A little patriotic sparkle, crafts and cake

patriotic pound cake

School is out for all my kids, tournament baseball has begun and swim lessons start in a few days. We had our first outdoor family gathering just today… I think summer is finally here! So what’s next? July 4th festivities and all the fun that follows. However, with a full house of busy kids, time to create fun decor isn’t always abundant. I tend to spend all my entertaining prep time on the food, but you don’t need a ton of time to add extra touches for your upcoming celebrations.

This month I am participating in the Designer Crafts Connection challenge and our theme for the month is Patriotic. So, here are a couple simple patriotic craft ideas to add some extra flare to your decor filled with American spirit.

patriotic pound cake
Patriotic pound cake

This pound cake is relatively easy to make, you can find the Fancy Little Pound Cake recipe at Ultimate Foodie. Top the cake off with a powdered sugar glaze, fresh blueberries and strawberries. Create a small pinwheel out of construction paper then add a white paper star cutout and a cute little red button. Glue it all to a toothpick and add to the top of the cake.

Patriotic pinwheel cake topper
Patriotic pinwheel cake topper

Next I painted some plain glass votive candle holders with Folk Art Enamel Paint 2oz-Engine Red. Then I added some dark blue glass gems and a candle – voila, patriotic candle holders to add a bit of American flare to the table. The best part, change out the blue gems, for green at Christmas and it’s a whole new look.

Candle holders - Adding colors to create a new look
Candle holders - Adding colors to create a new look
Patriotic votive candle holder
Patriotic votive candle holder

You don’t need to get all fancy or intricate to create crafts you can be proud of. The idea is to create something all your own and bask in your accomplishments. Try to find projects that fit into your budget and your schedule. If you can find something that your kids can help with, you’ve just created an opportunity to make a memory with those special to you.

Happy Summer Fun to you!

If you’d like more patriotic craft ideas, check out the other participates in this month’s Designer Crafts Connection blog hop! [ Hop back ][ Hop forward ]

Tuesday's Topic: Family bonding and hot dogs

Welcome to July and Happy Tuesday! Bonus, it’s a brand new month AND we get to eat hot dogs by the pound for weeks now. Well… at least my family will be

In the not too distant future I will be venturing off onto a road trip with my 3 children (and adorably dorky husband, of course). We’re traveling to visit family and have a little vacation time together. I love road trips and I really enjoy spending unscheduled, unplanned, unorganized time with my family. It’s nice to just “wing it”. We discover new things together, explore, maybe we’re not extremely adventurous, but we do try to be open to finding new unexpected things around occasional corners.

I’m hoping we’ll find some neat stops that aren’t necessarily “on the map”.

I’ll tell you about them as I find them.


Bless America with the Statue of Liberty Penguin

I hope you enjoy your July 4th – and if you’re celebrating, stay safe!