Celebrating a Stars and Stripes Birthday

Do you have a birthday to celebrate around the same time as the 4th of July? Wondering how you will convince friends and family to come to a birthday on a big holiday weekend?.

Why not combine the two celebrations and throw a Stars and Stripes themed birthday party?! It is much easier than you think with these simple tips.

The easiest way to tie your theme together is by using the same color scheme throughout all aspects of the party. Stick to red, white and blue in your decorations, food choices and even the tablecloth, papergoods and utensils.

Cut out lots of star shapes from construction paper and sprinkle them on the table or affix them to planters or vases as decorative pieces. Incorporate star candy on cupcakes or a star pattern on cupcake liners. Cut out giant outlines of stars and dangle them from the indoor ceiling, or suspend from an outdoor trellis or fencing.

Since the party is around the 4th of July holiday, stores are stocked with mini stars and stripes flags on toothpicks. This is perfect for dressing up all your dishes and desserts. If you have the time to make handmade invites, all you will need is colored paper, star stickers and glue on a mini flag or two. Use any extras as decorations.

Choose traditional backyard party foods, with a healthy dose in the red, white and blue color scheme. Fresh blueberries, watermelon, and strawberries work well for the fruit. Serve hotdogs and hamburgers with sides of mashed potatoes, cole slaw and chips. Don’t forget to stick mini flag toothpicks into as many dishes as you can!

When it is so hot out, your guests are going to want a nice cold drink to cool them down. Stock up on blue jello packs, red juices, and soda water. There are so many fun ways to add the cool factor to your holiday beverages. Use a variety of cups – red Solo plastic cups, mason jars, short and tall glasses. Layer the drink colors to create a neat effect. Prior to the party, make trays of red and white ice cubes. Dip the glass rim in colorful sprinkles. Finish the drink off with a striped blue and white straw.