Ahoy mate! Celebrate red, white and blue this Fourth of July with a nautical "from sea to shining sea" party. Invite your crew over for a sailin' good time at this backyard seaside inspired Fourth of July party! From coast to coast, whether you are hosting a backyard BBQ, beach bash or a pool party, this party is full of creative ideas that are patriotic and fun!
Last year we hosted a rustic summer seafood boil and it was such a hit with our friends! I thought it would be fun to try a slightly different spin on the same concept with this nautical 4th of July clam bake. This American tradition is the perfect meal to enjoy with friends and family while celebrating freedom, soaking in the sun and watching fireworks. Plus, it's actually quite easy to recreate this red, white, and blue nautical party table because you can find everything in one place.
I always like to start by creating a focal point for all the party fun and this simple table is the perfect place for food, desserts and festive decorations. I started by creating a nautical backdrop with jute cording, nautical flags, and nautical paper. I tied knots in the jute cording to create a rope garland, then I took apart the nautical flags and strung them together to make a colorful banner. Finally, I made my own paper banner with nautical paper cut into pennant shapes and strung on jute twine. I added a life preserver wall decoration above the banners to complete the look.
Next, I decided to create some custom signs for our nautical-inspired celebration. I used a large white canvas and cut out the saying "From Sea to Shining Sea" in red and blue vinyl. I used the jute cording to spell out the second "sea" to give it a more dimensional look and feel. I painted the DIY Slat Sign aqua and then added a vinyl anchor and "AHOY" saying to the sign.
In addition to all the cute banners I found at Oriental Trading I made a DIY Nautical Wine Cork Garland. I think it's the perfect addition to the simple and rustic decor.
I kept things simple on the table and added some height for dessert displays with rustic crates and metal tiered serving trays. I made a DIY Chipboard Anchor Cake Topper and added some jute twine to it. I painted some of the DIY unfinished wood anchor shapes, added jute twine and then added a food-safe stick to the back of them to create fun cupcake toppers.
One of my favorite summer desserts is a refreshing Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Parfait. It's a light and fluffy no-bake treat that is sweet and tart all rolled into one beautiful dessert. Plus, the pop of yellow is the perfect compliment to the rustic red, white and blue decor.
Once I had the display table all set up and ready to go it was time to decorate the table where guests would sit and enjoy this patriotic clam bake. I love creating a beautiful place where guests can sit and linger longer over good food, great conversation and special friendships. I covered the table with burlap and then added white plates, layered with blue and white striped plates and red plates. I used the same DIY Burlap Utensil Holders I made for our crawfish boil last year because they worked so well! This was the perfect place for guests to sit and dig in to the delicious seafood from our clam bake or a sweet treat.
I created a simple centerpiece with a navy table runner, white sand, seashells, white lanterns and the nautical lighthouse centerpiece.
I hope you're inspired to grab your friends and family this 4th of July and host a clam bake! Even if you don't live in New England, you can still enjoy this classic Americana meal with a patriotic flair and lots of nautical inspiration. So whether you are at the lake, beach or your backyard, get creative this 4th of July and host a nautical-inspired party and "seas the day!"
