Memorial Day Ideas

Memorial Day is a few short days away and unofficially kicks off my favorite time of year…summer!

With Memorial Day this weekend, I thought I would share with you a few ideas that you can use to add that patriotic feeling into your home all summer long from now, through 4th of July, and all the way to Labor Day. I’ve had so much fun adding pops of red, white, and blue around our home that I hope you will do the same. I love that these colors serve as a reminder to me of how lucky my family is to call the United States home and how thankful I am for those that have served and are serving to protect our freedom that we can so easily take for granted.

I hope these ideas inspire you to add a little patriotic flair into your home this weekend as well as provide a reminder of what this upcoming holiday is truly about.

Memorial Day Décor Ideas

Simple touches are my favorite ways to incorporate patriotic décor into our home . Small splashes of red, white, and blue are you all you need to make your home feel festive.

Make the entrance of your home patriotic.

For our front door, I took the spring wreath we already had hanging on our front door and added a red, white, and blue pennant to the center of the wreath along with a red and white stripped bow. I simply hot glued the pennant to the grapevine base of the wreath (I kept the wreath out of the elements for 24 hours to ensure the hot glue would hold) and after the 4th of July, I can gently remove the pennant from wreath and use the wreath on its own for the rest of summer or store away and use again next spring. The red and white stripped ribbon was wired when I purchased it. I wanted more of a free flowing ribbon, so I removed the wire from the ribbon. After cutting the wire out of the ribbon, I loved how floppy the ribbon became and how the edges of the ribbon started fraying. It was exactly the look I was going for with this wreath. For a video on how I removed the wire from the ribbon, check out this reel I posted on Instagram.

Decorate with flags.

Flags are the easiest way to add red, white, and blue to your décor. I added a small planter full of red geraniums and white petunias to our outdoor bistro set, then inserted two medium sized American flags. I also added a small mason jar filled with small American flags to the table as well. Here are a few other ways you can decorate with flags; hang or drape them on walls or tables, small flags on wooden sticks can be placed in vases and displayed on a mantle or as a centerpiece for your tablescape, or simply place a few small flags into a floral arrangement. Make sure to purchase flags made in the USA! For links to the American made flags I used, click here.

Create a patriotic seasonal bouquet.

Grab a seasonal bouquet of flowers from your grocery store and add them to a unique vessel. Or, make your own bouquet with stems from your grocery store or cut stems from your own backyard! For this bouquet, I purchased blue hydrangeas, white stock, white freesia, and chamomile (I love that these look like little tiny daisies!). I arranged the cut stems inside of a glass vase, and then placed that vase inside of this white vintage looking olive bucket. For the perfect pop of red, I used the same red and white stripped ribbon I used on the wreath for our front door, and tied that onto the bucket handle. You could even add a couple of small flags to your bouquet to make it even more festive!

Memorial Day Food Ideas

Who doesn’t love All-American fare in the summertime?! What is better than a grilled hamburger, a sweet ear of corn, a slice of cold watermelon, or a delicious ice cream cone on a hot day! Here are a couple of desserts my family enjoys on Memorial Day & 4th of July as well.

A few years ago, I started making this flag fruit pizza for 4th of July. It’s so delicious and festive that I’ve started making it not only for 4th of July but Memorial Day weekend too. It’s simple and easy to make on a hot summer day, tastes amazing, and what other dessert looks like the American flag! Give this recipe a try, I promise it will be a crowd pleaser! The recipe I use is from Graceful Little Honey Bee and can be found here. (Recipe Note: Missy pipes whipped topping between the rows of strawberries, I do not do that.)

Last week I shared with you a delicious homemade vanilla ice cream recipe served with star sugar cookies. What is more Americana summer than a bowl or cone of ice cream?! Find my homemade vanilla ice cream recipe, here. It’s creamy, smooth, and oh so refreshing on a hot summer day!

This fruit salad couldn’t be easier to put together, and who doesn’t love fruit salad served at a cookout! It’s refreshing and you feel a little less guilty eating all the hot dogs and hamburgers when you have a little fruit on the side. This fruit salad will be the “star” of the cookout with watermelon pieces cut into adorable star shapes. Simply take a metal star cookie cutter (will be easier to cut with a metal cookie cutter than a plastic one), cut into 1/4″-1/2″ slices of watermelon, then place your star shaped watermelon pieces into a bowl. Sprinkle in some blueberries and raspberries and you have a side perfect for your get-togethers this summer!

Remembrance

Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. Of course, it’s a weekend to get together with friends and family for BBQ’s and cookouts, but it’s also a time to remember and honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. I am fortunate that I have never lost a friend or family member serving in the military, however there are so many that are not as fortunate. Take a moment this weekend to remember those that have lost their lives fighting for our freedom & liberties. Here are a few Memorial Day events taking place locally (check your local newspaper or town Facebook groups for events happening near you) and nationally this weekend to observe the holiday.

If you live in the metro-Boston area, consider visiting the Boston Common where a display of 37,000 American flags will dominate the landscape.  This garden of flags, put in place each May by Massachusetts military heroes, honors the memory of the Massachusetts service members who have given their lives to defend the United States and our freedom. For more information, click here.

National Memorial Day parade televised nationally on most major networks Monday, May 30th at 2 pm. For more information, click here.

National Memorial Day Concert televised nationally on PBS Sunday, May 29th at 8 pm. For more information, click here.

Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy the long three day weekend…I know we will.

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