Your Independence Day could use a few more stars (and maybe some stripes).
Fourth of July barbecues aren't all about the food; they're also about celebrating America's colors. If you're planning on entertaining your neighborhood with a big blowout, it's important to dress up your space for the occasion.
Of course, you don't need to bust open your wallet to sport as much red, white and blue as humanly possible on our nation's birthday. All you need is a simple cloth, some paint and patriotism.
Materials Needed:
Simple tablecloth or canvas drop cloth, white or off-white*
Red acrylic or fabric paint
Navy blue acrylic or fabric paint
Light blue acrylic or fabric paint
Three sponge brushes or foam pouncers
Thick poster board or cardboard
Scissors
A printer
*Colors are optional and totally based on your preferences. Feel free to mix it up.
Step One:
Plan out star stencils on your poster board, leaving plenty of space around the edge of your shapes. It is much easier to print them on some poster board that can be fed through your printer. If you do this, we recommend you stack a few sheets and tape them together after printing your stars out for extra support. Cut out one large, one medium and one small star.
If you are using a thicker material like cardboard, you can print your stars on normal paper and trace over them with a Sharpie. Or, try drawing them free-hand for a more rustic look.
Step Two:
Start with your largest stencil, in any color. For our design, we created a faux runner by staggering large stars on opposite sides of the middle third of the cloth. You can also freestyle your design for an all-over star field, or try making shapes if you want to get fancy.
Using your sponge brush, dab paint over the stencil, but just so that it does not run over the edges of your shape. The smoother your sponge, the more formed your stars will look.
Step Three:
Pick up to your medium stencil and stagger it, opposite of the large stencil. This will create an implied border to work with. If you have the width, you can fill it in with the medium and large stars. Use the same dabbing technique as before.
Step Four:
Lastly, pick up your small stencil and fill in the negative space in the middle and around your other stars, without going beyond your "border."
Optional Step:
If you want extra neat edges (or even if you made a little mistake), you can easily clean up your paint job with the tips of your sponge brushes.
Step Five:
Allow to dry and start filling your table with your magnificent Independence Day spread.