Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day! Yesterday I posted a quick and easy craft project for decorating your table for the holidays. Today I'd like to share some other ways to get your table ready for all those hot dogs. And corn and ribs and lemonade, and whatever else you are dishing up for the holidays. I'm getting hungry just thinking about all that delicious food.

The red placemats were originally used for Christmas, as they have green mates. But I just used the red ones. If you had some blue placemats for Hanukkah celebrations, those would work too. I grabbed some white napkins (I usually like to have decorating stuff that is neutral so that you can work them into any scheme), tied them with a simple raffia knot, and that completed the look for the place settings.

On the table, I also added some small flags in mason jars and larger ones in a blue vase. I picked them up on sale for a total of $3 for 6 small flags and 2 larger ones at my local craft store. I also put out some candles in varying heights and different candle holders to complete the look. It took me all of 5 minutes to put this together.

Please be aware that I do not intend to light these candles, as they could create a fire hazard with the flags in such close proximity. But if I wanted to light them, I would make sure that the flags were clear out of the way. It is important to keep these precautions in mind when decorating a table.

I bought these sunflowers at the Farmers' Market for $3, and I cut the blue agapanthus from a plant in the yard that had the great foresight to be in bloom for today's holiday. If it were possible for plants to have foresight, that is. Add a simple raffia bow, and voilà! This arrangement gives the space some much needed height.

You could also try adding some other natural elements to the table. Here, I've replaced the flags with a grouping of lemons. This might be a good alternative if you want to light the candles on the table.

Oh, and I plan to fill up that blue star-shaped dish on the right with strawberries. Again, I didn't spend much on decorating this table. Factoring in the cost of the sunflowers for a side arrangement, I shelled out a total of $6 because I just used what I already had. However, I stopped by a local thrift store yesterday afternoon, and there were a number of inexpensive blue, red or white dishes that could have worked well for this table. So if you don't have supplies on hand, definitely explore those venues.

Perhaps you could use the lemons to create a place card for the table? I am undecided about these. What do you think? Other thoughts and suggestions for creating a themed table?

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Have a safe and wonderful holiday.