Celebrate the Fourth of July with Friends

Every year a holiday comes up on the Fourth of July.  This is known as Independence Day in the United States.  It is a great time for a gathering.  Barbecues are especially popular, but indoor gatherings are also fun to all.  

Hosting such a gathering requires having the right items available.  Food, drink, and music are practically essential for such a gathering.  It is impossible to have a barbeque without food on the grill, and drinks to accompany it.  This brings up a need for the host or hostess to have a way of serving the food.  Plates, utensils, napkins, and cups are essential.  One other thing that is helpful is a tray or two for carrying items from the grilling area to a table.  

Other thing one would want for a successful party are decorations.  If one is cleaver the serving items can have images that reflect the party theme.  This allows those essential items to serve as decorations.

So, how would one begin.  First decide or the guest list and plan the food and drinks.  But the guests must be informed of the party.  A "Save the Date" card allows the hosting person or group to give advanced notice before the details are planned.  Follow with an invitation once a venue has been determined and the date and time of the party is known.

You can easily find the items you need, from cards announcing your party to serving dishes that can be discarded after use here.  (This is an affiliate ad link at Zazzle.)  In fact, decorative balloons can also be found on Zazzle.

Some items as examples:

One nice thing about a Fourth of July party is the menu can be traditional, hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, ribs if you like, and such side dishes as beans and corn.  Picnic food is easy, and even for an indoor party you can serve picnic food for the occasion.

 

UFO Theme Party Supplies

 

UFO Watch Party

 

If you are looking for a fun party theme that you can use to get friends together, consider having a UFO (or now UAP) party.  This will get lively conversation among your guests.

 

If you have an outdoor place to hold your party consider making it a UFO watch party.  This works best at night. 

 

So, what would you need to make a successful party?  Food and drinks work well.  But there are things required to serve food on, such as plates, and to serve drinks in, such as cups.  Napkins and coasters are good to have as well.  You can find UFO themed party supplies on Zazzle. 

 

If you would like to go first class, consider a UFO party tray to help serve your guests.

 

Where can you find these on Zazzle without searching for item after item?  Look here for a nice collection.  This link is an affiliate ad link.

In addition to the party supplies mentioned above you can also find confetti which can be used as table scatters.  But a real nice addition would be balloons that can add much to the decoration of the venue.  Balloons can be called UFO decoys and you can claim they might lure in alien visitors.

Find some Theremin music to really add to the mood.  

Zazzle Wooden Trays as Party Supplies

 

Zazzle Serving Trays as Party Supplies

 

Zazzle has a myriad of items one can create.  Serving Trays on Zazzle are easy to design, so I choose serving trays to illustrate what can be done.  I will discuss two types of serving trays here.

 

One type of serving tray, the one I think offers incredible appearance if well designed, is wooden.  The other is made of acrylic.  It too offers an opportunity to design a very desirable product.

 

The first thing needed is to have an audience, which is very important.  Design with the intended user of the product in mind.  Be mindful that a search engine will help people get to your product, so write a description that will have the right people directed to your product. 

 

Be Open to a Wide Audience

 

Zazzle operates internationally.  Many of my sales go to international recipients.  Do not underestimate the wider focus of appeal.  Once a product is made for one group it is easy to alter it and offer it to another.  In the examples of my products observe how a product designed for an audience in the United States has been easily changed to a product designed for use in other countries.

 

The Wooden Serving Tray

 

I found a nice serving tray with a blank space at the bottom of the inside.  My idea was to decorate the space with a United States flag image.  Since the image does not completely cover the inner bottom of the tray, I choose blue as a backdrop for a flag, but I needed a shade of blue that would not blend with the blue in the flag.

 

I had two images available.  One was of a waving flag and the other of a fully opened flag.  I liked the waving flag, but it would not work.  There was a rectangular image with white where the waving flag did not cover.  These small patches of white would look strange.  So, I tried the rectangular flag that occupied the entirety of the image.

 

My thought for words was to reference the huge event about to occur, the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the original Independence Day, the Fourth of July.  But I like products that are evergreen, products that can be useful in the future.  So, I let the flag hint at the holiday and added the word barbecue.  The tray is rustic looking enough to hold barbecued foods.  Now it is just a patriotic tray that can be used anytime, and it will continue to be useful in the future.

 

The Zazzle Wooden Tray

 

One has to decide which option one wants.  This tray comes with a choice of natural wood or black, and in two sizes.  Below I show one with the black option where I altered the background color to black to blend with the sides of the tray.  Be flexible.

This is part of a collection of Patriotic Party supplies.  This is an affiliate ad link.  

This is a tray with the United States flag.

Adapting to an International Audience

 

I also had an image of the Union Jack of the United Kingdom.  The problem here is there is no patriotic party opportunity to celebrate, unless one celebrates such things as the monarch’s birthday.  However, after reflection realized the British have frequent opportunity to use such a tray.  I can visualize a nice wooden tray being used to carry tea and supporting food such as scones to a gathering for afternoon tea. 

 

Canada gives us another opportunity to design a tray with celebrating Canada Day.  But that is a once in year celebration.  So, I added words, and was careful not to restrict the design, to include hockey parties. 

These are located in the collection of Party Supplies and Decorations.  This is an affiliate ad link.  

Acrylic Trays are more formal looking than wooden trays.

Independence Day - The Fourth of July

Every Fourth of July, many people in the United States celebrate Independence Day.  The typical celebration is a picnic, or party where the food served is typical picnic food.  So, if you are hosting a party what will you need?

First, you will need something to serve the food on.  Paper plates and cups, along with paper napkins, are often used to serve a large gathering.   And plastic utensils are also called for.  These work well whether you have a family picnic, bring a meal to a public celebration, or eat indoors.  Choose a patriotic theme, and make certain you have enough for those pieces accidentally dropped or thrown away, especially if there will be children at the event.

 

Decorations always help, especially for indoor events.  While well chosen serving pieces can help with the decorations, table centerpieces, scatter decorations, banners, and even balloons can be used.  And it is always appropriate to set out American flags.

You might also want to dress the part.  A patriotic cap is a nice accessory and can be reused on other occasions.

United States of America Flag Trucker Hat
by blackspanielgallery

Since the food is likely to be grilled, using grilling baskets is a good choice.  Choose the ones that are nonstick, and not only will the food not be damaged, but cleaning will be easier.  And these baskets allow flipping multiple burgers at one time, so they all cook alike.  In fact, there are special grilling baskets for different kinds of food.   I suggest one for burgers, one for hot dogs, and one for ears of corn.

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Wonder Woman Costumes and Party Supplies

Wonder woman is currently very popular, and should be this Halloween.  For costumes, there are two very different versions. the Diana Prince costume from the 2017 movie and the Wonder woman costume inspired by the television series.

For parties, adults have to choose.  The new costumes are more militant looking, while the older costumes are bright and more feminine,




For a budget version, which is especially good for a parent with children wearing related costumes, or for escorting children for trick or treat select the simple shirt with a few accessories.




Teens and tweens might well opt for a Wonder woman costume for a party.  They do come is a multitude of sizes for different ages.




Of course a child may want a wonder woman costume for a party as well, bt a child may simply want to dress for trick or treating.



Even the family pet can be dressed up.





Wonder Woman party themes require special party supplyes.  These can also be used with other Justice League party supplies.



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Halloween Balloons for 2017

Halloween balloons can be use to add to the decorations for a Halloween party.  There are many options.  some are large, and can float above the gathering, or serve as a table centerpiece.  Other, smaller balloons can be used in a balloon bouquet, or scattered about the room.

If the party has a theme match the balloons to the theme just as you would any other decoration.  Make your balloons part of the festivities.

Imagine these scattered about. small, Halloween themed balloons can add wonders, and if there are choldren present you can allow each to take on home. Smaller balloons can serve a double role, decorations and party favors.





Large balloons can really make a statement. Look for a balloon that matches your theme.


 



 To make your balloon fly high use helium.


 


 To really have interactive fun, get an Air swimmer shark. This is a remote controlled shark that can be made to swim between the guests, go hgh above the guests, or descend into the crowd. You control the shark

.


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Zombies Remain Popular for Party Themes and for Cstumes

Every year as Halloween come near people get invited to costume parties.  And, every year the same dilemma occurs, deciding what costume will really get noticed, perhaps enough to win a prize in a costume contest.  If you want to be certain that you are wearing something that will set you apart, it needs to be unique.  Expensive may not get you the intended results, since an expensive costume that looks like the inexpensive one for the same character may not get the notice desired judges of the contest.

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Zombies Are Popular

And Zombies Are Unique.

Whether you are into scary horror movies or not, you probably know what a Zombie is, a person who is supposed to be dead, yet walks around.  So, how do Zombies dress?  Well, a movie can have hundreds of extras playing Zombies and each will dress differently.  There is no one definitive costume.  Basically, Zombies walk stiff legged, so their clothing is usually a bit tattered which can be attributed to their bumping into things causing damage to their clothing.  The typical Zombie is bloodied, which can be associated with the manner the Zombie died.  And, some dirty element is often there, since the Zombie may have been buried in the past.  But aside from those things there is nothing that says Zombie. There is no giant S, no black cape, and no pointed ears.  The clothing the Zombie wears is whatever the Zombie had on when the Zombie died.  Fake blood or a protruding weapon can help say Zombie, but can be taken from a wide range of possibilities.

Zombie Costumes Are Plentiful

Actually, a Zombie party can itself be fun, where all the guests come as Zombies.  A grave yard decorating theme, a few well chosen decorations, and Zombie party supplies can make a fun night, especially on Halloween.  I especially like the fake labels for the drinks.

Suppose a person wears a Superman costume.  Then, at a party a second person comes in as Superman.  There certainly will be comparisons made, and let’s face it, not every costume has every detail.  Oh, it is possible that two different authentic costumes will be worn, since Superman, like most comic book characters, evolved over the years.  But, after an original Superman costume and a modern Superman costume, what else is there?  So, in the costume contest any person dressed as Superman runs into a problem, the judges probably have seen a very similar costume before, even last year.  This eliminates the uniqueness prize, and probably the best costume prize.

Zombies each can have a unique look, but only if the person wearing the costume is creative.  Add to it.  Add a fake dagger and some fake blood.  The fake dagger should give the impression of being embedded in the Zombie.  This will make the costume unique, but why stop there?  Make it really unique.  Pair the Zombie costume with a mask.    Even if someone else buys the same costume as you have, the odds are low that it will be altered with the same accessories, and even lower that it will be paired with the same mask.

Zombies Are Men, Women, and Children

Zombies come in both genders, so both men and women can wear Zombie costumes.  In fact, couples Zombies is a possibility.  Just watch where any accessories are placed if there is dancing at the party, they can get in the way.  

Costumes for Children

Trick or Treating

Zombie costumes for children out trick or treating will also work.  It is likely to be a popular costume for Halloween.  Children, when approaching a door, can go into their Zombie walk with their candy bag held out.  Children enjoy action, so adding the Zombie walk may heighten the enjoyment of the experience.

Of course Zombies do not speak, so children trick or treating should make the exception to staying in character by saying trick or treat.  And, they should also say thank you after the goodies are dropped into their bags.  Then they can resume the role as they walk away.

limate Friendly Costumes Climate Friendly Costumes One problem with Halloween costumes is they are often bought or made weeks in advance. This would work fine if we could know in advance if it will be warm or cold. A simple shirt change, or an added shirt beneath the outer costume can help with temperature problems. For adults, an indoor party is less likely to have a temperature problem than for children out trick or treating.