Ways to Make Your Summer Awesome

Happy weekend, friends! How was your week? Are your kids out of school yet? My youngest daughter graduates high school in just a few days and I still can’t believe it. The weather has warmed up here finally and I am enjoying the sunshine!! I’m sharing some ways today to create a warm and welcoming summer home as well as some of my favorite summer recipes. I hope you enjoy them!! Ways to Make Your Summer Awesome!

Create a Summer Front Porch

Ways to Make Your Summer Awesome!

One of our favorite things to do is sit on our front porch and watch the neighborhood. So I love decorating or porch, especially for summer! I’m so excited to work on our porch this year and hopefully I can share it with you next week. Here are some ways that I have decorated our porch over the years.

Colorful Summer Succulent Porch

This was one of my very favorite porches that I have ever done. I found the ladder at a thrift store and I added all the succulents from inside my house and put them on our front porch! The succulents loved being outside all summer and I loved sitting on our porch and seeing them. I added a colorful rug and hanging basket with some pink peonies. I think I’m going to get my ladder out and do a version of the sports this year because I loved it so much!

Summer Patriotic Porch

I also enjoy creating a patriotic porch for summer time. In Utah we celebrate the 4th of July but also our state holiday is on July 24th. So when I create a patriotic porch I can keep it up the entire month of July which is nice. For this patriotic porch I used a lot of different size American flags. I found them at the dollar store so it was a very inexpensive way to decorate for the holiday. I also created a very simple basket door hanging with full flowers and flags. A simple red white and blue Banner and some red and white gingham ribbon finish off this pretty patriotic porch!

Patriotic Flag Porch – 6 DIY Projects to Make!

Here’s another idea for a patriotic porch. Using flags is an easy way to create a patriotic porch. I painted a wood sign with red and white stripes and then the top blue and added some wooden stars to create a big flag sign. I also had a great time creating a farmhouse star wreath. You can find out how I created this porch by clicking on the link above!

Summer Flower Pot Porch

Another favorite summer porch idea was this summer Sports I created in my 1905 Cottage. I used a ladder and hung pots from the rungs. Then I took a watering can and filled it with cold flowers and ribbon hung it on my door. I loved the way the white popped against my gray Cottage and my yellow Dutch door. I missed that Cottage it was such a beautiful peaceful Haven.

Summer Recipes to Make

Ways to Make Your Summer Awesome!

‘Summer is the perfect time for outdoor party and dining Alfresco. Here are a few of my very favorite summertime recipes to try. I hope you enjoy them!

Summer Fruit Pizza

Have you ever made a summer fruit pizza? It’s one of my kid’s favorites summer recipes and it’s super easy to make! I have all of the Easy instructions and the link above.

How to Grill Pizzas on the BBQ

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is to create a pizza bar. Everyone chooses their toppings and we put them on the barbecue to grill. They taste amazing and the barbecue gives them a nice crisp crust. I have all the chips and tricks on how to do it on the link above!

15 Delicious Barbecue Recipes

If you’re looking to grow something, be sure to check out these 15 amazing and mouth watering barbecue recipes!

18 Recipes for the Perfect Summer Barbecue

Another amazing post with some really delicious barbecue recipes. Everything from main dishes to side dishes to salads!

Free BBQ Party Banners, Pennants and Food Signs

And lastly, if you’re going to have your friends over for a fun summer barbecue, be sure to print out these free printables. We have everything from large signs that you can put on the front of your home, smaller signs to put above party tables and also food signs so everyone can see all of the delicious recipes that you’ve created!

Welcome Home Saturday

tatertots & jello / Strawberry Shortcake Sliders

She Gave it a Go / A Modern Farmhouse Summer Home Decor Tour

White Arrows Home / Summertime Cottage Decorating

The Tattered Pew / Decorating for Summer with Blues and Greens

Which Idea Do YOU Want to Try First??

Let us know in the comments!

Have a Beautiful Day!

xoxo

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Patriotic Outdoor Decorating

I love decorating for summer with a red white and blue patriotic twist! I’ve shared some ideas for patriotic decor inside:

• Neutral Patriotic Mantel
• Red White and Blue Medallion Mantel
• Simple Patriotic Mantel
• Easy Patriotic Pillows
• July Nautical Prints
• July Decorating with Dollar Items
• Patriotic Basket Wreath

But I also love decorating my OUTDOOR spaces for the Fourth too!

Easy Ways to Decorate OUTSIDE for the Fourth of July

I thought I’d share some simple ways you can decorate your porch or patio for the fourth!

Create a Patriotic Door

Even if you don’t have a porch or patio, you can still greet guests with a patriotic front door!

Add a Patriotic Wreath or Door Hanging

Start with a wreath of door hanging! This adorable door hanging is from my friend Michelle from Teal and Orange Handmade. Michelle makes the most adorable items with felt and wood Be sure to check out her instagram at @tealandorangehandmade and see her shop!

Hang a Pretty Garland

Another way I love to create a festive front door is hanging a pretty garland. I love how this garland uses a lighter shade of blue that looks so great with the bright red.

Include Flags

Flags are the easiest way to add patriotic charm. You can find them at the dollar store so they’re super affordable. I stick them in all of my pots throughout the porch and patio!

Make Patriotic Pillow Covers

Pillow covers are another easy way to bring red white and blue into your home, inside AND outside. My porch is covered so I can use regular cotton pillow covers. If your patio or porch is open to the elements, I would buy an outdoor pillow and use outdoor fabric paint to add your own patriotic art.

• Two DIY Patriotic Pillow Covers

Create an Outdoor Party Display

I have a little faux mantel on my porch that is perfect for patriotic parties. You can create something similar for an outdoor party by decorating a party cart or even a plain foldable table.

Layer Patriotic Garlands

I layered garlands on the mantel and put my USA art in the middle.

Create a Patriotic Focal Point

I created this sign by cutting out fabric with my Cricut machine and then just mounted it inside this cute frame!

• Fabric USA Art

Add Patriotic Accents

Then all I did was add some faux flowers to these Target Dollar Spot vases.

More Patriotic Ideas

Here are some easy patriotic party ideas!

24 Patriotic Party Ideas

24 adorable and delicious party ideas to make this year!

The 12 BEST Flag Boards to Make! ‘

The 12 BEST Patriotic Flag Fruit and Veggie Platters. Create a healthier snack tray for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July with these fruit and veggie tray ideas!

20 Red White and Blue Desserts

20 red white and blue desserts. Celebrate the Fourth of July all month long with these festive and delicious desserts!

What are YOU doing for the Fourth?

Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

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Two Easy Patriotic Pillow Covers

I love decorating for the Fourth of July. It seems so summery and I love the combination of red white and blue! I recently created some patriotic scrap flags, and scrap flag wreath. I thought it would be fun to create a couple easy pillow covers that would coordinate with them!

DIY Summer Projects

I am joining my #SeasonalSimplicity friends in Krista @thehappyhousie’s summer hop. Everyone is sharing a summer DIY! Be sure to scroll down to go to each of the projects and find out how to make them!

No-Sew Patriotic Pillow Covers

The thing I love about these pillow covers is how fast and easy they are to create! In less than 10 minutes you can have a pretty pillow cover that is perfect to welcome patriotic summer fun! I leave my patriotic decorations out until the end of July!

How Do You Make No-Sew Pillow Covers?

There are a few tricks that make these pillow covers so fast and easy to create. The first is that I use already-sewn plain pillow covers. These white pillow covers are from Hobby Lobby for $5. I also linked to some $5 pillow covers on amazon. I love to use the same pillow form and then just switch out the pillow covers. Then I store the pillow covers in a plastic bin until I want to use the pillow cover the next year. This really saves on space! The second trick is I use either fabric glue or hot glue that is made to use non fabric! That way I don’t have to sew anything but the pillow covers can still be washed if they get dirty!

What is the Difference Between Fabric Glue and Fabric Hot Glue?

I use both fabric glue AND fabric hot glue, depending on the project. I use fabric glue on projects that need to have a soft feel. For example, I used fabric glue on the scrap fabric pillow cover because I wanted to have the cover be soft enough that you can use the pillow cover and sleep on it. I used hot fabric glue on the pom pom pillow cover. Hot fabric glue comes in sticks that you use in your hot glue gun, just as you use regular glue sticks.

The hot fabric glue sticks are made with material that can be washed but it is thicker than fabric glue so it is great for projects that need a heavier grade glue. I put a big dollop on each of the felted balls and it holds really well to the fabric. Both fabric glue and fabric hot glue can be washed in the washing machine!

How to Make a Scrap Flag Pillow Cover

The first pillow cover I am going to share is the one with the big flag on the front. Of course you can make the flag any size you want! Here’s how to do it:

Scrap Flag Pillow Cover Supplies

• Pillow Cover
• Fabric Glue – I used Aileen’s Fabric Glue.
• Two Pieces of Fabric.
• Star (optional) – I used a red felted star that was part of the red white and blue garland that I cut apart and used on the pom pom pillow. Here is a similar felted star.

Scrap Flag Pillow Directions

• Lay pillow cover out on your work surface. Be sure to put a piece of paper inside the pillow cover so that the front and back don’t get glued together in case any of the fabric glue soaks through the material.
• Decide what size flag you want to create.
• Cut out the background of the flag.
• Cut out a square where the stars are.
• Use fabric glue to attach the larger red and white fabric to the center of the pillow cover. I flipped the fabric over and ran a line of glue around the edges of the rectangle. Then I ran a couple lines of glue across the middle. m
• Flip the fabric over and lay the fabric in the center of the pillow cover. Use your finger to run it around the edges of the fabric to firmly attach the glue to the fabric.
• Do the same thing with the smaller blue and white fabric. Lay the smaller piece of fabric on top of the red and white rectangle, matching the top left edges at the top edge of both fabrics.
• Attach a star in the middle of the blue and whit4e square by adding a large dollop of fabric glue to the underside of the star and placing it in the middle of the blue and white square (optional).
• Let the fabric glue dry and then put your pillow insert inside and enjoy your new pillow!

How to Make a Patriotic Pom Pom Flag Pillow Cover

When I saw a felted pom pom garland I knew I wanted to use the felted pom poms to make a pom pom flag pillow cover. Here’s how to do it!

Patriotic Pom Pom Flag Pillow Cover Supplies

• White Pillow Cover
• Red White and Blue Felted Balls
• Fabric Glue or Fabric Hot Glue. I prefer fabric hot glue for this project.

Patriotic Pom Pom Flag Pillow Cover Directions

• Lay pillow cover out on your work surface and insert a paper in the middle in case any of the hot glue seeps through the fabric.
• Lay your pom poms on top of the pillow cover in the pattern you want to create.
• Plug in your glue gun and add a fabric glue stick. Now add a large dab of glue to the undrstaid eof each pom pom and place them on the pillow cover.
• Continue adding pom poms until you have created the stripes and the square area of stars.
• Next, let hot glue set until cool.
• Add pillow insert and enjoy your new patriotic pom pom pillow!
• Lay pillow cover out on your work surface. Then, insert a paper in the middle in case any of the hot glue seeps through the fabric.
• Lay your pom poms on top of the pillow cover in the pattern you want to create.
• Plug in your glue gun and add a fabric glue stick. Once hot, add a large dab of glue to the undrstaid eof each pom pom and place them on the pillow cover.
• Continue adding pom poms until you have created the stripes and the square area of stars.
• Let hot glue set until cool.
• Add pillow insert and enjoy your new patriotic pom pom pillow!

I have a video of how to make them on my Instagram page — @tatertotsandjello if you want to see them!

Today kicks off the Seasonal Simplicity Summer Series! For the next several weeks we will all be sharing some fun summer DIY and decor ideas with you. You can visit all of these great summer DIY ideas by clicking on the links below the images.

DIY Faux Clay Textured Vase at The Happy Housie

DIY Outdoor Foot Washing Station at Grace in My Space

How to Make Beach Glass at Dans Le Lakehouse

Summer Estate Sale Stool Makeover at Confessions of a Serial DIYer

DIY Tapestry at My Sweet Savannah

DIY Patriotic Door Basket at She Gave it a Go

Two Easy Patriotic Pillow Covers at Tatertots and Jello

DIY Orchid Planter at Clean & Scentsible

More Summer Ideas

Here are a few other DIY ideas you can make to celebrate Summer!

Summer Star Ideas

Make a Dollar Store Star Wreath and Star Planters for herbs!

Flower Pallet Display

Upcycle an old pallet into a way to display vintage jars and pretty summer flowers! \

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Dollar Store Neutral Patriotic Wreath

I love the dollar store! It’s full of all kinds of awesome things that you can use to organize your home as well as decorate! I love finding items in the dollar store that I can transform into items that fit in with my home decor style. I wanted to create a neutral star wreath to keep up this summer from memorial day through July so I headed over to my dollar store to see what kind of patriotic items they had!

Summer Wreath Ideas

I’m joining some friends who are all sharing summer wreath ideas. Scroll down to the bottom of the post and see the beautiful ideas. There’s something so welcoming about a summer wreath!

Neutral Patriotic Decor

I love red white and blue, but sometimes those colors might not go with other colored items in your home! For example, I have a bright pink rug I love using in our family room and although the pink is gorgeous, adding red white and blue in that room with a pin rug would be chaotic. On the other hand, adding this neutral wreath would look great with that pink rug or any other color combination!

What Supplies Do You need to Make a Neutral Patriotic Wreath?

Here are the materials I used to make this Dollar Store Neutral Patriotic Wreath

• Green Wreath – I used one I had, but here is a similar one.
• Dollar Store Star – This is the one I used.
• Dollar Store Rope – This is the rope I used.
• Ribbon – Here are some ribbons that are similar to the ones I used.
• Hot Glue Gun – This is my favorite glue gun

Dollar Store Star

I found a glittery star door hanging and I knew the star shape and size would be perfect for the center of my wreath. You have to use your imagination a little when looking for items. I looked beyond the glitter and saw the possibilities of the star shape!

Cotton Rope

Another item I found at the dollar store was cotton rope! It’s perfect for all kinds of neutral decor! Last month I shared the beehives I made out of plastic pots. I used jute for that project, but you can also use the same neutral rope! There are so many possibilities with this material.

How to Make a Neutral Star Wreath

It’s so easy to make this wreath. In just a few minutes you can have a patriotic wreath that can be used with any decor!

Deconstruct the Dollar Store Star

The first thing I did was unwrapped the star. It takes a few minutes because the glitter is held onto the star with wire that is wrapped around little posts throughout the star. Be patient and unwrap all of the wire. I got anxious when I was filming my video and pulled too hard and broke the top of the star. That made it more difficult when I was wrapping it later. Being patient in this step will save you time later.

Hot Glue The Rope to The Star

Once the star is bare, you can cut off the little posts. You can use wire cutters or scissors to do this. I didn’t cut off the posts and although you can’t tell they are there, I think cutting them off would make wrapping the star easier.

Hot Glue the Rope Every 2-3 Wraps

To keep the rope tight, ue a dab of hot glue on the star frame every 2-3 wraps to keep the rope in place.

Glue Rope Ends Together

Chances are you will need 2-3 rope packages to wrap the whole star. When you get to the end of one rope strand, hot glue the end to the back of the star. Then take the new rope strand and place the end next to the end of the pervious rope strand, connecting the two rope strands together. It may seem a little bulky but you will not be able to see the bulk at the back of the star. Continue wrapping until you get to the original rope strand glue the end of first rope strand.

What Do You Do If The Strands Fray?

Chances are you will not use all of the rope strands to the end, so you will probably need to cut the end of the strand and glue it to the back. The rope strands are taped at each end, so the rope will start to fray. Don’t get stressed, just glue the strands to the back. I had to use a bit of glue to coat all of the fray.

Use Ribbon to Tie the Top of the Star to the Top of Your Wreath

Use two coordinating ribbon to attach the star to the top of my wreath. Loop the ribbon under the top of the star, then under the top of the wreath and tie it at the top. So easy!

Summer DIY Wreaths

6 Beautiful Summer Wreaths

Modern Glam // My 100 Year Old Home // Finding Lovely

Tatertots & Jello // Happy Happy Nester // The Happy Housie

More DIY Summer Wreaths

Neutral Fourth of July Mantel Ideas

I created this mantel when I had a bright pink rug and I loved how the neutral complemented a theme other than red white and blue!

Fourth of July Farmhouse Wreath

I also love going the traditional red white and blue route. This was one of my favorite patriotic wreaths!

What are your working on this Summer?

Share YOUR ideas with us in the comments!!

xoxo

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Last-Minute Fourth of July Decorating Items

This summer has flown by so fast. Maybe it’s because of the pandemic and home-schooling or the remodel, but decorating for the Fourth of July hasn’t happened here until this week.

Simple Ways to Bring in Patriotic Decor

Just because the holiday is almost upon doesn’t mean we can’t make the holiday memorable and festive! Sometimes the easiest ideas are the best. I am all about making things easier.

Dollar Store and Dollar Spot Decor

If you are looking for easy and inexpensive items to bring in some patriotic vibes, the dollar store or Target’s Dollar Spot sections are the place to visit! Our Dollar Tree has multi-pack of flags for $1! You can also find lots of great party items at the Dollar Tree. I also love Target’s Dollar Spot for on-trend inexpensive seasonal ideas.

Fourth of July Mantel Using Dollar Items

I created a cute Fourth of July mantel in minutes with just a few items I found at my Dollar Tree and from the Dollar Spot. So easy!

Hang a Simple Fourth of July Garland

I added a simple $3 garland from the Dollar Spot. Every year Target has a new design. I still have the ones I used last year on our Fourth of July front porch. I am going to put them up this week at our new house.

Add Dollar Store Fourth of July Flags to Vases

I have had these striped vases for years. I use the red ones for Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Fourth of July! I just add some faux flowers and then the Dollar Tree Flags. The galvanized vase at the bottom is a Dollar Spot vase I picked up a couple of years ago.

Letterboard Saying

I love letterboards. This one is from my friends at Madera Modern and I love the wood look. The kids came up with some words for summer and we made a summer sayings board. This time I asked them what words brought to mind Fourth of July and we created this little board for our Patriotic Mantel!

Other Ways to Use Fourth of July Dollar Items

This year I also created a fun Patriotic tablescape with dollar items! I will share that tomorrow! In the meantime here are some other ways I have used dollar items to create patriotic decor in the past!

Fourth of July Flag Porch

This was one of my favorite Fourth of July Porches. I used a lot of dollar items. The garland around the front door is a dollar garland that I added fabric to. The lanterns are also dollar times and the flags!

Neutral Flag and Flower Fourth of July Mantel

This is a mantel I created last year. I was trying to decorate around a pink rug so I wanted a neutral fireplace. I used a flag from the dollar spot as well as garlands and lanterns that were also at the dollar spot!

Pin Fourth of July Decorating Ideas

What are YOUR plans for the Fourth?

Tag me on Instagram and share YOUR creative ideas! @tatertotsandjello! I would love to see what YOU are making!

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo

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