Happy 4th of July!

It's the 4th of July- one of my favorite holidays. Not only is it a fun holiday to celebrate as a proud American, it's also the holiday that my husband and I celebrate our birthdays around. With my day on the 2nd and his on the 4th, it's guaranteed to be a few days of celebration, fun and of course, food!

As part of my birthday, I had some uninterrupted time in my craft room. What a gift! I made a quick decoration for my front door, a birthday card for my husband and started a layout. I'm still playing with the layout, so I'll post it later. In it, I'm sharing the story of how we share our birthday celebration every year. It's something we've done since we met and is a special tradition for us. It's worth documenting.

My front door decor

Birthday card...Wish I had more of this paper. I love it!

The final bit of red, white and blue craftiness comes from my kids. We colored rice one morning and then the next day, made a simple centerpiece for our patio table. I enjoyed making the rice when I taught preschool and knew my kids would love it.

Materials: Rice, Rubbing alcohol and food coloring

For each cup of rice, I use about 2-3 T of Rubbing alcohol and 8-10 drops of food coloring. It's really up to you how intense you want the color to be. Mix all the material together.

(Sticking out your tongue, optional)

Spread it out on wax paper to dry. It doesn't take long.

After it was dry, my boys layered the colors in jars and vases. It was super easy for even my 3-year-old. Throw in some flags or leave it plain.

We had a lot of leftover rice, so I plan on using it for collaging and using it for sensory experience. I am planning a card making party with a patriotic theme in a couple of weeks, so I will probably leave this out on the patio. It's fun to adapt to other holidays, such as Christmas, too.

Hope you are enjoying the holiday and that it's full of fireworks and memories!