Apple pie, the 4th of July, fireworks in the sky, and porches all go together! What better way to celebrate than decorating and entertaining on your porch during this festive day! With a little planning you can have the best porch in the neighborhood. Here are a few things you can do to make it “explode” like fireworks.
- Start with Old Glory. Just make sure she doesn’t touch the ground or shrubs and that she is illuminated from dusk to dawn. Don’t have a flag holder? You can hang our flag vertically from your porch (make sure the stars are to the viewer’s left). Have a screened porch, 3-season, or four season porch? Hang the flag on a wall to create just the right look for this special day.
- Attach patriotic bunting to your porch’s hand rail. Let the kids help blow up and hang red, white, and blue balloons!
- Plant red, white, and blue flowering plants in front of your porch. You can even arrange them in the shape and colors of the flag! Or, use the same color plantings in hanging baskets. For red flowers try zinnias, petunias, salvias, begonias and geraniums. For white flowers, we suggest white petunias, white vinca or white impatiens. For blue flowers, purplish-blue petunias, blue lobelias, blue salvias and bluebells will do.
- Have plants in pots on your porch or steps? Why not paint the pots in patriotic colors as well. You can purchase paint made for plastic at your local building or hardware store. It makes a great kid’s project too!
- Don’t forget the lights! Decorate your porch with patriotic light sets. You can hang them around the top of your porch or across the balusters. You can even hang a decorative “flag light” on your porch as well.
- Make a patriotic door wreath. It can be very simple. Use a grape vine wreath and hot glue patriotic stars, flags, buttons, and ribbons on it. Don’t forget the porch chair cushions. You can make covers in red, white, and blue. Make an overlapping opening in the back so the pillow covers will slip off easily and save them for the next patriotic holiday.
- For porch table decorations paint small to medium sized baskets and use them to store cups, napkins, and silverware. Hot glue patriotic trinkets on the sides and they also make great house-warming gifts!
- What’s the 4th without a party? Have the kids fill red, white, and blue balloons with water. Either plan a water balloon battle or use them to play a yard game. Place buckets some distance apart, divide into teams, and see who can get the most balloons in the buckets. Use a point system to keep score (red-1, blue-2, and white-3).
- Gotta have food! Have your guests bring food by color. For red foods, have some bring cherry tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, radishes, bing cherries, apple slices, red pepper strips, and red grapes. Those bringing white foods might be tempted with macadamia nuts, white cannellini beans, white bread cubes, Swiss cheese, popcorn and white chocolate. For blue food providers try blueberries, blue plums and blue corn chips. You get the idea!
Memories are made on your front porch. This 4th of July, let your porch sizzle with fun!
