Make your own fireworks this Fourth of July. Credit: Martha Stewart Living, July 2010
Although the sale of fireworks is becoming more widespread overall, some areas remain "fireworks-free" zones. In drought-prone states with a significant fire risk, such as California and New Mexico, many counties ban consumer fireworks outright. Some counties in other states, like Virginia, forbid fireworks due to public safety concerns.
Sometimes, the only cherry bomb should be on your party's music playlist. Here are five ideas for a different kind of glittering display.
Create visual starbursts. Pops of color and glimmering decorations can compensate for a dark sky. Think big, with oversized paper lanterns, paper garlands, and streamers. (For instance, Martha Stewart's Web site has recommendations and downloadable clip art for large tissue fans, pictured above; these look terrific when clustered together.) Dust off the white fairy lights from the winter holidays and repurpose them in firework-like sprays. For a retro look, root around on Etsy for vintage bunting and banners.
Replace fireworks with a piñata this July 4th. Credit: Getty Images
Spray glowing graffiti. If your party is for the 12-and-up crowd, tap their inner taggers with a Glow Graffiti kit. The kit includes a UV-reactive sheet and what looks like a spray can. Push the can's nozzle and you'll spray UV light, which glows for about 30 seconds before fading away. For now, the kit is best found online but it will soon be sold at Target.
Unleash a confetti fountain. It may entail extra cleanup, but an explosion of shimmering confetti is a showstopper. Flutterfetti has all sorts of launchers and a lightweight tissue confetti that floats in the air longer than standard confetti. The company's "firecrackler" sticks release snapping pods along with confetti, for a popping sound effect.
Make your dessert sparkle. Glittering dessert toppers will brighten up your table. Tops Malibu makes miniature sparklers safe for putting into cakes or pies; up the ante by choosing the sparklers shaped like stars or the number 4. Martha Stewart's holiday collection for Macy's (in stores only, not online) includes red-and-blue tinsel sprigs for cupcake toppers. Or get crafty with mini paper pinwheels, either your own or the handiwork of an Etsy artisan.
Looking for more party ideas? Check out our suggestions for a retro Fourth of July celebration!
Shoefly,7-03-2010, 12:07AM
Great ideas for those of us in SoCal! Confetti sticks and a pinata, coming right up... that glowing light/paint sounds cool too.
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Taylor,7-04-2010, 10:44AM
I'm sorry but a pinata has nothing to do with the 4th of July. Absolutely nothing at all. The 4th of July is a celebration of America and it's founding and we have very long established traditions for that. If we do not continue to practice them they will be lost.
If each of us celebrate in a manner reflecting our national origins, the traditions we have come to know and love will be lost. Please allow us to maintain these.
jess,7-04-2010, 6:27AM
fireworks are illegal in our state and the towns have no money this year to do the big displays so we are having a big BBQ and got lots of glow and light ups for the kids after dark... not quite the same but they will love it.. found the ideas here for that and other fun family oriented 4th of july party ideas that you can do last minute at Celebration Ideas Online at www.celebrationideasonline.com hope everyone has a fun day - a couple of easy and quick patriotic recipes too
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Virginia,7-04-2010, 8:26AM
Fireworks are spectacular... however they sound like WAR, scare babies and dogs. Plus enormously wasteful with our economy the way it is.
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dennis K,7-04-2010, 9:21AM
Of course fireworks sound like war and that is as it should be. To remind all us all, grown soft and complacent, that this country owes its liberty to the brutality of war. Without war we would probably still be just another complacent British colony. Instead we are the leaders of the FREE world and totally different from all other countries. So many seem to have forgotten that today, wanting “change” that will send us back to the horror that is Cuba, Red China, Stalinist Russia or Pol Pot’s Cambodia. Our freedom was forged with blood, in war, so it’s entirely proper that the sounds of war should make you uneasy, to put the Goosebumps on your arms, stand the hair up on the back of your neck to remind you what that freedom, you take for granted, cost your ancestors. Without their suffering and courage you wouldn’t be able to feel so uncomfortable about war without personally experiencing it.
It might be well to remember the famous quote:
"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag."
r,7-04-2010, 11:01AM
they also pollute the water there shot over, NOT EVERYONE LIKES FIREWORKS
T2x,7-04-2010, 8:49AM
I'm sorry but to me a pinata is not part of American Independence. Why is it that people in this country are trying to change us into another Mexico. I see spanish everywhere I go to shop, but I don't see Germany, Italian, French or even Russian. Just like Cinco de Mayo, we celebrate a battle that happened in Mexico that the mexican's in Mexico don't even celebrate.
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Shannon,7-04-2010, 9:19AM
T2x----I think you are correct why are we changing our traditions? We shouldn't but I do understand the waste of money that fireworks has on local cities. I too think in this time of need it should be put back into the community instead of up in smoke. If you think about Cinco de Mayo in this country it is just another reason for people to go out and get and drink it has nothing to do Mexico. Have a great 4th of July.
Taylor,7-04-2010, 10:32AM
I am really concerned that we are allowing our traditional 4th of July Celebrations fade away and become diluted with so many other things. Cities and towns should still have fireworks displays. They can afford it if they cut back on the waste and all of the silly things they spend their money on. The 4th is important. Maintaining our core traditions is important or we will lose our identity. This holiday is about celebrating America, our history, and who we ALL are. We should celebrate the things that unify us and not celebrate our particular national origins or beliefs. It bothers me to see a pinata being used to celebrate the 4th. Why not also have a Chinese dragon, Greek dancing, and any number of other things? We need to maintain our traditions or we will lose them forever.
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shaista,7-05-2010, 3:01PM
You are right to keep this country straight don't use pinatas. Fireworks our traditional.
exoticdoc2,7-04-2010, 11:02AM
A pinata? Why would you want to use a Mexican celebration device to celebrate America's Independence Day?
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exoticdoc2,7-04-2010, 11:40AM
By the way, for those interested, if you sometimes post comments on Pop Eater (and their related popsugar) or Politics Daily, they will censor what you say, and not just for vulgarities. If the comment is not PC enough and disagrees with what they think, they will not post it. I found it ironic in that the place I tested this idea with popeater was on the article on Muslim censorship, via threats of violence (surprise, surprise), of South Park. So just be aware that Pop Eater is into censorship big time. Two of their favorite protectorates are Muslims and illegal aliens. Politics daily will also follow suit and censor an absolutely true, non-vulgar comment simply because they disagree with it and it is not PC enough. I have been repeatedly testing the popeater and Politics Daily comments section and they also censor any negative comments about themselves, such as this. Apparently they are ashamed of what they are doing and trying to hide it. In soome, popeater was censoring comments while allowing others to use profane vulgarities. How inconsistent. The latest confirmatory test was 7/2/10.
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r,7-04-2010, 11:03AM
Cities and towns should still have fireworks displays. They can afford it if they cut back on the waste and all of the silly things they spend their money on.
Fire work displays are the silly waste there cutting back on, I HATE FIREWORKS
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Taylor,7-04-2010, 4:43PM
We could also save money by not flying the flag and not celebrating Christmas. Want to do that as well? We have to preserve our traditions and heritage. Maybe we should take the money spent on multilingual signs, forms, and processing and devote it to fireworks.
Taylor,7-04-2010, 12:04PM
Fireworks celebrate how our country was founded. They help remind us of the sacrafices of those who fought in the Revolutionary War and all of those who have fought since to keep us free. Even the Star Spangled Banner mentioned "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there". That's what fireworks mean to me. Rememberance and celebration of our freedom and all of those who created it and preserved it. They are necessary to keep people from forgetting. Some of my best memories of this day are of fireworkds, family gatherings, and the community together. Let's keep it going and not deprive current generations of their heritage and traditions.
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Bryan Merritt,7-04-2010, 12:48PM
Banning fireworks is just another loss of our freedoms by liberal legislators we all know that our freedom is now a fleeting thing they want to ban anything that might be fun... Just wait tell they ban sex are they going to neuter us too!!!
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John,7-04-2010, 1:57PM
It is good to see that at least there are still a few patriots amongst us. It is true that we need to maintain this nations tradtions. I find it both sad and ironic that on the very day we celebrate our freedom....the government limits our ability to do so by banning fireworks. It is true that accidents happen, however, more people die on the roads in traffic accidents every year and yet we don't ban cars. An oppressive government is not a government worth having. It makes each of us slaves to the state instead of masters of our own destiny.
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Shoefly,7-28-2010, 11:27AM
A lot of hot feelings here... but please notice the point about a significant fire risk!! As the terrible blazes in CA and elsewhere have shown, having sparks flying around can lead to tragedy. Lives and property lost -- it's not just an eco issue. In these at-risk areas, one firework can cause horrific wildfires. Far better to forgo a tradition and stay safe!
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