I originally was planning on a small group of 12 friends and family, but in the end we had about 20 people.  I had to change my plan of using real dishes and pull out the paper goods.  I couldn’t just throw the plates and silverware on the table..not my style.

I wrapped the silverware in the napkins and tied a ribbon around them and put them in pretty white cups.  I put the plates in a nice wire basket I got on sale at Pottery Barn.

I tied ribbon around these mason jars for the raspberry lemonade and put them in this red box I had lying around.

I had so much fum making this banner that I hung in front of the food table! I made it out of place mats that I just cut in half.  I hot glued them to a long ribbon and tied on the stars.  I liked the way it turned out.  Plus I can use it again next year.

I got fresh flowers from the local farmers market and arranged them on my tables

I bought these flag pennants at World Market for decorating my umbrella but didn’t have enough for the second umbrella.

I just couldn’t have one umbrella decorated and the other plain, so I made my own last minute flag pennant.  It was my first attempt at making one, and it was so easy!  I laid a triangle pattern on the fabric and cut it out using decorative scissors.  Then used my hot glue gun on the back fold that the twine goes thru.  I will be doing this type of decoration again for sure.  Super easy, and makes a great inexpensive filler for parties.

I love decorating for the 4th!  It is so fun to make vignettes of red white and blue

One thing I didn’t make this year were 4th of July wreaths.  I bought them instead.  My first time ever doing that!  I always make my own holiday wreaths, but I loved this particular style and knew I would’t have time to make it, let alone two of them.   So I bit the bullet and bought them off of Etsy from a shop called  WreathsbyKari,  She did a great job, and it was money well spent.

I have been pinning on Pinterest more 4th of July ideas for next year!  I think I might be a little obsessed with this holiday.

4th of July decorating is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Well I was wrong.  My sister out did herself this year on her sweets she brought for our 4th of July barbeque.   She blew me away when she arrived.  Look at what she made!

THE CUTEST! EVER 4th of July ice cream cone cupcakes.  Red velvet even!

With a cherry on top.  So cute right?

But that wasn’t all!  Check out these super yummy chocolate cupcakes she made {oh and I told her if she was going to bring cupcakes, could you make them festive?  {Rude I know, but hey she is my sister who else could I say that to? I am the decorator and she is the baker, I just wanted to make sure the display of my dessert table looked good lol}

They were so good too!

Pretty great sister huh?  Well it gets better.  She made some pies too!

My husband said it was the best cherry pie he ever had.

And the apple pie she made was just as mouth watering as the cherry

She out did herself don’t you think?  Made my store bought treats look pretty much…store bought.  Like I said she is the baker, I am the decorator.

But I did attempt to make some mini dessert shooters.  I picked up the mini dessert glassware at PierOne,  and decided it would be fun to make some different varieties.  Of course most of my ingredients weren’t homemade like my sisters, I hooked up with Betty for these {as in Betty Crocker}

Cheesecake minis, chocolate mouse shooters and trifles

Combining my decorating touch and my sister’s baking skills, we had us one awesome looking dessert display

We did have regular food of course!  Hot dogs, hamburgers, potatoe salad etc. and lots of good company and fireworks.  But the desert table was the hit of the party.

It is all about design with me when it comes to parties, which works out great because I can I know I can leave the baking up to my sister.  A big thank you to my sister Cindy, she did an awesome job!

A sweet 4th of July is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Today I am guest posting over at Kristy’s Hyphen Interiors on 4th of July decorating. Click on over and read what are my must haves on 4th of July decorating here.

And while you are there, check out Kristy’s fun and styling ways of decorating.  My favorite of Kirsty’s is how she painted the fabric on this chair…YES she painted it!   Who would of known you could do that?  Brilliant, cost effective and a whole lot quicker than removing all those staples!

Amazing right?  See the full “how to” here.

I can’t wait to share more of my 4th of July decorating with you later this week, I just love the red, white and blue!

Hyphen Interiors is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

This was my favorite..

He doesn’t look too happy to be wearing the tie I made him.

4th of July is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.