Creating the Perfect 4th of July Decor for a Backyard Barbecue

If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to create the perfect 4th of July decor, look no further. Get ready to fire up the grill and get your party on!

It’s that time of year again: time to break out the red, white, and blue decorations and host a backyard barbecue! I’ve put together a few 4th of July decor ideas that will help turn your party into a patriotic celebration.

This post is sponsored by JOANN. It may contain affiliate links but all words, reviews, and opinions are mine.

I am so excited about the decor and fabrics I found at JOANN for my 4th of July decor. I know there is no red, but I love gold, navy and white! And wait until you see the fabric with the names of the fifty states!

I am planning on having a fun and active barbecue for the 4th of July so I thought it made sense to set our “table” at the bar in our outdoor kitchen. I am going to serve “garden to grill” and will start with barbecued artichokes and tomato slices. Dinner will include grilled flatbreads, grilled salmon with peach and corn salsa and grilled vegetables. If I am going to be grilling all day I am going to keep my family nearby for entertainment. I absolutely love this setting for a barbecue dinner.

All of the decor and fabrics are from JOANN. I purchased the Camp Ann Large and small Metal buckets and filled them with assorted faux flowers. How cute are these buckets!

There was a very large assortment of 4th of July fabrics at JOANN, I selected these three fabrics. I love the fifty states fabric. The pom pom trim is smaller in size and I am so excited to use the trim for my napkins. 

I made the napkins from the fabrics and trim. I also made the placemats from cotton rope cording and used a bit of the fabric as a highlight. The jars and Indigo Mist blue glass fillers are also from JOANN. My DIY’s are listed below.

I also found some denim pillows which will make these not so comfy chairs very comfortable! I bought the Camp Ann textured pillows and the Camp Ann Linen Blue pillows.

Pom Pom Napkins

What You Will Need to Make Four Napkins

1 1/3 yards of cotton fabric (43″ – 45″ wide) – You can find the Patriotic cotton fabric with the state names here.

Six yards of small sized pom pom trim 

Thread and a sewing machine

How to Make the Pom Pom Napkins

1. If you are using 45″ fabric, rip the cotton fabric to get a straight line. Measure a strip of fabric that is 21.5″ wide. Tear it and tear again to make a 21.5″ square. Prepare four squares.

2. With a hot iron, fold over 1/4″ and fold over again. Iron until flat and secure.

Place the trim under the folded edge of the napkin and sew next to the edge.

When you reach the corner, fold the trim loosely around the corner and sew accordingly.

These napkins were not difficult to make. I decided to try my efforts at making rope cording placemats. 

I can’t believe how great they turned out!

How to Make Rope Cording Placemats

I purchased this rope cording at JOANN. They also have larger quantities online.  

What You Need to Make Cotton Cording Placemats

Cotton cording – about 20 yards per placemat

1″ wide strips of torn fabric

Thread and sewing machine

Start the placemat by winding the cord in a 1 1/2″ circle. Use straight pins to secure and sew across, using a zig zag stitch. Sew from 12:00 to 6:00 and from 3:00 to 9:00. Go back and zig zag between the edges of cording.

Continue wrapping the cording around the circle and securing with a zig zag stitch.

The best way to keep your stitches centered is to always keep the center of the pressure foot in line with where the edges of the cording meet up. It’s really easy and you can sew pretty fast if you follow that tip. Keep sewing around and around.

It is easy to add the fabric, take a 1″ torn strip of fabric and wrap it around the cording, then resume sewing as before.

Once you have reached the desired size, tuck the edge under and zig zag back and forth a few times. That’s all it takes to make one of these awesome placemats.

I do suggest that your finished edges are cording and not fabric.

For my table setting, I used some vintage transferware plates and my Rae Dunn patriotic plates. I love to combine my sterling silver and silver plate, even for a backyard barbecue.

I hope I have inspired you to create a fun setting for your 4th of July dinner. Don’t forget you can find everything you need at JOANN.

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