5 Creative Ways To Decorate For Your 4th Of July BBQs This Summer

The history of barbecuing predates Colonial America, originating with prehistoric ancestors who cooked food over open fires. Such gatherings have become commonplace and synonymous with summertime celebrations in the U.S. In fact, barbecues as a Fourth of July tradition date as far back as the early 1800s. Over time, Americans have put more and more thought into the day's theme and often treat it like any other important party by putting up decorations.

From color-coordinated table settings and themed banners to patriotic food arrangements and drinks, there are tons of pre-made and DIY decor ideas that will make your Fourth of July barbecue as festive as possible. You can even get your guests to blend in with the decor by wearing star-spangled attire. Since waiting to plan for such a celebration is one of the mistakes to avoid when hosting a summer barbecue, we have some decorating tips to help you get started.

Having a theme is one of Martha Stewart's many hosting tips for making a party successful, and no Independence Day barbecue is complete without themed dinnerware. For instance, this patriotic tableware set from Jhfinely that you can buy on Amazon has all of the plates, napkins, and forks that you'll need for a party of 24 people. Why not get classic red and blue Solo cups to complete the setting?

If you're short on time, just throw down your tablecloth with a few color-coordinated centerpieces and neatly display your plates, utensils, and napkins on a separate table near the food so that your guests can easily serve themselves. You don't have to set your dinner party table like a pro for a laid-back summertime barbecue (though it's certainly an option if you want to elevate things further).

Speaking of centerpieces, you can get creative by dyeing rice red and blue, then layering the colors with plain white rice in clear mason jars or tall votive candle holders. All you need is a large, sealable bag with a few drops of rubbing alcohol and food coloring. Just mix the ingredients in the bag until the rice is covered, and allow it to dry on a lined baking sheet. After layering the different colors of rice, pop a tea light candle or an American flag decoration on top.

If you really want to grab your guests' attention with fun Fourth of July decor, tons of banners, garlands, streamers, and hanging paper fans are available in various festive designs for the holiday. This set of decorations from Byrita includes a little bit of everything, and you can get an assortment of balloons — like this one from PERPAOL — to go with it.

While purchasing decorations for your barbecue is a time-saver, DIY options allow you to incorporate personal creativity. You can make a garland-like banner by stenciling letters onto burlap pennants and hot gluing them to dollar-store bandanas cut into slightly larger triangles. Then, secure the pennants to some jute rope or twine, and tie some cut-up fabric and ribbons between each one.

Another DIY option is to simply tie some strips of patriotic mesh and tablecloth onto a string of lights to create a light-up strand of garland. You can add some tiny fake flowers, too, for varied texture.

When you first think about decorating for a Fourth of July barbecue, table settings, banners, and other items might come to mind first. However, your food can also be part of the decor. A charcuterie board, for instance, can be arranged with red and blue fruits grouped together on each side and white cheeses with crackers together in the center. You can add some pepperoni and similarly colored meats to the red side, too.

For burgers, making colorful buns is a vibrant way to liven up your Fourth of July party. Simply add some food coloring to your favorite dough recipe. Another colorful option is egg decorating, which doesn't have to be restricted to Easter. Consider decorating hard-boiled eggs in patriotic designs and placing them in a glass bowl for decoration — at least until your guests peel them open. The Eggmazing Egg Decorator from "Shark Tank" makes it easy, and the spring green kit, available on Amazon, comes with blue and red markers.

There are even more ways to turn desserts into decor for your barbecue. One is to decorate a sheet cake to look like the American flag. Instead of using just icing for the decoration, fruits are an underrated cake topper that not only look cute but also give your dessert a sweet, tangy edge. You can use raspberries or strawberries for the red stripes, blueberries for the blue section of the flag, and vanilla icing for the white stripes and stars.

To complete your barbecue's Fourth of July theme, some colorfully-layered drinks will do the trick. A patriotic punch with cranberry juice, a blue sports drink, and 7Up is something that everyone at your event can enjoy (though you might want to offer low-sugar options to accommodate different diets).

Fill a glass about ⅓ of the way with crushed ice and cranberry juice. Then, add a second layer of crushed ice before slowly pouring in the sports drink, and add a third layer by slowly pouring the 7Up on top. The crushed ice helps keep the different colors from mixing together for the desired layered effect.

You can even add your favorite spirit for adults who want to imbibe during the celebration, or you can make a red, white, and blueberry cocktail. For those who prefer wine over spirits, all you need is equal parts sparkling and non-sparkling white wine with blueberries, raspberries, and stars cut from apples to make a star-spangled spritzer. The secret to making pro-level cocktail garnishes is a cookie cutter, which is ideal for cutting fruit and even creating stenciled silhouettes on foamy cocktails. To top off your festive beverages, add themed straws to the non-alcoholic drinks and stirrers to the cocktails — such as this set from Patelai, which also comes with star toothpicks.

A lot of people who get into the Independence Day spirit like to dress in star-spangled outfits, or at least a red, white, and blue color scheme. When inviting your guests, let them know that you'd like them to follow through with the theme, too, amping up the overall effect of the holiday decorations. They don't have to wear anything fancy or costume-y; casual T-shirts and shorts will do for a laid-back barbecue.

It's understandable, though, that not everyone has the right clothes on hand or money to spend on items that may only be worn once a year. For those guests who don't arrive wearing Fourth of July attire, keep some party gear on hand in case they want to join in the decor fun.

This DMIGHT party favors set features necklaces, bracelets, and headbands, as well as mustaches and temporary tattoos that kids are sure to love. Some adults may prefer American flag party hats (like these from Fun Express) or miniature cone hats in stars and stripes (like these from Big Dot of Happiness).