Today I am sharing some fun decorating ideas for a patriotic picnic. Use this inspiration to plan your picnic for this 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day. These ideas are also great for your home backyard, 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.
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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.
Patriotic 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 event even more amazing.
Picnic Supplies
Most of what you need for a 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
- Mason jar (filled with oatmeal or rice)
- Betsy Ross 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 picnic.
Layered Picnic Blankets
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.
Picnic Baskets
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.

Now that you have staged the larger pieces let's add food and accessories.
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.
Let me recommend before you leave home to create a charcuterie board. 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.
My nieces made the delectable food board which added so much to the patriotic picnic.

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
Next, bring a mason jar or any jar and fill it with oatmeal, rice, or anything that will hold some 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.
Add some more red, white, and blue decorations here and there. Different size flags are fun and banners are great too. 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
Unwrap your charcuterie board.

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

And enjoy the day!


After everyone has eaten you might find they enjoy the pillows for a little rest and relaxation.

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.
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 are all practicing social distancing we thought a picnic would be fun.
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 a home picnic or a magical park like the Battery in Charleston.
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.
Happy Decorating!

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How to Create a Memorable Patriotic Picnic

Step by step instructions on how to create a beautiful patriotic picnic for the 4th of July in your home backyard, park, or beach.
Materials
- Large blanket, small blanket, baskets, crate, pillows of different sizes, cutting board, breadboard, sodas, food for a charcuterie board, napkins, small plates, Betsy Ross flags, mason jar, rice or oatmeal, and sparklers.
Instructions
- Begin by prepping your food at home and packing everything in baskets. We used salami, prosciutto, two cheese, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, and crackers. Wrap the board well for transportation.
- Lay the largest blanket down first the at an angle place the top blanket.
- Unpack all the items from the baskets and crate. Turn the crate upside down so it can act as a table. Place the charcuterie board on the crate along with the mason jar filled with oatmeal or rice and the Betsy Ross flags and sparklers.
- Next, prop the pillows up again the baskets. Use a flag pillow as another patriotic decoration and use a banner if you have a place to hang it.
- Place a breadboard or another cutting board on another corner. Place your drinks on that board.
- Unwrap the charcuterie board and sit it in the middle of the picnic blanket. Pass out small white paper plates, cocktail napkin, and drinks.
- Enjoy visiting with family and/or friends while nibbling on the charcuterie board. Play some music and relax.
Notes
Don't forget the bug spray, hats, and sunglasses. Have a few extra in case a guest forgets theirs.
Carol@BlueskyatHome says
Great ideas for an easy picnic. What a fun evening I’m sure you all had. Love the charcuterie board.