4th of July crafts have never been easier! Make this bright and patriotic door decoration with a wire coat hanger, crepe paper streamers, and some simple supplies.

(click here for a larger 4th of July craft image)

Here's one of the easiest 4th of July crafts to come along in about 200 years. You start with a wire coat hanger bent into a rectangle. Twist on little strips of red, white and blue crepe paper. Embellish with a patriotic vintage image, some glittery stars and a small flag, and...

you have a soul-stirring decoration for your front door or window! Even little kids can help make this one. Or, you can make it on July 3rd and still be on time for the parade.

Materials

1. Vintage image, (Free Adobe PDF download) printed on matte photo paper.
2. A wire coat hanger (see Tips).
3. Three rolls of crepe paper streamers in red, white and blue (see Tips).
4. Construction paper in red, white and blue.
5. Metallic silver paper or Mylar (self-stick is easiest).
6. Eight silver tinsel chenille rods.
7. Star-shape (1.5") paper punch, or a star template (See Tips).
8. Glue stick.
9. Tacky craft glue (like Aleen's)
10. Transparent tape.
11. Scissors or craft knife.
12. Decorative-edge scissors.
13. Ruler or tape measure.
14. Needle-nose pliers.

Instructions for 4th of July Crafts

1. Measure around the outside (perimeter) of the coat hanger to determine the dimensions of the rectangle you will form (Our coat hanger measured 34", so we made our rectangle 7.5" wide by 9.5" high). Using needle-nose pliers, bend the hanger into a vertical rectangle (These instructions are for a vertical rectangle using the vertical vintage image. If you choose a horizontal rectangle for the horizontal vintage image, adapt the instructions to your dimensions - See Tips). Bend the hook of the hanger closed, into a hanging loop.
2. With scissors, cut about 120 3"-long strips of each color of the crepe paper streamers.
3. Twist a strip of red crepe paper once, into a bow tie shape. Place it on the bottom wire of the rectangle and twist it once completely around the wire. Push the twisted paper to the left corner of the rectangle. Repeat this process about 50 times, pushing each piece tight up against the others. Now and then, arrange the strips around the wire - it should look full and fluffy. Continue until the bottom side of the rectangle is completely filled.
4. Repeat this procedure with white crepe paper on each side, pushing the white twisted strips tight into the corners against the red paper, until you have covered about 2.5" of each side with white.
5. Before starting the next red section, place a tinsel chenille rod across the rectangle, and twist it on to the wire at both ends. Push it tight against the white crepe paper, aligning it parallel with the bottom of the rectangle. This will be one cross-brace for attaching the vintage image.
6. Start twisting red crepe paper strips again, pushing them tight against the white paper until you have covered another 2.5" of wire on both sides of the rectangle.
7. Continue with another 2.5" of white on both sides.
8. Place another tinsel chenille rod across the rectangle, and twist it on to the wires at both ends, pushing it tight against the white section.
9. Continue with strips of blue crepe paper for about 1" on both sides.
10. Twist on two tinsel chenille rods, one on each side of the rectangle, pointing outward. (These will be bent into spirals for the shooting stars)
11. Continue adding blue crepe paper strips until both sides are tight and full to the corners.
12. Attach two more tinsel chenille rods at each top corner, pointing outward.
13. On the top and final side, continue with blue crepe paper strips. When you have covered about 2.5" from each corner, attach two more tinsel chenille rods. Continue adding blue strips until you reach the center hook.
14. With the star-shape paper punch (or using a 1.5" star template) cut out six stars from the silver metallic paper.
15. Cut a 4" X 8" piece of white construction paper and fold it in half to 4" X 4". Self-stick (or glue) one silver star in the center of the square. With scissors, cut around the star shape, leaving a 1/8" border of paper (Keep the two pieces of paper together, because you'll be gluing them back to back and you want them aligned). Repeat this until you have two sets of stars in each color; red, white and blue.
    
    
16. Place the end of one of the attached tinsel chenille rods between the two matched stars and glue them together with tacky craft glue. Clip it together with a clothes pin or paper clip while it dries. Repeat this with each color star (We arranged our stars in the order of blue, white and red, radiating from the center).
    
    
17. Shape the tinsel chenille rods into spirals by wrapping them around a marker, pen or dowel.
    
    
18. Using the glue stick, attach the vintage image to a piece of silver metallic paper. Cut around the image with decorative scissors, leaving a 1/4" border of silver.
19. With tape or tacky craft glue, attach the image to the parallel tinsel chenille rods in the center of the rectangle.
20. With tape, attach the small flag to the stem of the wire loop at the top. You may have to cut the flag pole short. Alternatively, you can attach a big red, white and blue bow to decorate the loop. Basically - cover the loop. There you have it - a dazzling and decorative 4th of July craft!

Tips

• If you have a choice, use a sturdy wire coat hanger rather than the flimsy variety. You'll need to use needle-nose pliers to bend it. Be careful and bend the wire slowly. Bend too fast or too much, and it may break.
• If you decide to make the horizontal rectangle, you will have to adjust your crepe paper colors a little (more red and blue than white), and place your chenille rod cross-braces vertically instead of horizontally.
• A typical roll of crepe paper streamer is about 80 feet long. For this craft, you will probably use about 35-40 feet of each color. You can probably use the rest for decorating or other 4th of July crafts.
• We used a star-shape paper punch that made a silver metallic star about 1.5" wide. If you don't have a punch, you can use the star template we provide, or you can just draw and cut a freehand star.

4th of July crafts can be a great way to occupy the kids before a barbecue. If you bend the coat hangers into circles, you can simplify this craft to create red, white and blue striped wreaths. No glue, no tools, just twisting and fluffing.

Another one of our 4th of July crafts is the vintage cracker - also very easy for children to make. Just use the horizontal image (provided for this door decoration) with red, white and blue crepe paper wrapping! Or try our more ambitious Independence Day Wreath as a tribute to America's patriotic songs.