A Red, White, & Blue Polka Dotted Breakfast Celebration

I am excited to finally be able to share the 4th of July Breakfast Celebration that I created to inspire you for the upcoming holiday. I wanted to create something that was patriotic, fun, budget friendly, and easy to re-create. Since breakfast is a favorite in our house, I decided to design a 4th of July Breakfast Celebration. After all, what better way to start your July 4th celebrations than with a fun and patriotic breakfast with your family!

I created this Red, White, and Blue Polka Dotted Breakfast table by using items that I already had at home (small blue-rimmed plates, white milk glasses, red ribbon, red and white striped napkins, blue polka dotted fabric, a white and blue striped pitcher) and some inexpensive extras (white and blue striped straws, marching children cupcake wrappers, fun candles, gumballs). Then I dressed up some of my kids favorite breakfast foods with a little red, white, and blue flair to turn them into the stars of this patriotic breakfast party.

To liven-up our outdoor table, I used blue and white polka dot fabric that I already had (from my son’s pirate themed party last fall) to make place mats and beverage towels. For a fun table centerpiece, I filled a glass apothecary jar with red, white, and blue gumballs. So inexpensive and super easy! I used small canning jars dressed up with star wire garland (bought at my local craft store for $1.49) for vases at each place setting and used freshly cut hydrangeas from my garden to dress up the table.

The breakfast menu featured homemade blueberry muffins with a dollop of whipped cream on top, cinnamon buns sprinkled with red, white, and blue, a patriotic fruit and yogurt parfait, mini waffles, and fresh fruit. I added candles to the muffins and cinnamon buns for a little something “extra” that reflected the spirit of the 4th!

My two youngest are still not ready to handle the traditional 4th of July sparklers so I created these kid-friendly "sparklers" for the kids to play with and enjoy. They are extremely easy to re-create and very budget friendly. Wouldn't they be cute as party favors?! Check out the DIY tutorial, here.

  

And lastly, I set up a decorative metal flag that we already had in our home to serve as a photo backdrop for the celebration. You could re-create this by using an actual American flag or by simply providing small flags for your guests to hold while they have their photo taken. My two youngest cuties thought that this part was so much fun and I will cherish this photo for many years to come.

Feeling inspired to create your own July 4th shindig now? I hope so!

A special thank you to Kerri Gibbs of With Love Photography and Design for taking all of the amazing photos! Kerri was great to work with and made this celebration set-up really shine. Thank you, Kerri!

Vendor Information:

- Design, set-up, tablescape, baked goods, DIY Sparklers - Sheek Shindigs

- Photography by With Love Photography and Design

- Cupcake wrappers, candles, and wooden cutlery – Sheek Shindigs Party Shop

Featured: A Patriotic 4th of July Breakfast

I am so excited to have the 4th of July Breakfast celebration that I recently designed featured over at The Tomkat Studio today! Thrilled!! Stop by, here,  and check it out when you get a chance. And, stay tuned for more pictures and details in the coming days.

Photo taken by With Love Photography and Design

{DIY} July 4th Kid-friendly "Sparklers"

Last weekend I designed a fun and budget friendly July 4th celebration which I will be sharing with you in the next few days. In the meantime, I thought that I would share a DIY tutorial for some kid-friendly "sparklers" that I created for the celebration. Since my two youngest are still not quite ready to handle sparklers (or at least I am not ready for them to!) I thought that I would create something that would be fun and SAFE for them to have in hand during our July 4th festivities this year. These are what I came up with:  July 4th "Sparklers"!

Pretty cute, right? My kids were excited to run around, waving them in the air and the 4th isn't even here yet! These July 4th "Sparklers" are extremely easy to re-create and a handful can be made for less than $10! Here's what you need to get started:

Supplies:

- Wooden dial rods (1 for each sparkler that you want to create)

- Patriotic wire garland ( I purchased mine for $1.49 at my local craft store)

- Decorative ribbon of your choice

- Hot glue gun

Directions:

1. Glue one end of ribbon to one end of the dial rod. Wrap ribbon around the entire length of the rod and glue the finishing end in place. Cut off excess ribbon.

2. Cut 5 strips of wire garland, each measuring about 7 inches long. Hot glue one end of each piece of garland to the top portion of your rod, trying to space them around the rod evenly.

3. Play around with garland pieces to make them resemble a fiery sparkler. I twisted some of my pieces around my finger for a spiral effect. Next, pass the "sparklers" out, sit back, relax, and enjoy the 4th!

4th of July Favor and Decoration Ideas

There is less than 1 week left to finish planning your July 4th celebration. Are you ready? Here are a few fun ideas from Martha Stewart to help you out:

Whether taking part in your town parade or just cruising the neighborhood, your kids are sure to have the most patriotic ride around with these festive clip-art medallions, spoke covers, pennants, and labels. Click here to download the free clip-art.

Every great holiday celebration should end with a fabulous take-home treat, like these Candy Bag Flag Favors . I love this idea! To create, start by partially filling a 2-by-10-inch cellophane bag with blue candies to stand in for stars. Then add red and white candy sticks to mimic stripes. Tie the bag with red waxed twine and be prepared to thrill the crowd.

Festive Star Medallions will add sparkle to any celebration.

These Rocket Favors are sure to get everyone in a celebrating mood! For directions on how to make these, click here.

Patriotic Dessert Ideas

Need some Patriotic Dessert Ideas to help inspire you as you gear up to celebrate the 4th? Not only are these super cute, but they require very little prep time, allowing you more freedom to enjoy the festivities along with everyone else. Here are a few of my favorites. Dessert doesn't get much easier than this!

Patriotic Berry Medley: Everyone loves a little berries and cream! Gather some of your favorite glasses or dessert dishes and layer fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and blueberries to create this light layered dessert.

{Image: Supernatural Botanicals}

Spangled Sandwich Pops:  To create these Spangled Sandwich Pops, simply skewer a mini ice-cream sandwich onto a popsicle stick and adorn with patriotic sprinkles. Place in a colorful cupcake liner and sit back and relax!

{Image: Family Fun}

Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles: Yum! These Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles from Bakers Royale will satisfy young and old alike. The only ingredients that you will need are strawberries, vanilla oreos, and yogurt. Visit Bakers Royale, here, for the recipe and instructions.

{Image: Bakers Royale}

Watermelon Pop Stars: Watermelon is a summer-time staple (at least it is in our house). Why not make it the star of your July 4th celebration? To create these yummy pops, use a cookie cutter to cut star-shaped pieces of watermelon from 1-inch slices. Place star on a popsicle stick and lay onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Cover with foil and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

{Image: Family Fun}

 What are you serving on the 4th?