DIY 4th of July: Quick and Easy Decorations

Tomorrow, our United States readers will be celebrating Independence Day with fireworks, barbecue and everything red white and blue. In preparation, we've put together a couple of super-easy, last-minute decorations you can whip up in time for tomorrow's events. Grab yourself a couple mason jars, some colored paper, buttons and a few other supplies and follow our simple instructions for a festive addition to your picnic table or mantle.

To make the cute garland shown above, we used an extra large star punch (Fiskars) to cut a variety of stars from red and blue cardstock paper and white paper doilies. Then, after punching a pair of 1/8-inch holes in each star, we used a large tapestry needle threaded with a length of cherry Divine Twine to string on each star. Easy does it!

The tie-on decoration shown on the large, button-filled jar above was made using cardstock, buttons and cupcake liners. Here's how:

1. First, punch one star each from red and blue cardstock. Place the blue star on top of the red star, top them with a large red and small white button, and stitch all layers together with a short length of aqua Divine Twine.
2. Punch a scalloped-edge circle from silver glittered cardstock (we used an extra large punch from Fiskars). Then, use a 3D foam sticker to attach your star topper to a scalloped-edge circle of silver glittered cardstock.
3. Fold each of five blue cupcake liners in half and in half again with ride sides out. (Our blue polka dot cupcake liners are by Cath Kidston.) Glue each of these to the back of the glitter scallop-edged circle so that they fan out from the center back. When all have been attached, use a pair of deckle-edge scissors to trim around the circumference of the cupcake liner rosette so that it extends from behind glitter circle by about 1/2-inch.
4. Glue a length of red rickrack to back of entire topper to finish. Tie around a jar, bottle or vase for display. (Alternatively, you could back the topper with a pinback to make a festive brooch!)

To make these silver star picks, we simply punched star shapes from glittered cardstock and glued them onto top of striped straws. For the red star picks, glue white buttons to the center of a cardstock star; then, glue to the end of a silver pipe cleaner which has been curled by being wound around a pen or paintbrush. Trim your star picks to varying lengths and display in jars of buttons or old soda bottles.

For more creative summertime crafts and entertaining ideas, check out the latest issue of Stitch Craft Create magazine! It's available now on newsstands at most major craft and bookstores, or you can find it in our online store right here.

P.S. Be sure to tune into TLC's new show Craft Wars tonight at 10/9 Central, and tweet along with us at @SCCmag under hashtag #CRAFTWARS for a chance to win some fun crafty prizes!

Shannon Miller is the editor of Stitch Craft Create magazine. Having previously worked as art director for Sew Beautiful magazine and with a love of all things crafty and creative, she feels blessed to work in such an inspiring environment every day. She admits to having a problem with coffee, an exploding stash of fat quarters, a strong dislike for cleaning, an addiction to reading blogs and an overwhelming affection for naps. Shannon lives in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband Nathan and their one-year-old daughter Georgia Mae and newborn son Ryland.