Today I am sharing some fun decorating ideas for a patriotic picnic summer party. Use this inspiration to plan your picnic party for this 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day. These 4th of July picnic ideas are also great for your home backyard bbq, park, or the beach.

Picnics are so much fun but this year I decided to share patriotic picnic ideas and to my surprise, I think this was the most memorable and special 4th of July picnic ideas I have ever created.

I hope you find these fourth of July party ideas inspire you to create a fun event for friends and family. But even if you're not in the United States, these picnic ideas are great for special occasions wherever you are.

The only thing more fun than spending time with friends and family is doing it at a picnic!

Years ago my girls and I created boho picnic styling inspiration. I had forgotten how much fun a picnic can be until this fourth of July picnic. We had so much fun coming up with these 4th of July picnic ideas.

Let's jump right into the steps on how to create this red, white and blue picnic, and then at the end, I will share one very special detail that might make your patriotic celebrations even more amazing.

4th of July Picnic Ideas FAQs:

What Picnic Supplies Do you Need for a 4th of July Picnic?

Aside from finding the perfect picnic spot, most of what you need for this America's birthday picnic you may have laying around your house. Here is a checklist that will make packing much easier.

• Large blanket
• Smaller blanket or Turkish beach towel (if you plan to layer blankets)
• Large baskets or market basket
• Crate
• Large pillows in white and smaller pillows in patriotic colors
• Mason jar (filled with oatmeal or rice)
• Mini flags
• Cutting boards or breadboards
• Bottle drinks (Izze sparkling)
• Sliced meats, cheeses, fruit and crackers

Pack everything in the baskets and crate for easy delivery. Now let's talk about setting up your 4th of July celebration picnic.

What Food do you Bring on a Picnic?

There are so many wonderful food ideas for a picnic. Sandwiches wrapped in paper, chips, hot dogs, and hamburgers but my personal favorite is a charcuterie board. With simple ingredients you can have the perfect July picnic food.

Let me recommend before you leave home to create a charcuterie board. All these items are easily found at the grocery store. We filled our board to the brim with salami, prosciutto, crackers, several different kinds of cheese like smoked gouda and gruyere, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. It's always nice to have a sweet treat! The best part? Clean up is a snap.

How to Throw a Patriotic Picnic

Layered Picnic Blankets for Patriotic Celebration

Once you've found the perfect spot, it's time to set up. Instead of a picnic table, we decided to picnic on this beautiful grass. Layering anything is trending right now from layered rugs to layered art so why not layer some blankets as we did in these photos.

Simply lay one larger blanket down on the ground then lay another blanket on an angle on top of it. I used a white sheet on the bottom but a bleached drop cloth works even better and on the top white & blue stripe small blanket with small blue tassels on the corners. This idea lays the foundation for a patriotic feel.

Picnic Baskets for Fourth of July Party

Now it is time to add a picnic basket to your design. Think out of the box and pack all your goods in baskets and crates.

Once you arrive at your location and you unpack all your goodies simply turn your crate over and use it as a table.

Then prop pillows against the larger baskets. Use red, white and blue pillows and if you have any pillows with starts or American flags use them too.

All these pillows I use for patriotic decorations in my home.

Now that you have staged the larger pieces let's add food and accessories. Now let's look at food for another element of these 4th of July picnic ideas.

Putting together you Picnic Food

My nieces made the delectable food board which added so much to the patriotic picnic. It was a collection of the perfect picnic foods.

Once you have the board completed wrap it up real good with saran wrap and do not remove the wrap until it is time to eat. This will keep bugs off your food while you are setting up.

Patriotic Decoration Ideas for Picnic

Next, for a simple DIY fourth of July decorations. Bring a mason jar or any jar and fill it with oatmeal, rice, or anything that will hold some small American flags in place. I love history so I thought it would be fun to add some Betsy Ross flags instead of our current flags.

Once you have your flags in place drop in some sparklers for later when the sun starts going down and don't forget to bring a lighter.

Next, toss another cutting board or an old breadboard onto another corner of the picnic blanket as another table. On our breadboard, we placed our drinks.

I mainly picked these Izze sparkling grapefruit drinks because I thought they were cute but to my surprise, they were very tasty and they don't have added sugar which is a bonus. These soft drinks were a great addition to our picnic and refreshing on a hot day.

Add some more red, white, and blue decorations here and there. It is July fourth, after all. Different size flags are fun and banners are great too. A star-spangled banner would but very cute. But if you have a flag pillow or one with stars that are the icing on the cake if you know what I mean.

So now that we have all the decorations planted its time to celebrate and enjoy a day with family and friends.

Time to Celebrate Independence Day

Unwrap your charcuterie board.

Pour drinks or hand out the bottles of soda and plates and napkins.

And enjoy the day!

What a fun way to picnic!

After everyone has eaten you might find they enjoy the pillows for a little rest and relaxation. I can't think of a better way to spend the day.

What do you do at a picnic?

There are so many fun things to do at a picnic like play Frisbee and other games, fly a kite, people watch, sing songs and a personal favorite take a nap. Another fun idea is printing out games from Etsy to bring along.

In our Etsy shop are games like bingo and charades and we are adding new games all the time. Check them out here.

You're sure to find a great way to spend the day.

Conclusion

So you are probably wondering what made this patriotic picnic extra special. Well, this was a girls weekend with my sister and nieces to Charleston, South Carolina. Since we love to travel and it was time for the 4th we thought a patriotic spirit picnic would be fun. It turned out to be the perfect way to spend time together.

But the extra special part of this picnic is its location. We set up in Battery Park White Point Gardens where we were sandwiched between swoon-worthy old homes and the Atlantic ocean.

This spot was charming! We set up a couple of hours before sundown to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Honestly, it was cooler but still hot but not as hot as midday.

These fourth of July picnic ideas are perfect for any outdoor space like a home picnic or a magical park like the Battery in Charleston. They will make this independence day celebrations so special. The fourth of July is the perfect time to relax and reflect. I hope you enjoy.

I hope you have been inspired. Grab your blankets, baskets, pillows, and anything that is red, white, and blue, and go celebrate with those you love.

For more ideas try my 4th of July decorating ideas. And if you're a fan of homemade ice cream, check out my post about the ice cream social I threw with a friend and you can make your own ice cream.

I'd love to hear your 4th of July or summer gatherings traditions. Maybe you have amazing recipes for patriotic desserts or a special way to hold a backyard barbecue, or a special July 4th menu.

Share with us on social media and have a wonderful 4th of July!

Happy Decorating!