Get Crafty this Fourth of July

Fourth of July Crafts

Decorate your party or give young guests an activity with these red, white and blue craft ideas!

The ubiquitous red plastic party cups get patriotic with printed labels of U.S. presidents, which also serve to help people identify which drink is theirs. A simple internet search of "president portraits" yielded these images which were then printed on $4 I.D. labels from an office supply store. You could also print out quotes from the Declaration of Independence or the signatures of the men who signed it on the labels.

Fourth of July Crafts

When things get hot, refresh by spraying on a lemon and mint spritzer. This also makes a great hostess gift.

Lemon Mint Spritzer
1 cup mineral water
5 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops mint essential oil
1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerine
1/2 teaspoon almond oil

*if you have greasy skin, try adding 1 teaspoon of witch hazel oil.

Mix all ingredients together and decant into spray bottles. For extra refreshment, store the spritzer in the fridge.

-- Kendra Smoot

Fourth of July Crafts

These patriotic paper flowers look sweet tucked into a vase, pinned to a shirt, or attached to a wreath.

What you'll need to make up to 8 flowers:
- 2 sheets each of red, white, and blue cardstock or regular paper
- 8 pencils
- 8 map tacks or push pins
- scissors
- drinking glasses or circle cookie cutters in 3 different sizes

Fourth of July Crafts

Paper Flower Instructions:
1. Use drinking glasses or cookie cutters in three different sizes to trace out circles on all of your sheets of paper.
2. Cut out your circles. You can usually cut up to three pieces of paper at one time. Then make 6 different cuts in each circle, stopping about 1/2" from the center of the circle.
3. Using your fingers, fold each triangle in half lengthwise.
4. Layer small, medium, and large circles to make a flower, then attach to the eraser of each pencil with a push pin or map tack. To pin the flowers to a lapel, use a safety pin to attach. To make a wreath, use needle and thread to and make a small knot in the center to hold the flower together, leaving long ends. Tie the ends around your wreath form to attach the flowers.

Fourth of July Crafts

Another party trick is to set up a drink station in a kids wagon or wheel barrow. Be sure to attach a bottle opener on a string and lay a towel on the side to wipe off the cold drinks. Also, show that you can be green on red, white, and blue day with a bucket set up for recycling.

Fourth of July Crafts

Paper stars look spectacular tucked into the spokes of a bike. Use an online template to trace and cut them out of colored cardstock. Tuck into spokes and reinforce the back with clear tape.

Fourth of July Crafts

Put your kids on a crusade for liberty and justice in this "no-sew" cape and mask. You'll need a yard of blue fabric (cottons and linens work great), some liquid seam sealant like Fray Check, a 1/4 yard of red fabric, some fusible tape like Stitch Witch, a measuring tape, a safety pin, 1 sheet of colored cardstock and twine.

Fourth of July Crafts

Cape directions:
1. Measure your child from shoulder to knees. This is the length of your cape.
2. Fold blue fabric in half on the bias. Trace a basic cape pattern like the one above, using the shoulder to knee measurement as the length, and 10" for the width. Cut the cape out and use the liquid seam sealant on the edges to reduce fraying.
3. Print out an online star template to desired size and use to cut a star out of the red fabric.
4. Use the fusible tape to attach the star to the back of the cape. Safety pin the cape on to child.
5. Download . Trace and cut the mask out of the cardstock. Punch two holes on the sides and thread twine through the holes.

Fourth of July Crafts