Memorial Day is next week. And while it’s a time for us to reflect back on those we’ve lost while serving our country, it also marks the beginning of the summer ahead and time for family and friends to begin gathering in backyards and on patios to enjoy one another’s company.
It’s easy to show your patriotism by decorating your table in red, white, and blue. It looks festive, gets you in the “spirit” of things, and lets your guests know you put some time and effort in to them coming over. There are so many different ways you can decorate and you can do so by spending a little or a lot of money. Today’s post is going to feature decorating a table on the cheap, yet fun, end of the spectrum, with 99% of everything having come from the Dollar Tree. These are quick, cheap and fun ideas using mostly disposable items that are easy to clean up and are recyclable. Later this week we’ll feature a patriotic table setting using linens, wine glasses and “real” dishes.
Everything on the table came from a dollar store with the exception of the flowers, and I bought everything this week so the products and prices are current.
This red, plastic tablecloth sets the whole mood for the table with its bright color and cheeriness. I typically use linen tablecloths but now with young grandchildren, we’ll be switching to these! After you use it, you can either recycle (according to the rules you’re recycling company has) or reuse it. I’ve never seen a plastic tablecloth that was so durable it could double for another dinner but you could wipe it off and save it for painting projects or as a dirt catcher when potting plants. I actually put this one under one of our cat boxes to help keep kitty litter contained. If you have more than one table to decorate, you could stick with the same colors or mix and match….$1.00 from the Dollar Tree.
The two blue pots were bought for a dollar each and I simply filled them with some flowers I got on sale at Home Depot. They were on sale for 98 cents for a six-pack and I put four plants in each pot.You can pull the flowers out and plant when you’re done or keep them potted all summer to help decorate a patio or deck (and use for future holidays.)…..The flags in the pots were also bought at the dollar store and came in a pack of three for $1.00 so each pot with the flowers and a flag cost less than $2.00. VERY CHEAP!
The blue paper plates came in a package of 20 for $1.00, the red cups were a dollar for a count of 12, the napkins were $1.00 for a count of 20 and the plastic silverware came packed with 16 each of spoons, forks and knives all for $1.00. I found this cute red bucket and put my silverware in it for easy access.
Or you can roll the silverware up in the napkins and tie with some wire star ribbon.
I love this wire ribbon. It’s easy to cut, very flexible and cost a dollar. Not only can you use it to wrap up a napkin, you can decorate your pots with it, tie it around the stem of wine glasses, use it for table decorations or even cut off some of the stars and use it for decorative confetti. *I kept the wire after cutting off the stars…not for sure what I’ll use it for but I have a few ideas brewing.
Just for fun, I picked up some mini bubble containers (pack of 8 for $1.00). These would be fun for any children dinner but after a few cocktails, the adults would probably enjoy these too. You could also use these as napkin weights or write your guest’s name on the side for an assigned table seating. They make cute little party favors to take home too.
The two white bowls and blue tray are a heavy plastic so can be reused over and over. I do wash these by hand just to be on the safe side. If you do put them in the dishwasher, I’d load them in the top compartment so they don’t become misshapen.
And my very favorite buy at the dollar store were these paper lanterns. Not only are they cute but they actually light up! Each lantern was $1.00 and requires two AAA batteries (not included). They are easy to put together, safe since you’re not using candles and don’t require an outlet. At a dollar each, you could buy more than a couple and hang from trees or set around the deck or porch for some ambient lighting. LOVE these!
Nothing fancy but for very little money, what an impact and nothing is breakable so you don’t have to worry if the wind picks up. Fun, simple, cheap and you can reuse a lot of these items.