Cute Patriotic Decorations to Have in Your Yard

Red, white and blue decorations can brighten a porch, patio or backyard table for the Fourth of July. Pick a few projects that fit your space and the weather: paper crafts belong in a dry, sheltered spot, while anything left outdoors needs suitable materials and secure mounting.

Making decorations can be a family activity, but it is not always cheaper than buying them once supplies are included. Choose age-appropriate materials, let adults handle sharp tools and hot glue, and keep small parts and hanging cords away from young children. The CPSC Art and Craft Safety Guide covers selecting and using craft materials.

Patriotic paper windsock

Supplies: cardstock or thin chipboard, patterned paper, craft glue, red and white ribbon, a short hanging cord, scissors and a hole punch. Decorative scissors or a border punch are optional.

1. Cut a rectangle for the tube. A piece about nine inches long is a starting point; adjust the height and overlap to make the size you want. Cover the outside with patterned paper.
2. Add decorative paper borders along the top and bottom if desired.
3. Glue ribbon strips along the inside of the lower edge so they hang down. Keep the strips manageable rather than long enough to trail into a walkway.
4. Roll the rectangle into a tube, overlap the ends and glue securely. Let it dry.
5. Have an adult punch two holes near the top and add a short hanging cord. Hang out of children’s reach in a sheltered place, away from heat and flame.

Photo credit: A Pumpkin & A Princess

Bring the windsock indoors before rain or strong wind. Cardstock and paper decorations are temporary displays, not weatherproof yard ornaments.

Flameless decorated jars

Supplies: a clean, stable jar, paper stars or a paper band, craft glue and a battery-operated LED light intended for decorative use.

1. Decorate the outside of the jar with a few paper stars or a narrow red, white and blue band. Leave enough clear space for the light to show.
2. Let the glue dry, then place the LED light inside according to its instructions.
3. Set the jar on a stable surface where it cannot be knocked over. Use only a light suitable for the location, keep it dry if it is not outdoor-rated, and keep batteries secured and inaccessible to children.

Use a flameless light for this craft. Do not put a real candle into a jar decorated with paper, string or other combustible materials. Paper shapes also avoid scattering loose glitter outdoors.

Layered paper flowers

Supplies: patterned paper, scissors, glue, blunt craft sticks and decorative tape. Paper brads are an optional adult-handled alternative to glue for joining the layers.

1. Trace and cut three circles of different sizes. Choose patterns and colors that work together.
2. Make five or six slits around each circle, leaving an uncut area around the center. For a medium-sized circle, stopping about half an inch from the center gives the layers somewhere to attach.
3. Gently fold the resulting sections to give the flower shape.
4. Stack the circles with the largest underneath and glue their centers together. If using a brad, an adult should make the holes and secure it, keeping spare brads away from small children.
5. Tape or glue a blunt craft stick to the back. Avoid pointed skewers for a children’s craft.
6. Arrange the finished flowers in a stable pot or jar. Varying the stem lengths makes the arrangement easier to see.

Photo Credit: Live Laugh Rowe

More projects for children

• Tie-dye shirts: use a fabric-dye kit with adult supervision and follow its label for protection, rinsing and laundering. Let children choose the pattern and colors.
• Paper firework cards: draw bursts of red, white and blue on folded card, or glue on short paper strips. These can become place cards or a small table display.
• Painted rocks: use age-appropriate craft paint and let it dry fully. Display the rocks in a tray or protected flower bed, away from mowing areas and walking routes.

Table decorations and ready-made supplies

A paper-flower arrangement, patterned napkins and a reusable red or blue tablecloth can be enough for a coordinated table. Keep centerpieces low enough for guests to see one another and leave room for serving dishes.

If buying decorations, compare dimensions, quantities and suitability for outdoor use. Paper plates, reusable tableware, bunting and small decorative flags serve different purposes; buy what you will use rather than assuming every matching item is essential. Secure lightweight items before a breeze carries them away.

Stars for a fence or porch

Cut star shapes from sturdy cardstock for a dry, covered display, or paint stars on a new wooden craft panel with a finish suitable for its intended location. Secure the display with appropriate fixings and keep it clear of doors and paths. Remove temporary paper decorations when the weather changes.

This gives you a star pattern without spraying an unspecified paint onto living grass or scattering flour across the lawn.

A striped shutter or craft panel

Use a new, clean craft shutter or panel suitable for decorating. Avoid sanding or scraping an old painted shutter when you do not know what its finish contains.

Choose primer and paint compatible with the material and intended exposure. Apply them according to their labels, observing drying and recoating times. Use painter’s tape to lay out alternating stripes and a blue section with white stars. Adults should handle any product or tool that is unsuitable for children. Mount the finished piece securely rather than leaving it where it can fall or trip someone.

Three patriotic wreath ideas

These wreaths are decorative objects, not toys. Display fabric and paper versions under cover, away from cooking areas and flames. Check the attachment before hanging them on a door.

Burlap ruffle wreath

Supplies: a 16-inch foam wreath form, natural burlap to wrap it, blue, red and natural burlap strips, star decorations, scissors and a glue compatible with the form. Adults can use temporary pins and hot glue if suitable for the materials.

For a starting layout, cut twelve blue strips and fourteen each of red and natural, each about 12 by 3 inches. The finished fullness depends on the fabric and folds; have extra material available. These strip counts require 12 feet of blue and 14 feet each of red and natural if cut end-to-end from a 3-inch-wide ribbon, plus separate burlap for the base wrap.

1. Wrap the form with natural burlap, covering the foam and securing the ends.
2. Fold each strip into a loose fan or ruffle. Arrange a blue section, then alternating red and natural sections around the form.
3. Adjust the spacing before gluing. An adult may use temporary pins to hold the arrangement, removing and accounting for every pin as the ruffles are attached.
4. Add a few stars and allow the adhesive to set fully before hanging. Clean up loose fibers and all small parts.

Photo Credit: How to Make a Burlap Wreath

Clothespin wreath

Supplies: a metal wreath form, wooden clothespins, suitable red, white and blue craft paint, a brush and optional stars. The number of clothespins depends on the form and spacing; test the layout before painting.

1. Paint the clothespins and let them dry according to the paint label.
2. Clip the blue pins together in one section. Alternate red and white around the rest of the form.
3. Attach stars if desired, checking that all decorations are secure before displaying the wreath.

Photo Credit: Preciously Paired

Decorative paper-rocket wreath

This is a paper decoration only. It contains no fireworks, powder, fuse or flame.

Supplies: a 14-inch foam wreath form, three or four fabric strips about 2.5 inches wide by 45 inches long, an empty cardboard tube, patterned tape, cardstock, craft paint and suitable glue. Add extra fabric if the chosen wrapping pattern needs it.

1. Wrap the form with fabric and secure the ends.
2. Paint or cover the tube with patterned paper, allowing any paint to dry.
3. Make a cardstock cone for the top of the tube and attach it. Cut a short paper fringe and glue it inside the lower end to suggest a rocket trail.
4. Cut out stars and glue them directly onto the tube or onto short cardstock tabs. Do not use exposed toothpicks or skewers.
5. Secure the tube to the wrapped form with suitable glue and a short tie if needed. Have an adult handle hot glue. Check that the decoration is secure before hanging it out of children’s reach.

Choose two or three projects that suit your time and materials, then reuse the durable pieces next year. Put paper items away before rain and collect loose decorations after the celebration.