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4th of July Craft Ideas

Try these 4th of July craft ideas for decorating your front door and your beautiful porch. The perfect 4th of July celebration begins with decorating your front porch with delightful and patriotic crafts.

It need not break the bank. You can find items around your home, thrift shops, and garage sales to use to embellish your home on this festive holiday. Use our ideas as inspiration!

Photo courtesy of sweetteaandoldaprons.
Barrels, colorful flowers, and flags!

Show Your Colors

Jane, of Mamie Jane's blog, shows us how she used an door and flag to create a unique and beautiful 4th of July decoration idea. It is one of our favorite 4th of July craft ideas!

Jane is an expert at finding treasure inexpensively and then transforming them into something special. She located the oak frame (which is actually a glass door to perhaps a bookcase) and an old flag at thrift stores.

Without any cutting Jane was able to fold and pleat the flag to create the effect you see. The flag pleats are held in place with tape so as not to damage the flag.

Although Jane displays this indoors on her mantel, Mary and I think this would work equally well on your porch! Hang it beside your front door or even above it if you have sufficient space.

You could also create something similar with red, white, and blue fabric - just use your imagination!

Luminaries By The Can

Karen of Crafts-For-All-Seasons shares her Tin Can Luminaries made from recycled soup and vegetable cans - making this another of our favorite 4th of July craft ideas. Mary and I have seen many different kinds of luminaries but we think these would be extra fun to make; even your kids can join in. Imagine them lining your porch steps, sidewalk or driveway.

Karen starts by filling the cans with water and freezes them so the can won't dent when you punch a hole into it with a nail and hammer.

Another method is to use a Dremel tool or drill with a 1/16th or 3/32nds inch bit or smaller to drill holes.

Create a design like a star, fireworks, flag, or other patriotic image.

Transfer the design to a template (or use a star template you can download on Karen's web site).

Place the template on the can and trace around it with a marker.

Punch out the design (or drill out the design) using the lines you drew as the template.

The closer the holes to each other the more defined the image will be.

When the holes are completed, allow the ice to melt (if using that method). Thoroughly dry the cans.

Painting them is easy. Start by spray painting the bottom third with blue spray paint. Ensure your area is well ventilated or paint them outdoors.

After the paint is dry, wrap the painted portion with paper or foil and paint the next third white. After it dries, wrap the painted portions again and paint the top third red. Allow to dry.

Now you are ready to light the fires! Add some sand to each can and insert a tea light candle into each one. Or a battery powered candle. Just be safe!

For more details, a free downloadable star template, and other 4th of July craft ideas be sure to visit Karen's crafty site, Crafts for all Seasons. Our special thanks to Karen for sharing one of her 4th of July craft ideas with us! We like these patriotic tin can luminaries.

Front Porch Flag Display

Even though Denise of FarmHouse Country Style made this patriotic flag holder for indoors, you could also use it on a table on your front porch, at the top of your porch steps, or even secure it to your top railing on your balustrade. We really enjoy Dee's 4th of July craft ideas and believe you will too.

Denise begins by purchasing the required blocks of wood at Michaels and her local home supply store. For her display she purchased the following supplies:

Wood blocks: one 6 inch block, one 3 inch block, a 6 inch square plaque, a 2 inch round plaque, and a plinth block (star shaped)

One round finial

White spray paint

Three 8 inch by 12 inch flags

Six 4 inch by 6 inch flags

Ribbon (optional)

Tools: hammer, drill and bits (sized to the diameters of the flag poles), wood glue

Stack and glue the blocks as shown at right.

When glue has dried, drill a small hole in the center and screw the finial into it.

Then drill a hole into the top of the finial to accept an 8 inch by 12 inch flag.

Drill holes at corners as shown at right. Be sure to drill them at angles to stabilize the display and for aesthetic purposes.

Drill holes on the sides as well as shown below. Paint the display white and attach ribbon if desired.

For more detailed instructions and to see how you can make a folk art flag, be sure to visit Denise's FarmHouse Country Style blog for more 4th of July craft ideas! Thanks Dee, for sharing your project with us.

More 4th of July Decorations

Red, white, blue and gold door decoration: Get three ears of fresh corn with husks and soak them in a gallon of water. Add a splash of chlorine bleach. Pull the husks back and arrange together at the top. Dry the ears of corn and set aside to dry thoroughly.
Wrap a plastic bag over the husks and spray paint the ears of corn in white spray paint primer (or use a brush). Let the ears dry. Then paint them in red, white, and blue. After they dry, wrap plastic over the ears of the corn and spray paint the husks in gold. After completely dry, tie the husks together and hang from your door!

Decorate your door with a homemade 4th of July wreath. Wreaths really make your front door festive. Attach patriotic items like buttons, pins and home-made stars with a hot glue gun to a grapevine wreath. Add a few flags and ribbons and hang on your door.

Other 4th of July craft ideas include making pillow covers for your outdoor furniture like those in the picture below in assorted red, white and blue fabrics. By making a pillow cover that has an overlapping opening in the back, the pillow covers are easy to slip off and save for the next patriotic holiday.

Can't sew? Don't let that slow you down. Use a hot glue gun to seal the seams. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to do and your covers will look great.

Select fabric in bold patterns with blue and add outdoor pillows in red and white solids. You can also add other accents like a red/white/blue rug or perhaps paint a garage sale table or chairs in those same colors.

Photo courtesy of SimplyThisAndThat.
For 4th of July party ideas, fill glass jars or buckets with red, white and blue marbles and add various sized flags. Could be used as centerpieces too.

Purchase small inexpensive baskets and white wash them (thin white paint with water). Draw star shapes on foam plates and paint them red and blue (or purchase foam in colors).

Let the shapes dry, cut them out, and hot glue them to the rim of the basket. Use the basket as a napkin holder or silver ware holder or fill with goodies and use it as a house-warming gift you take to the party!

Photo above courtesy of Megapixel Eyes

Our 4th of July craft ideas don't stop here. Be sure to see Susan's 4th of July table decorations - you'll be a little amazed (or a lot!) by how she decorates her screened porch.