Photography by Amanda North Photography

Omg!!  I can't believe July is almost here and it's time to be thinking about how we want to celebrate our Independence Day.

 Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays and I cannot wait to share with you this beautiful 4th of July picnic that I styled  to get you inspired and ready for a fun and creative celebration!

To tell you more about how I styled it, I invited my friend Casey Pontrelli to write about all the details. Casey is a freelance writer and content strategist. 

Let's take a look!

This year, Carolina really wants to focus on something enduring to get everyone in the patriotic spirit. So, let’s talk decor, because we all know how ambiance can make or break a celebration. Here I outline just a few of the design choices Carolina has already put together in anticipation for this year’s festivities. 

As one of the most popular things her clients ask her to style, we went straight to the dessert table! Her idea here is bright, fun, and very sweet. Vintage party styling works well with the bold red, white, and blue colors. It’s definitely something you could replicate at home for your own party.

For example, you can breathe new life into a simple wooden table by using vibrant colors, such as the raspberry-red plate (seen below) that holds a bright pop of blue macarons.

Rather than arranging sweets like cupcakes or brownies on a platter, why not place a selection on a box decorated in some textured fabric? This continues the theme of mixing natural wood and bright elements. The cupcakes can even gain some extra sparkle, thanks to some blue cake toppers that look like tiny fireworks. 

If you have a cake, or even some blueberries and strawberries, make this the main attraction by adding some height. Here, this was done using blue and red antique books, but you could totally use an upturned wooden crate. Complete your confection with a white stand and red ribbon trim to perfectly accent the red, white, and blue iced cake (or berries and whip cream).

Draw the eye up as well by hanging several banners overhead using two posts, some string, and triangles cut out of gorgeous red, white, and blue fabrics. There’s no need to match color tones or patterns here because the variations will really help bring together the overall design and retro feel of the decor.

For a vintage yet one-of-a-kind take on the traditional picnic lunch, offer guests boxes full of sandwiches, chips, and fruit. Again, use boxes that are a simple, Kraft color but add depth with some paper and twine around each one. Use a little tag to let everyone know lunch is served! Display these in a repurposed basket you probably already have, but make it new by finding some picnic-themed fabric to tie around it. 

Children can escape the bright sun under a charming shelter made of small planks of wood and bright, breathable fabric. Lay a picnic blanket on the ground with a cushion or pillow to give them their own place to relax or play.

To add a rustic touch to the shelter, and light up the area after the fireworks are over, add a lantern to the beams. Kids will love the idea of camping under the stars!

An old but chic set of shelves is the perfect way to display more drinks and snacks.

We all know how trendy Mason jars can look, and the feeling of nostalgia really comes together here! It’s like looking into your grandma’s pantry and finding all those delicious canned goods. Give everyone their own unique jar by covering these in fabric with blue stars on top.

French fry cups with white stars are a unique way to serve popcorn, but they could also be used for chips, apple slices, or carrot sticks.

More retro items included glass bottles of Coke. These can be displayed in a repurposed wooden pallet under the dessert table to keep them out of the sun. Place it on an antique suitcase to keep it off the ground and add more elements of times past. Use neat metal washing basins stacked on top of each other to store a few bottles on ice. You can even use some hessian material around the tub and blue fabric over that to help tie it into the overall theme.

The dessert table and accompanying decor will look super adorable, and it will be a great way to bring family and friends together to relax, have fun, and enjoy the fireworks at the end of the warm day.

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Happy Fourth of July!

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