July 4th Entertaining Ideas: 7 Fun Patriotic Trends for Independence Day From Debi Lilly by Debi Lilly

Time to July 4th the weekend away – and we've got all the red, white and blue party trends to make your Independence Day holiday festive and fun. Check out these creative ideas (that you can do with your kids), and get your summer started!

Candy Cake: To put it simply, this DIY is oh so sweet. Bake up your favorite cake or grab one at your local neighborhood bakery. Using bright, colorful red, white and blue candies, decorate the cake by pressing each candy gently into the icing.

Party Pick Pretty: Top those cupcakes, mini sweets, even mini savory bites with patterned paper party picks. So easy! Just pop right in the top and poof, instant style.

Cupcake Chic: So, so obsessed. Our favorite party trick is fast and festive. Top mini cakes or big cakes or cocktails with our small pennants.

Party Cones: Everything looks better – and we eat with our eyes first – in pretty paper cones. Pro tip: Fill a big bowl with white rice (dried) as a base for cones to be displayed vertically, once filled with savory or sweet treats. Fresh berries, kettle chips topped with fresh herbs and Parmesan, cookies and more fit perfectly for guests to nibble as you celebrate.

Mix up the Bar: Summer is cocktails, non? Style up your bar with stripey straws, berries, mini champagne bottles on theme in blue glass, and some fresh squeezed juices in easy to mix up carafes. We love the interactive setup of guests mixing and tasting and breaking the ice chatting it up at the bar – it's always a surefire party hit.

Berry Ice Bucket: Bottle service just got more gorgeous. DIY your own ice bucket full of berries by filling a plastic bucket (that fits in your freezer – don't forget to check this step prior to getting started!) half full of water and berries, and then placing a smaller bucket inside, weighed down with heavy items, like silverware. Place in freezer overnight, and once frozen solid, remove from freezer. Remove silverware and pull buckets off of ice. Note: you may need to quick rinse outer and inner bucket with hot water to loosen from ice.

Flower Wall: This is such a fun, fresh DIY detail. Using small blooms like spray roses or mini orchid blooms and washi tape, adhere blooms one by one to a large blank wall for a truly chic focal point or backdrop behind bar, buffet, sweets and more. Stylist secret: You can create the wall one to two hours before guests arrive and blooms will stay fresh.

Happy July 4th to you and yours. We are ready, set for you summer!

Flowers, styling by A Perfect Event
Location: DL Loft

Shop for all the party supplies mentioned at APerfectEvent.com!

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