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Quick and Easy Tips for Patriotic 4th of July Decor DIYs (Summer Mantel)

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Looking for a way to spruce up your 4th of July decor this year? In this blog post, I’ll give you a few ideas for 4th of July decor DIYs that are both easy and fun.

summer printable with free banner

These 4th of July decor DIYs are a super simple way to add a personal touch to your home decor!

Especially if you download my 4th of July printables banner which is a #freebie I’m giving away to Our Crafty Mom subscribers.

Get your patriotic USA banner HERE.

This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure here.

4th of July Decor DIYs

How to decorate a patriotic summer mantel

Whenever I decorate a mantel for a new season or holiday, I always follow the same 5 easy steps:

  • Start with a blank slate
  • Choose a color scheme or theme
  • Include season artwork or prints
  • Add plants or flowers
  • Include accessories that have meaning or a little whimsy

Include a banner or garland

Banners are a great addition to any mantel. Create paper banners, tissue paper banners, and even fabric banners.

The great thing about decorating with banners is you can find tons of free ones on Pinterest.

I’ve been downloading them for many years and using them in my home decor.

It really makes it so easy plus nothing is better than FREE!

Also, if you don’t have a home printer, you can print them out at your local library for about 10-15 cents a page.

4th of july banner

Check out all of my printables HERE.

Add artwork or prints

I’m thrilled to be able to hang my favorite Maxwell Mays print in my new home. It is such a memorable piece from my home state of Rhode Island featuring the Mt. Hope bridge.

Maxwell Mays artwork

The colors happen to work perfectly with a coastal theme and it has a patriotic feel that I just love! Here is a close-up:

close up of Maxwell Mays print

Include accessories by shopping your home

Another thing I try to do is “shop my house”. Just because something isn’t meant to be used for a specific purpose, it doesn’t mean it can’t! 🙂

The best decorating ideas usually end up being upcycled or repurposed items.

upcycled wine bottles

For example, my mantel includes empty wine bottles and jugs. You can see how to update wine bottles with stained glass paint HERE.

If you don’t have access to any, you can find some at thrift stores, or even dollar stores.

My daughter bought me this sweet little gnome to go with my ever-growing gnome collection.

A little paint and mod podge and this guy is now all decked for Memorial Day and the 4th of July!

This is the perfect example of taking what you have and giving it a quick little makeover.

updated patriotic gnome on mantel

It’s these extra touches that will take your mantel decor to the next level!

So take a walk around your house, and look in your garage or basement, you never know what you may find.

Look at the items creatively and see if there are any pieces you can use in your mantel display.

The most important tip is to have fun with it! There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to decorating YOUR home.

If you want to include a pink flamingo in your patriotic decor…go for it!

Add Visual Weight To Each Side

Whenever I decorate a mantel I start by choosing tall objects to add visual weight to each side of the mantel.

A few decor pieces to consider are:

  • a pair of tall candle holders
  • vases
  • small plants
  • lanterns
  • picture frames
little red truck mantel decor

I’m a big fan of symmetry so you will usually see pieces in a similar size and shape at each end of my mantel decor.

My dad gave me the adorable red truck and it lights up! If you are a return visitor, you know I love all things little red truck.

free 4th of july printables

Don’t forget to download your free printable patriotic wall decor HERE.

Decorate in groupings with odd numbers

One “rule” I do follow in decorating is to use the rule of threes. You can read a great article about this process on Apartment Therapy HERE.

The basic premise is things arranged in odd numbers are more appealing than even-numbered groupings. 

It doesn’t have to be limited to 3, you can group 5, 7, or 9 if there is space.

For example, the grouping on the left of my patriotic mantel is a total of 5 pieces as you include the plant and home sweet home sign as well.

full view summer mantel

The right side grouping is also 5. Consider this same decorating rule with coffee table decorating as well.

Decorate the mantel hearth

Don’t forget to add some decorative touches to your mantel hearth too!

I don’t have a large space, so I just went with a farmhouse-style basket filled with extra pillows and throws.

Lanterns look great on a hearth too. Use what you have to keep costs down.

I hope you enjoyed these patriotic 4th of July decor DIYs that you can easily recreate in your home.

I’m all about budget-friendly decorating!

Share with your friends by PINNING the below image:

patriotic 4th of july mantel pin collage

Thanks so much for visiting. Happy 4th of July!

Here are even more summer and 4th of July decorating ideas:

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summer mantel pin with text

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