I think that parties with a theme are easier just because you already have a color palette to work with. The best Fourth of July ideas for a party take advantage of the patriotic feel of the day, as well as incorporating the whole ambiance of summer into the mix. Especially when it is an outdoor party, you want to keep your decorations casual and light. Obviously, you can make it a lot simpler on yourself if you just stick to the whole red, white and blue theme and take advantage of the fact that outdoor parties are more casual. This means that covering your tables with paper tablecloths is just fine! I usually go with white, but obviously if you have several tables, alternating red and blue tablecloths is a good touch. Make sure there is enough seating for all of your guests, because surprisingly that is the first mistake that first time party planners make! I also recommend using durable paper plates, especially if you are barbecuing. Most party stores will have patriotic plates, but I have found that the regular white ones look better with the whole spread if you have other patriotic decorations going on.

I think that one of the best Fourth of July ideas for a party that I had was to do a brunch instead of an afternoon barbecue. Brunches are great especially if your party will have a large number of children in attendance. Most people want to catch the firework show later on, and so sometimes you end up cutting it close when the grilling goes into the late afternoon. Brunches can be more relaxing and a great alternative to late afternoon parties if you want to beat the heat. You can take the idea of the classic July Fourth BBQ and make skewers of fresh fruit instead of meat. Serving lemonade, iced tea, and cocktails like mimosas and bloody marys is a great touch as well. I have discovered that if you stick celery in water with blue food coloring, the celery will actually absorb the blue and look patriotic in a bloody mary cocktail. Another god idea for a brunch is to serve things like blueberry scones, mini apple pies, and things like all American cornbread. My brunch was a success especially because we had all planned to go to a nearby park for the fireworks show at night. The kids all got little goodie bags with July Fourth tattoos, sparklers and other festive trinkets.

My neighborhood puts on a collective block party every year. I think that each year, someone comes up with new genius Fourth of July ideas that can actually be used for any kind of July 4th party. One neighbor sets up a popcorn cart, which the kids absolutely love. We alternate yards for the barbecue home base, and one of the neighbors also has their pool open for everyone to enjoy. If you are trying to think of ideas for your 4th of July party, just remember to keep your decor super patriotic- all red, white and blue- and to keep it pretty casual and in the spirit of summer. Cold drinks should be on hand, and little touches like mini American flags to stick in the grilled burgers or fruit spreads is a great idea.