Be Festive for the Fourth with a DIY Patriotic Tee

This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by Expressions Vinyl. Hey, y'all!  I have so much awesomeness to share with you in today's post!!!  First of all, today I've teamed up with fourteen other bloggers for a Red, White and Blue Vinyl Round Up!  Each of us are sharing Fourth of July projects featuring red, white, and blue vinyl from Expressions Vinyl.  My project is a Fourth of July T-shirt featuring a design I hand-lettered, and of course I'm sharing the free Silhouette cut file with you so you can make your own.  And as if that wasn't enough awesomeness, at the end of the post you'll have the opportunity to enter to win a $100 gift card to Expressions Vinyl.     Eek!  So exciting!

To make your own Patriotic Fourth of July Tee, you'll need a few supplies.

Free Hand-Lettered Patriotic Printable

Hey, y'all!  I have a few items on my summer to-do list, and one of those items is *almost* checked off already!  I signed up to take an e-course to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator.  Yep, I finally decided that I would learn a big scary program like Illustrator, and guess what?  I finished my class Friday, and I practiced my new found skills (and my hand lettering) to create a fun free printable for y'all.

After watching all the instructional videos, practicing with the program is really helping me learn.  Let's face it; with the technology, the best way to learn is to do.  So while it took me way longer than I'd like to admit to create this freebie for you, I am so very proud of it.  I am first and foremost a dreamer and not always a doer, so the fact that I dove head first into this class makes me a little more confident about acting on more of my dreams.

You can download this 8 1/2" x 11" print {HERE}.  I hope you are able to use this printable featuring a few lines from our beloved Pledge of Allegiance for your Fourth of July decor or maybe even to decorate at your Independence Day Barbecue.  It's a great reminder of the freedoms we enjoy in America.  And for me, it's also a reminder to try new things and reach for my goals.  Happy July 4th!

Related Posts:

 DIY Patriotic Wooden Place Cards

Free Printable Patriotic Journal Cards

60 Red, White & Blue Projects

DIY Patriotic Wooden Place Cards

Hey, y'all!  I seriously cannot believe it's June already.  Can you?  This week is my last week of school, and I can't wait for my summer break so that I can work on lots more projects and blog more.  Of course, when I think of summer, I think of backyard barbecues and family get-togethers, especially for the ever-special American holiday Independence Day.  I know there are lots of people who go all out for their Fourth of July celebrations, so today I want to share a fun patriotic project I created that's perfect for making your Fourth of July get-together a little more festive: DIY Patriotic Wooden Place Cards!

Not only do the place cards add red, white, and blue flair to the table, they are also something guests can take home with them.  And, of course, by simply changing the color scheme, these place cards would be perfect for any holiday or occasion.

{Free Printable 3x4 Patriotic Journal Cards}

Hey, y'all!  I have a fun freebie for you today.  Are you a Project Lifer?  A while back, I made some free printable 3x4 journal cards perfect for Project Life Albums (you can find them HERE), and I had so much fun  making them that I wanted to make some more for you.  The most recent ones I created have a patriotic theme just in time for the Fourth of July.

Aren't they fun?!  (The digital papers I used to create them came from Free Pretty Things for You and The Cottage Market.  Those ladies have the BEST freebies all the time!)  I like all the journal cards, but I think my favorite is the "BOOM" one.  It would look so great paired with pictures of your little ones enjoying fireworks.  You can download the journal cards {HERE}.  Please keep in mind that all my printables are for personal use only. 

I hope you enjoy them!  And don't forget that there are three awesome giveaways currently happening on the blog: the Consumer Crafts Shopping Spree Giveaway, the Amazon Gift Card Giveaway, and the Alison Storry Jewelry Shop Credit Giveaway.  Make sure you enter them before it's too late!  Good luck!

{Recycled Patriotic Vase}

Hey, y'all!  The Fourth of July is almost upon us, and today I have a great piece of easy-to-make decor for your mantel, table, or that you could give as a hostess gift.  (I originally shared this post at Through the Eyes of the Mrs.)

To make this patriotic vase, all you need is some type of container you'd like to recycle and some patriotic colored ribbon, fabric, paper and embellishments.

I had a small peanut container to reuse.  You could use a tin can or even something like a Pringles container.  I also pulled some ribbon, fabric, and an embellishment from my craft stash.  Once you have all the supplies, you can transform your container in three easy steps.

1.  Cover the outside of your container with paper using double stick tape.  I simply used brown craft paper, but scrapbook paper would look pretty too. 2.  Attach ribbon and fabric to your container with hot glue. 3.  Attach some type of embellishment as your finishing touch.  I had a wooden scrapbook embellishment that I thought was perfect for the FOURth of July.  :) Then all that's left is to add flowers.

I cut some gardenias from my yard and put them in a small votive holder and put the votive holder in my vase.  (I wasn't sure if the peanut container was waterproof.)

Your decorated container doesn't just have to be a vase.  It would work great as a silverware holder too!  Before you throw away a container, take a good look at it to see if it's something that you can make into a festive piece of decor for your next get together.