Childrens Quilt Sunny Flowers

One great way to show off your patriotism and celebrate the best that America stands for is to decorate your home for the weeks surrounding the July 4th holiday. After all, the founding fathers devoted their lives to establishing the country, and it is because of their work that we can proudly stand now under the stars and stripes. Use some of these ideas to add patriotic decor that will make your home a welcoming place to be this summer.

1. Lawn Pinwheels: When the summer breeze drifts across your yard, you can put it to use spinning patriotic lawn pinwheels. With great designs like those with red, white and blue stars and red and white stripes, when they spin, they truly look spectacular. They're pretty on still days, too, which makes them a great choice.

2. Potted Plants: With red, white and blue flowers planted in ceramic pots painted with patriotic decorations, you'll turn your summer flowers into a great way to show off your patriotism. Get blue pots with white stars and white pots with red stripes as your base, and add flowers that contrast with the colors on the pots. Use these to lead the way up your front steps or line the edge of your back patio.

3. Wreaths: Putting a patriotic wreath on your front door is a great way to welcome guests and pay tribute to American history. When choosing a wreath, either use a wicker base with red, white, and blue berries, ribbons, or other accents, or choose a more floral design with live or silk flowers as your red, white, and blue. One gorgeous combination is to weave red and white ribbons through as the stripes and use blue flowers or berries as accents.

4. Flags: Even though it may seem a bit obvious, it's ironic how many people actually forget to use real flags as they put up their patriotic decorations. If you don't have one, install a flagpole in your front yard or a small angled pole on the siding for your home or garage. If you want something that isn't quite so permanent, you can get smaller flags to stick in the ground around your yard or your walkways.

Regardless of the type of patriotic decor you choose to use in your decorations this summer, make sure the celebrations go beyond just the decor. If you have kids, help research American history and dramatize key events in gaining independence. You can also extend the patriotic theme into food with berry trifles and other treats that use red, white and blue.

Taking the time to find can remind you to reflect on our countries great history and encourage your neighbors to do the same. By shopping online, Bianca Bowman has been able to find while saving money and time.