|
4th of July Independence Day Decorations
by Sonya Weiss
I like to decorate for most occasions even if my husband and children are the only ones present. I read a story years ago about a woman who always served guests using her best dishes and the most expensive decorations. She surrounded herself with expensive things her husband and children were never allowed to use.
I remember thinking then how sad it is that we often forget our immediate family-those we live with on a day to day basis- the most important people of all.
To celebrate the upcoming Independence Day, I start with a tablecloth--I collect them in a variety of fabrics, though I have found myself drawn to mainly two materials-cotton and linen. Since I often like to stencil tablecloths, I've found that fabric paints work best with those two materials.
For July 4th, I like a plain blue tablecloth with a hem of stenciled white stars. For decorations, I place mini flags across white plates. Attached to each flag is a small card with a quote or message for that person.
Blue ceramic bowls with heads of floating red or white flowers such as roses or daisies make attractive sidebar decorations.
My favorite decoration is a simple ice centerpiece. You'll need two bowls, one medium, one small. Stack them together-smaller into the larger-and in the space between the bowls, add water and float tiny rubber or foam stars of different colors. You can also add thin ribbon streamers. When the ice is frozen, remove the bowls and you'll have a lovely ice centerpiece for your table. Be sure and sit the ice centerpiece on a large glass plate or in a large glass bowl when it's done so that as it melts, you won't have a mess.
Happy Decorating!
| 
