CELEBRATE: The 4th of July

Here are some great ideas to help make your Independence Day a little more festive from all of us at CELEBRATE!

Life is short, eat dessert first!

American Flag Cake

1 yellow cake mix of your choice

2 pints fresh blueberries

2 quarts fresh strawberries.

2 tubs of Cool Whip topping

1) Bake your cake mix following the manufacturers instructions for a 9x13 sized sheet cake.  Allow to cool completely and remove from pan.

2) Take a large bread knife and carefully cut the cake into two layers.

3) Place the bottom layer back into your 9x13 pan.  Cover in a generous layer of Cool Whip.  Slice 1/3 of your strawberries.  Top the Cool Whip layer with the sliced strawberries and a sprinkling of blueberries. 

4) Place the top layer of your cake over the filling and "frost" this with another generous layer of Cool Whip.

5) Cut the remaining strawberries in half.  Arrange the remaining blueberries in the upper left hand corner in a square.  Next, create red "stripes" using the strawberry halves.  You will want the end result to look like an American flag.

6) Serve and enjoy!

Can't afford that expensive bunting?  Find some inexpensive red, white, and blue fabric and drape, tying every 24 inches!

Make a festive garland!  Buy red, white, and blue construction paper.  Cut the paper into pennant shaped triangles.  Punch two holes in the wide end of each triangle and simple lace together onto cord or rope.

Liven up your table!  Add colorful crepe paper to the edge of your table using double sided tape. 

Create Fantastic Rockets! Fill a decorative bucket or planter with sand.  Next, cover paper towel or toilet paper tubes with red paper of your choice.  Cut a circle out of card stock and make a cut from the outside to the center.  When you overlap the cut edges this, it will create a cone which will become the top of your rocket.  Glue the top cone to the tube.  Glue red, yellow, and orange curling ribbon to the inside bottom of the tube.  These will be your flames!  Finish by gluing your "rocket" to a small dowel.  Stick dowels in the sand of your planter!  

Stars on your lawn!  Create a large star stencil approximately 9-12 inches in size out of cardboard or card stock.  Place your stencil on your freshly mowed lawn.  Using a spray bottle, heavily mist the grass within the stencil.  Next, sprinkle a generous amount of flour over the stencil and remove.  The flour will stick to the wet grass leaving festive white stars!

Place settings that go POW!  Create a fun place setting by placing boxes of sparklers onto white napkins and bundling them together with a festive red ribbon.

Jazz up ordinary bottles of water!  Remove the stick from miniature clothe or plastic flags.  Wrap over the bottle's label and secure.

Enjoy the day and drink responsibly! 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM ALL OF US AT CELEBRATE!!!