But if you wanted to, you could make the glasses into name cards by writing people’s names on the front of the jar.

The Flowers

If you saw my Hydrangea-inspired tablescape back in the spring, you know that putting Hydrangeas together with roses is one of my favorite flower arranging combinations.  So I figured I would use them again to make a red, white and blue centerpiece.

I found these beautiful red-tipped white roses at Costco…one of my favorite places to buy roses! They usually have a great selection at a good price. Put it this way, the 2 dozen roses from Costco were about the same price as the 3 Hydrangeas I got at Whole Foods 🙂

Of course, after I bought the Hydrangeas, I realized I could have picked them from my garden. With all of the rain we have had this spring, my Hydrangea bushes are covered in blooms this year!

Since I only bought 3 Hydrangeas, and I had now realized I had a bunch in the garden, I thought I would go pick some after all and make more than one arrangement.

But then I put the roses in one of my blue and white vases (another of my go-to 4th of July decorations), and decided I liked them just as they were. So the Hydrangeas in my garden are safe (for a while at least)…

Of course, I still used the ones I bought (I do so love hydrangeas and roses!)

This particular vase works really well for outdoor tables that have an umbrella hole in the middle. It is footed and big enough so that it can cover the umbrella hole and the lip around it.

The Candles

I don’t think I have ever done a table setting without candles, and this was no exception.

These DIY candle holders made with rice are perfect for placing along the deck railing.

Then I added a few that are filled with colored sand and faux pearls around the flowers in the center of the table.

The second table didn’t have an umbrella hole obstacle in the middle of the table, so I was able to use my favorite American flag tray* to ground the flowers and candles.

You can find out how to make these candles (and some other DIY 4th of July decorations) HERE.

The Finished Look

I have never really included this back area of my yard in my party decor, and now that I have I love it!

It feels like going into a special room. My new outdoor rug* helps with that feeling, too.

And because of all the trees here, it is quite a bit cooler than some other parts of my yard.

I also love the way the tables turned out.

Not too fussy, really easy to put together and just enough patriotic decor without going overboard.

Other 4th of July celebration ideas you might like

• 4th of July outdoor decor ideas
• Red, white and blue candle ideas
• Patriotic red, white and blue dessert ideas
• 4th of July menu

Have comments or questions on our easy 4th of July table decorations? Tell us in the comments below.

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