Quick, Easy and Low-Cost Fourth of July Decorating for Home and Yard
Red, white and blue decorations for the porch, yard and picnic table, made from bandannas, ribbon, cans and dollar store foam.
The best Fourth of July decorations were never the expensive ones. A porch with bandannas on the pillows and a string of paper stars says “cookout here tonight” as well as anything from a party store, and it takes an afternoon and less than $20. Most of the supplies below come from the dollar store or the back of a closet, and the kids can make half of them.
On the porch and front door
Bandanna pillows. Wrap a red, white or blue bandanna around each throw pillow and knot it in the back. It takes 30 seconds a pillow, works indoors or on the porch, and comes off clean on July 5.
Ribbon everything. A few rolls of red, white and blue ribbon go a long way. Tie bows on the door wreath, wrap the porch railing, and hang ribbon streamers from the back of each patio chair so they flutter in the breeze.
Layered foam stars. Cut stars from red, white and blue craft foam in three sizes, then glue a medium star on a large one and a small star on top. Punch a hole, add string, and hang them from porch overhangs, trees and the mailbox. This is the project to hand to the kids with a stack of foam and safety scissors.
Flag windows. Print a sheet of small flags, or have the kids color them, and tape them edge to edge inside a front window, facing out. From the street it looks like a patchwork quilt of flags.
In the yard
String white holiday lights through the trees and along the deck railing for a firework feel after dark. They are already in the attic from December, so this one is free.
Make tin can lanterns from clean soup cans. Fill each with water and freeze it solid (the ice keeps the metal from bending), then tap holes in a star pattern with a hammer and a nail. Once the ice melts, spray paint the cans, add a battery tea light and set them along the steps. Adults should handle the hammering and the paint.
Paint old clay flowerpots red, white and blue and plant them with petunias or geraniums in matching colors. They keep looking good all summer.
On the picnic table
A table of red, white and blue does not need themed plates:
- Cover it with a plain white sheet or a cheap plastic cloth, then run a strip of blue fabric or a folded bandanna down the center as a runner.
- Cover coffee cans or tall oatmeal containers with patriotic paper or leftover wrapping paper and use them to hold utensils, napkins and condiments.
- Fill mason jars with layers of red, white and blue candy, or with blueberries, strawberries and marshmallows guests can eat.
- Tie up paper napkins with ribbon or kitchen twine and tuck in a small paper flag.
Food can do the decorating too. A sheet cake topped with rows of strawberries and a corner square of blueberries looks like a flag and costs less than a bakery cake. Strawberries dipped in white chocolate and then blue sprinkles are a quick kids’ job. The budget recipes collection has more cookout sides that feed a crowd cheaply.
Keep picnic food safe in the heat. USDA guidance is that perishable food should not sit out more than two hours, or more than one hour when it is above 90°F, so set out cold dishes on ice and refill them in small batches. The FoodSafety.gov site covers grilling temperatures too.
Paper bunting the kids can make
Cut paper grocery bags or construction paper into triangles, paint or color them in red, white and blue, and punch two holes at the top of each. Thread them onto string or yarn, spacing them a few inches apart. One bag makes a surprising number of flags, and a long run of homemade bunting across the porch looks cheerful from the street. It also gives young kids something to do while the grill heats up.
Make it a family project
Decorating together is half the fun, and it keeps kids busy in the slow hours before the cookout. Set up a craft station on the patio with a plastic tablecloth, glue sticks, safety scissors, crayons and a stack of red, white and blue paper. Younger kids can color flags and cut paper strips for paper chains. Older kids can handle the foam stars, bunting and painting flowerpots. A paper chain long enough to wrap the porch railing takes one afternoon and a few sheets of construction paper.
Give each child one job they own for the day, like hanging the stars or setting the table with the ribbon-tied napkins. They will point it out to every guest who comes up the steps, and the decorations stop being a chore on your list. Save a few of the best pieces each year, with the child’s name and age written on the back, and the July bin slowly becomes a keepsake box as well.
Costs at a glance
| Project | Supplies | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bandanna pillows | 4 bandannas | $4 |
| Ribbon streamers and bows | 3 rolls of ribbon | $3 |
| Layered foam stars | Craft foam sheets, string | $3 to $5 |
| Tin can lanterns | Cans, spray paint, tea lights | $5 to $8 |
| Paper bunting | Grocery bags, paint, yarn | Free to $2 |
Save it for next year
When the holiday is over, pack the bandannas, stars, bunting and lanterns in one bin labeled “July.” Next summer, decorating takes 20 minutes. For more ways to celebrate on a budget, see how to have fun on a budget and the frugal family tips hub.
If the fireworks show in your town is on a hill or a ballfield, bring a blanket, a thermos of lemonade and the leftover foam stars for the kids to hold. It is the cheapest front row seat around.
Questions, answered
What are cheap Fourth of July decorations?
Bandannas, ribbon, craft foam, paper and white string lights cover most of it, and all are sold at dollar stores. Wrap pillows in bandannas, tie ribbon on chairs and the door wreath, cut layered foam stars and fill mason jars with red, white and blue items for the table.
How do you decorate for the Fourth of July without buying new things?
Use what is already in the house. Group red, white and blue items you own, like dish towels, enamelware, flowerpots and throw blankets. Tie up napkins with kitchen twine, reuse white holiday lights outside, and let the kids paint stars on old paper grocery bags for bunting.
How long can picnic food sit out on the Fourth of July?
USDA guidance says perishable food should not sit out for more than two hours, or more than one hour when it is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep cold dishes on ice, put leftovers in the fridge promptly and bring hot food out in smaller batches.