I love the Fourth of July!
Sure, fireworks going off in our neighborhood at all hours of the night aren’t on my favorites list. However, I not only love celebrating our country, but I really enjoy how this summer holiday encourages friends and families to get together.
To celebrate, I decided to share some free 4th of July party printables.
Hosting a 4th of July (or any holiday) get together doesn’t have to break the bank or be complicated. I like trying to make visiting with friends and families a priority, so I’m going to share some tips to make hosting a get together easier and more enjoyable.
Go Casual with Invitations
In the 4th of July party printables that I have free in this post, there is a 5×7 invitation. (There are actually two on a page to save on printing.) Or, if you’re going for even more casual, just send out emails or even texts.
Plan for a Potluck
I often find that one of the most time-consuming things about having a party is all of the food preparation. Why not skip out on some of this and depend on your guests to help fill out your menu? A great idea for this could be to plan to provide the entree (maybe burgers and hot dogs) and drinks and then ask each of your guests to bring a dish or dessert to share.
If you’re planning to do that, be sure to mention it in the invitation. You might consider asking people to RSVP and let you know what they’re planning to bring. This can help you make sure that you end up with a good variety of food.
Clean but Don’t Decorate
Decorating for a party can set a festive mood. But, do you know what else sets a festive mood? A host that’s not exhausted! Of course, it’s a great idea to clean your house ahead of time; if it’s particularly close friends or family even that might be optional. (Oh, you know it’s true. I just had the guts to say it.)
One of the reasons that I included cupcake toppers in the 4th of July party printables is that I think they make great party decorations. I know it’s a small and simple decoration, but you’d be surprised how much more festive your food area can look when you have out a platter of cupcakes that are all decorated for the party. Bonus!
Plan to Relax and Enjoy Yourself
Getting together with friends and family can be so much fun. But, do you know what isn’t fun? When you spend the whole time stressed out and busy! I know, because I have spent many a party thinking later that I hardly actually spoke to anyone because I was so busy with food, cleaning up messes, and making sure everyone was having a good time.
Do as much as you can ahead of time, get guests to help with some of the food or other things, and plan to actually visit and enjoy your party.
Take Care of Yourself
Having people over is fun, but it can also be tiring and hard on your body. So, after you’ve had your fun, you’ll want to clean up your house and clean up yourself!
Do you have any tried-and-true party planning tips?
Other 4th of July Posts You May Love
Join 20,000+ Other Awesome People
Subscribe to the Real Life at Home weekly newsletter to get our latest content, exclusive free printables, learning activities, and ideas for celebrating with your kids all year
Make lists and enlist help from friends and guests.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/738715132449165312
Use disposable dinnerware to save time of doing dishes. Have others help by bringing a dish or dessert to the party. And I like getting a lot of my party items, such as balloons and decorations at the $1 Dollar Store.
https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/738728527768358912
My best tip is to always make a list (don’t rely on memory) and don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends or family. You don’t have to do it alone. Others will gladly help.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/738734539674095616
When we plan our kids’ birthday parties our secret is sharing the responsibilities and we are never afraid to ask for help from our parents. They are usually more that willing to lend a hand. Take the cake for instance, I am the baker and my wife is the decorator and nobody would have it any other way. They wouldn’t eat a cake made by her and they wouldn’t be able to look at one made by me!
I shared on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/738753484498030593.
My tip is to stock up on drinks and snacks a few days before the party
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/738774086399066113
My tip is to set a few drink dispensers out so guests can help themselves.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/738782651834859521
I don’t have any tried and true tips but I definitely learnt alot.
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/738923399595069441
To never go overboard. You don’t need much for people to have a whole lot of fun!
Don’t have tips.
My best tip is to make recipes that don’t require a lot of refridgeration because you can put stuff out ahead of time and you only have so much fridge space!
tweet https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/739233896248709120
party planning tips, we do not do anything on the 4th: just stay home and enjoy a quite and lazy day.
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/739457767799279616
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
We like to have fun games available like a bean bag toss and bocce ball.
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/739556196047167488
My try and true party planning tip is plan ahead and only use recipe that I’ve tried in the past. 🙂
amy [at] uTry [dot] it
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/739564127723487232
amy [at] uTry [dot] it
Making ahead a checklist always helps me a lot for party planning.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
tweet-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/739638438400380928
My tip is to plan ahead and shop the sales and have lots of variety for your guests.
Plan ahead and stock up on drinks and snacks
My best tip is to choose foods that can be made ahead of time. It really helps you enjoy the day.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/740215361807777792
Make it an outdoor party and the clean up is a lot easier!
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
Lists, lists, and more lists! Use paper plates, silverware, cups, etc. And for thank you notes, have guests fill out an envelope with their address as they arrive. It only takes them a second and is so much easier on you! 🙂
Get the kids involved in the decorating. Even the littlest ones can color or doodle in festive colors. The older ones can make banners and such. A pack of construction paper, some crayons/markers and a designated time beforehand makes for some really cute party decos that your friends and relatives are sure to love!
Make as much as you can ahead of time! And use disposables where ever you can!
I use disposable dinnerware and cup, so I dont need to clean dishes!
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/743618136113549312
My tip is to do as much prep in advance as possible. This really cuts down on the host feeling overwhelmed.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/743906081378832384
We always try to keep it simple with lots of quick grilling foods and fruit that can be made ahead of time and lots of water games like water balloons and small swimming pools!
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/my4boysand1/status/744306235592290304
https://twitter.com/Natashalamoreu1/status/745028281976553472
Plan your party in advance so you can shop the sales. Also try to get an accurate head count so you’re not over purchasing.
We love to have a picnic with family and play games outside. truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com
https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/745997602353668096
My only tip is to do what you can in advance to prepare for the party day. Make some foods ahead of time if you can.
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/746832059721728000
Prepare as much as possible the night before and do it potluck style to make it easier on you.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
tweeted https://twitter.com/cshell202/status/746855436716957696
cshell090869 at aol dot com
Keep it simple, some crafts and games.
Tweet https://twitter.com/Lindiac/status/746891877702500352
Mu best tip is to shop the dollar stores for inexpensive decorations.
https://mobile.twitter.com/arress83/status/746899359778869249
My only tip is to have everyone bring sides or desserts. It’s so much easier than being responsible for all the food.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/747268693445357568
I do not plan party
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/747576222356504576
Have everyone bring something.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/748232969345708032
I like getting decorating items from the dollar store
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/748341160930906116
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I don’t host parties. The closest I get is the occasional pot luck so I can’t offer any tips.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/748378165081477120
Buy lots of food, have lots of party favors, and make sure there’s always something for the kids to do!
2nd entry https://mobile.twitter.com/Esham4life/status/748416051436732416
I posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/purplepanda1966/status/748517856875143170
I don’t really plan parties much but my tip would be to make lists and plan ahead
The #1 thing that I do for ALL of my parties is make them a pot luck and BYOB. I provide a main dish, plates etc., and a few beverage selections and everyone who comes brings a food dish and any drink they may want (BYOB is optional but food is not). Saves me so much time and headache and people really seem to love it.
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/748522230011805696
My tried-and-true party planning tip is to plan way ahead of time and get the invitations out as early as possible.
I publicly Tweeted this giveaway: https://twitter.com/versatileer/status/748630990566866944
Do as much as you can the day before so you have more time to enjoy your own party.
Thanks for the contest.
https://twitter.com/slehan/status/748633076046061568
I have no idea how to plan a party. Not something I do 🙂 Parties just happen when enough people show up! lol 🙂 That’s my “plan” 🙂
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/748662169202397184
I like to go casual….just make sure there’s plenty to eat and drink and be sure to introduce people who don’t know each other.
Tweeted-https://twitter.com/birdiebee52/status/748688467878481920
I buy all of my party supplies at the Dollar Tree (or dollar stores) to save money.