Independence Day is associated with many things. Most importantly, it’s the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. It’s also a day full of fun and festivities, including parades and fireworks shows. And for many Americans, it’s a time for a picnic or barbeque with family and friends.
An occasion such as the Fourth of July deserves some special table décor. This napkin and utensil holder has a patriotic motif that everyone is sure to love, and provides an attractive and convenient way to store your knives, forks, spoons and napkins.
Supplies Needed
- 4 short cardboard tubes (about the size of bathroom tissue rolls, or slightly longer; but make sure they’re not so long that it will be difficult to remove plastic utensils from them)
- Construction paper in red, white, blue and black
- Blue and gold chenille stems
- 5 ½ inch square of corrugated cardboard
- 4 plastic milk jug lids
- Craft glue or glue stick
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Pencil
Instructions
- Cut four strips of white construction paper wide enough to cover 2/3 of a cardboard tube and long enough to wrap around it. Cut four strips of blue construction paper wide enough to cover 1/3 of a cardboard tube and wrap around it.
- Use a thin layer of craft glue or a glue stick to cover each tube with a strip of white construction paper, starting at the bottom. Then glue a strip of blue construction paper starting at the top.
- Draw a star on white construction paper and cut out. Use the star to trace and cut eleven more white stars.
- Glue three stars onto the blue section of each roll, spacing them equally.
- Cut strips of red construction paper 2/3 as long as the cardboard rolls. Glue them lengthwise onto the white portion of each roll, spacing equally to create red and white stripes.
- Cut out a 5 ½ inch square of black construction paper. Glue it onto the cardboard square.
- Using the hot glue gun, glue a plastic milk jug lid into the bottom of each tube (the side with stripes) with the flat end to the outside.
- Arrange the tubes on the cardboard two by two, with the ends containing the lids on the cardboard base. Leave an inch or so in between the rows for napkins. Glue the tubes down. Let dry.
- Using the hot glue gun, glue a piece of blue chenille stem around the top of each tube. Glue gold chenille stems around the edges of the base.
As you lay out your decorations for the Fourth of July, don't forget to add this to your table. Place utensils in each tube, and stand napkins up in the middle for a beautiful and useful Fourth of July centerpiece.
