As an American, you probably have your own traditions for the 4th of July. Many families throw parties, take vacations, have festive barbecues, or simply spend the day together having fun. Regardless of your July 4th plans, arts and crafts are a great way to infuse new and exciting activities into the mix. More specifically, you can use different kinds of high-quality paper and cardstock to do stylized 4th of July art projects for the whole family!
However, you may not have any ideas ready for July 4th decorations or craft projects that fit the tone and energy of Independence Day. Fortunately, we have got you covered. Today’s guide will provide many different Independence Day crafts and decorations for varying age groups, as well as art projects that all of your family and friends can enjoy together. So, let’s get started!
July 4th Crafts For Preschoolers
Most preschoolers will likely not have much understanding of the meaning behind July 4th. For this reason, it is a good idea to use arts and crafts to teach children about the history and significance of the holiday. Whether you want to teach them the story of the founding of the United States or focus on the modern celebratory traditions like parades. No matter how you choose to proceed with your youngest ones, here are a few July 4th craft ideas that will help you celebrate the holiday and get them involved at the same time!
- Colorful Hand Cutout – Many of the easiest arts and crafts projects for young kids involve tracing their hands and then cutting out the tracings on paper or cardstock. For the 4th of July, your kids can then decorate their hands using red, white, and blue markers.
- Popsicle Stick Flag – This is a great option because it gives your kids something to carry around once they are finished. Simply help your children decorate an American flag on paper or cardstock and then glue it to a popsicle stick.
- Firework Cards – Once you teach your kids the basics of making fireworks cards, you can leave them to their own devices. All they need to do is pick the colors they want and then paint dots that form spirals or arcs on a blank card (ideally black). When they are finished, it will look like a night sky full of fireworks!
July 4th Crafts For Kids
As your kids get a little bit older, they will know more about Independence Day and what it means to be an American. This puts a little less pressure on you to teach them the importance of the holiday. Instead, you can just focus on planning fun activities and crafts! With kids between the ages of 6 and 12, you can generally plan on arts and crafts that are a little more complex and nuanced. Here are a few common and popular examples:
- Stars & Stripes Paper Hats – Most kids love paper hats because they can wear them around for the entire day. For a stars and stripes paper hat, your child just needs to paint or draw stars and stripes on a piece of paper. Then, they will fold the paper around and glue the ends together. You may need to help them during this part to ensure that the hat will actually fit correctly on their heads.
- Red, White, & Blue Confetti Jar – Confetti jars are by far one of the easiest Independence Day decorations that children can make. All you need is red, white, and blue paper or cardstock, a pair of scissors, and one or more mason jars (one for each child). Your child will cut the pieces of paper into tiny pieces of confetti to put into the jar, which they can then display proudly in the home. Just remember to supervise your children closely when they are using scissors.
- Uncle Sam Faces – You can design Uncle Sam faces in a variety of ways, but one popular option is to glue several popsicle sticks together so that they form the face. Then, your child can easily create a red, white, and blue hat with paper, as well as a beard using white paper hand cutouts.
July 4th Crafts For Teens
If you are the parent of a teenager, you know how hard it can be to get them excited about holidays or family activities. Fortunately, if you can present your teenager with a more challenging task, they might just be willing to take you up on it. Additionally, making it an activity that they can do with their younger siblings makes it even more fun! Here are a few good ideas for teenager 4th of July crafts:
- DIY Paper Centerpiece – Most families sit down to have a special meal on the 4th of July. Sometimes they have the meal indoors and sometimes they have it outdoors, but either way, food is almost always part of the equation. If your family is decorating a special table for the event, you can ask your teenager to make a patriotic centerpiece using red, white, and blue paper flowers.
- Patriotic Hand Fans – At first glance, paper fans seem like a pretty simple project, but they actually take more expertise than you might think. All you need is colorful paper and string, but the hard part is pleating the paper correctly so that it can form a sturdy fan. Once your teenager has pleated the paper, they can use the string to tie one end together, and voila! They have made a patriotic hand fan!
- Layered July 4th Cards – Layered cards are beautiful because you can use them to set in front of windows and create interesting designs using natural light. With a layered July 4th card, your teen just needs to use the holiday colors (red, white, and blue) and designs (typically stars and stripes), and the rest is up to them!
July 4th Crafts For The Whole Family
Finally, it is important to find activities that the whole family can do together. Some activities may be too simple or boring for teens and adults, while others might be too complex for younger children. Fortunately, there are various July 4th crafts that offer a mix of complexity and simple fun, as long as they are done with adult supervision. So, here are some great July 4th crafts for the whole family!
- July 4th Paper Utensil Holders – This one is great because it offers functional results and plenty of activities for everyone. With a bit of coloring, paper, and string, everyone in the family can create their own napkin and utensil holders to celebrate the holiday and decorate the dinner table!
- Independence Day Hanging Banner – Usually when you think of a banner, you think of one large piece of fabric or paper. However, if you want to make things more interesting, each family member can decorate their own piece of paper and then combine all of them to create one giant Independence Day banner. You can then hang it in front of your house for the whole neighborhood to enjoy.
- USA Paper Wreath – A paper wreath can be simple or complicated based on how much work you are willing to put into it. For this reason, it makes a great project for an entire family to work on together. Simply use red, white, and blue paper to create a wreath that proudly displays “U.S.A.” across the top!
Ready to create your next DIY July 4th craft project? If so, be sure to check out our high-quality cardstock and paper on Fine Card Stock today, and let us know how you put our cardstock to good use!