I grew up loving Stars and Stripes and all things Americana. Being born on Memorial Day, my mom always went over the top with a stars and stripes theme to celebrate my birthday and it's come to be one of my favorite memories of summertime as a kid. Now that I'm a mom myself I wanted to share some of the magic of those Americana memories with Kett and craft up something fun for our summer celebrations. My husband is a bit of a backyard BBQ master so I set my sights on creating the perfect summertime table decor using Ball Jars!
I found everything I needed to make some festive Fourth of July magic at my local Michael's Store! I loved the Large Ball Jars and the Half Pint Ball Jars - this Ball® Vintage Jars are a replica of a 100-year-old design available only at Michael's, how cool is that?
I also grabbed Art Minds Acrylic Paint in red and blue, Sugar n Cream Cotton Yarns in red, white and bue, hot glue sticks, Rit Fabric Dye in scarlet and royal blue, Modge Podge, Foam brushes and Celebrate it Tissue Paper in Red and Blue Polka Dots. Michaels is a one stop shop for all the crafting supplies you need and you can even take advantage of their incredible everyday coupons, making crafting all your ideas even more affordable! Visit link here to their exceptional coupon page!
For my first project I wanted to create tea light candle holders that are not only beautiful in the day time but add a little flickering magic to the backyard as the sun goes down. For this project I used the Large Ball Jars, tissue paper, and Modge Podge! I started out by drawing stars on the tissue paper using a red colored pencil and then cut them out - making different sizes for a little variety. Using a brush I applied a layer of Modge Podge to the inside of the jars and attached the stars polka dot side out, I then applied a second layer of Modge Podge to the inside of the jar, covering the stars. Modge Podge dries clear so it's awesome to use as an adhesive when crafting! After allowing the jars to dry for a few hours I just added a tea light candle to each jar and voila! An adorable addition to your summertime table!
I also wanted to make some cute, patriotic utensil holders for our backyard BBQs! Using a Large Ball Jar, glue gun + hot glue sticks, and paint, these adorable utensil holders are so versatile and definitely add a little wow-factor to our celebrations! Using the hot glue gun, I drew stars and stripes and hand-lettered the words "stars" and "stripes" onto the jars, giving them a really cool embossed look. When the glue was dry I painted the entire jar with the red and blue paint. The final result is an adorably festive utensil holder perfect for Fourth of July celebrations! You could even use this idea to create party favors drawing on names or different designs - the possibilities are endless!
These adorable straw holders were my final decor project! Using yarn and Rit Dye I created dip-dyed tassels to hang around the large jars. This simple projects adds just the right amount of festive flair!
Look at all the fun ways I displayed the jar crafts! They add such a fun touch to our summertime festivities! (Ten points if you can spot Kett running around the backyard!)
Ball Jars aren't just for crafting cute decor! I also used the Half-Pint jars to create the cutest dessert parfaits! These are such a simple, delicious, and patriotic dessert that anyone can make - plus, they're healthy! Just line the bottom of the jar with sliced strawberries, add a layer of greek yogurt, then a layer of granola, and top with blueberries! Having them out on the table really gives off those patriotic vibes (and has everyone's mouths watering!) Kett couldn't wait to get his hands on one!
I mean, you can't put blueberries out with this blueberry monster around!
I hope you enjoyed crafting with me, @michaelsstores, and @ballcanning and got some inspiration for your own summer shindigs! If you have any questions or need help crafting up your own creations feel free to drop a comment below, I'd love to help you #Makeitwithmichaels and #CraftwithBall