The 16 Best Red, White, and Blue Entertaining Essentials to Elevate Your Fourth of July Party
You'll likely be hosting and attending cookouts all warm-weather season long, but if there's one outdoor event that goes above the rest during summer, it's the Fourth of July. The holiday is a time when many deck out their spaces with patriotic motifs—think stars and flags—and plan their most grill-centric menu of the season. You know that orchestrating the perfect Independence Day celebration has a lot of moving parts, but one way to make your event feel extra festive is by stocking your entertainment arsenal with a few red, white, and blue items.
Incorporating the three main colors of the American flag into your party will quickly set your outdoor fête apart from other summer barbecues you've thrown this season. "Fourth of July is red, white, and blue all day," says Kristine Cooke, an event planner and designer at Simply Charming Socials. "By using color, you instantly transform a boring summer social into a patriotic party." Cooke notes that the three main hues can be incorporated into almost any element of the event. Serve chips and dip in these Golden Rabbit Swirl Enamel Serving Bowls, ($49, potterybarn.com) for a subtle pop of red, or elevate your tablescape with this Cherry Blossom Trellis Block Print Table Throw ($149, potterybarn.com) that features all three colors in muted tones. "Choose a few select details to colorwash in red, white, or blue, and you have a Fourth affair to remember," Cooke says.
The Best Red, White, and Blue Entertaining Essentials
- Pottery Barn Dalton Check Yarn Dyed Napkins
- Threshold Paper Charger with Fringe
- Le Creuset Heritage Chambray Covered Rectangular Casserole Dish
- Food52 Blue and White Stripe Picnic Basket
- Kate Spade New York Charlotte Street Collection Wine Glasses Set
- Williams Sonoma American Flag Cocktail Napkins
- Pottery Barn Cherry Blossom Trellis Block Print Table Throw
- Permasteel Blue Rolling Patio Cooler
- Sonos Roam Portable Speaker
- Pottery Barn Golden Rabbit Swirl Enamel Serving Bowls
While you can certainly make your Fourth of July party as festive as you wish, here, we've compiled a list of our must-have red, white, and blue entertaining essentials to inspire your own.
Pottery Barn Dalton Check Yarn Dyed Napkins
Give your Fourth of July celebration a rustic vibe with this set of bold buffalo check printed napkins. Available in both blue-and-red patterns, the cotton and linen blend serviettes feels weighty and high quality in-hand. Another plus? They're yarn-dyed, meaning the color won't fade from frequent washing.
Threshold Paper Charger with Fringe
The dark-blue color on these fringe chargers will look great under your dinner plates when it's time to sit down for your Fourth of July feast. It's a subtle way to nod to the holiday's official colors without leaning too heavily on popular Independence Day motifs. The woven construction adds a textured flair to your tablescape and will help catch any crumbs and spills from landing directly on your table.
Le Creuset Heritage Chambray Covered Rectangular Casserole Dish
Cooke loves this chambray-hued baking dish, which she says "goes from oven to table with style." Available in three different blue hues and two reds, you can choose what you think looks the most festive. No matter what color you go with, dips, desserts, and more will look stunning when served in the enamel-glazed stoneware dish.
Williams Sonoma American Flag Cocktail Napkins
Sip on your drink of choice in style with these cocktail napkins, which have a small American flag printed in the lower right corner. Made of 100-percent cotton, the machine washable serviettes will quickly absorb any fallen moisture from your beverage as it sweats in the summer heat.
Food52 Blue and White Stripe Picnic Basket
Perhaps you're planning a Fourth of July on the go. If that's the case, Cooke says to consider adding this picnic basket to your entertaining arsenal, as it's lined with a festive blue-and-white striped cloth. Carry all of your favorite picnic foods and beverages inside and your outdoor fête will be as successful as a big barbecue at home.
Pottery Barn Cherry Blossom Trellis Block Print Table Throw
Inspired by Japanese cherry blossom trees, this handmade runner will elevate your Fourth of July spread with its red, white, and blue color palette. To make the table cloth, skilled artisans hand carve wood blocks, ink them, then apply them by hand to create the intricate pattern that's completely unique every time. What's more, it's machine washable, so you won't have to worry about messes and spills during your festivities.
Permasteel Blue Rolling Patio Cooler
As your Fourth of July event is likely outdoors, it helps to have a cooler outside so guests don't have to keep going inside to get a drink. Jove Meyer, owner and creative director of Jove Meyer Events, says he loves this chic, on-wheels options. "It has a bottle opener attached and it comes in red, white, or blue," he notes. The vintage design can hold up to 110 12-ounce cans with plenty of room for ice—plus the vessel will keep your drinks cold for up to 36 hours.
Sonos Roam Portable Speaker
"Music sets the tone for every party, and having a portable speaker is so helpful," Meyer says. To stay on theme, he recommends this design from Sonos, which comes in blue and white, as well. The waterproof speaker can be kept poolside during your event and its 10-hour battery life means it will play tunes for your guests all evening long.
Le Creuset Mini Round Cocotte
Dessert will look stunning in these miniature cocottes from Le Creuset. The individual pots create a stunning presentation on the table during your Independence Day celebration, especially when you choose one of the blue shades. Inside, serve a blueberry or strawberry cobbler to keep the color palette going.
Pottery Barn Golden Rabbit Swirl Enamel Serving Bowls
Whether you go with the cobalt blue or red pattern, these speckled enamel bowls are perfect for serving chips, salads, and other foods during your patriotic party. Each piece, which is made of carbon steel coated with a porcelain enamel, is hand-dipped so you know you're getting something truly unique.
Made In Dinner Plates
Looking to craft a subtle place setting? These durable clay plates are available with a red or blue rim, or in plain white (why not mix and match?). Thanks to their scratch-resistant material, the four-piece servingware set will make it through a lively evening without a single scuff.
Kate Spade New York Charlotte Street Collection Wine Glasses Set
The cobalt blue spiral will add unique style to your barware collection all year long, but it's especially striking when incorporated into a modern red, white, and blue tablescape.
Pottery Barn Flag Embroidered Pillow Cover
If you want your Fourth of July décor to incorporate popular motifs like the American flag, consider adding this stars and stripes pillow from Pottery Barn to your cart. Made of cotton sheeting, the machine washable pillow cover is soft and comfortable—and perfect for lounging.
Williams Sonoma American Flag Appetizer Plates
Simple and charming, these American flag-etched stoneware pieces, which come in a set of four, can be used to serve pre-BBQ appetizers or post-fireworks desserts. Plus, they're dishwasher-safe, so post-party clean up will be a breeze.
Pottery Barn Americana Watercolor Napkins
Featuring stars and stripes in a watercolor design, these machine-washable cotton and linen napkins have a vintage vibe. The set of four comes with two napkins printed with stars in various blue hues and two with chunky red stripes.
Society 6 x Whut Red-White-and-Blue Serving Tray
This eco-friendly bamboo tray is perfect for serving cured meats, artisanal cheeses, nuts, and other charcuterie fixings on. Its unique red, white, and blue checkered print has a glossy finish that will maintain its design for many Fourth of July celebrations to come.