It’s time to celebrate America, and what better way than throwing an epic, outdoor cocktail party! There are a few secret necessties for throwing a memorable party, and I’m going to share them with you. Here is how to throw the best Patriotic Cocktail Party.
How to Decorate for your Patriotic Cocktail Party
You must start with cute decorations. The great thing about a Fourth of July Party is you can use anything red, white OR blue and it will look festive. You can see how I did that with a 4th of July Table Setting. Just throw some American flags up and it looks like you spent hours decorating your back patio. I hung some cute American Flag bunting up, added small and large American Flags, put out red and blue pillows and a blue and white check table cloth. Really, that was all I did, and look how festive it turned out!
Make Stations or Specific Areas In Your Party Space
You want to have designated spaces to keep everything pleasing to the eye and keep the flow of the party on point.
I started off making a few party stations. The first is a Summer Party must… A S’more Station. Near the firepit we displayed a tray with all the classic s’more ingredients. Chocolate bars and graham crackers were spread out on the tray and a basket full of marshmallows sat beside it. A perfect area for grabbing, roasting and chowing down on a good ole fashion s’more.
Next up, the Kids Station. On one side of the patio I set up the kids picnic table. I made cute Fourth of July Table Settings for them with paper star plates, wooden utensils and “fancy” plastic, 4th of July wine glasses. On a mini cake stand I put patriotic mini cupcakes and filled a bowl with red, white and blue M&M’s The kids love having a space of their own to sit together and enjoy yummy treats.
Lastly, I set up a drink area on our new DIY Outdoor Patio Bar. I put the wine glasses, booze and a cute sign with a signature cocktail on my letterboard. This allows people to make their own drinks and also an area to rest a glass while talking with friends.
Party Food and Signature Cocktail
My favorite part of hosting a party and the two must haves for throwing an epic shin dig. First up, the signature cocktail. It’s really easy to create a festive signature drink. Pick a fun name that goes with your theme. In this case, Fourth of July, I chose Star Spangled Mule. I knew I wanted some red, white and blue in the signature drink so I took my ice cube trays and filled them with raspberries and blueberries. I covered the berries with water and froze. This made the prettiest ice cubes I’ve ever seen. They were so fun and tasty, even the kids wanted in on the action! I let the girls fill their fancy plastic wine glasses with the patriotic, berry ice cubes and water. They got such a kick out of drinking a “party drink” with us.
My favorite way to display food for guests is to make a giant charcuterie board. If you follow me on Instagram you know I make these quite often for the kids and parties. A Fourth of July themed Charcuterie Board is easy to make by featuring red, white and blue foods. You can use all kinds of berries, popcorn, crackers, blue cheese, salami and pepperonis, red licoriece, red white and blue M&Ms, cute little star shaped cookies, etc. I even took thin slices of white cheddar cheese and cut them with a star shaped cookie cutter. Those were a big hit.
Finishing Touch: The Kids Playhouse
We couldn’t host an outdoor party without decorating the kids playhouse too. Check out my blog post on the Kids Playhouse Makeover into their very own Farmhouse. I grabbed a coordinating garland and strung it from the roof of their tiny house. Added some Fourth of July Paper Lanterns to either side of the door and an American Flag in the flower box. It was just enough to make it look fun and festive. Can you tell they liked it?
Fourth of July is such a fun holiday to celebrate with friends and family outside. I hope you were inspired by my 4th of July Cocktail Party. If so, check out my other blog posts on Fourth of July Table Settings, Strawberry Frose Cocktail, and Garden Themed Birthday Party for more entertaining and party planning ideas.
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