Crafters Anonymous: July 4th a perfect occasion to DIY
Andrea Cosnyka of Hooper likes to create crafts to celebrate the 4th of July.
Andrea Cosnyka of Hooper likes to create crafts to celebrate the 4th of July. This year she made wooden decorations for her home.
HOOPER — When it comes to celebrating July 4th, Andrea Cosnyka of Hooper already has red, white and blue bunting draped across her front porch in June.
She also spent the day on June 18 teaching other women in her church how to make wooden flags and candles to decorate for the holiday.
“I love the patriotic and rustic crafts,” Cosnyka said. “But I love this country more.”
I look forward to celebrating the July 4th with family and friends in West Point. Many of them come all decked out in red, white and blue outfits. We wave flags as the parade passes by on 300 North and then we gorge on hamburgers and hot dogs at the park. The evening is filled with fireworks and music.
As far as decorating and making crafts for the holiday, I seem to always let it slip by. But I’m hoping this year, after talking to Cosnyka, I can make a few things to make my home look more patriotic.
The 4th is not just one day for Cosnyka, but the entire summer. She covers her picnic table on her deck in red and white checkered table cloths. Her children end up wearing patriotic T-shirts at city events and she even dishes up food with a patriotic theme.
“I make a 4th of July cake with white frosting, then I decorate it with strawberries and blueberries,” Cosnyka said. “I also have made a a Jell-O dessert that way.”
Cosnyka gets some of her inspiration from Pinterest.
She has one board devoted to holiday crafts. Skimming through it I saw wreaths for the Fourth that looked simple to make; mason jars painted in red, white and blue and used as flower vases, and burlap patriotic toss pillows. She found the instructions for the wooden red, white and blue candles on Pinterest.
Cosnyka also follows “Simple Kierste” a blogger, who not only gives ideas for the national holiday,but for other times of the year. That is where Cosnyka found how to make the wooden flag blocks.
The blog shows how to make patriotic sprinkle cookies, which I think might make me “Grandma of the Year,” if I baked some for our family’s festivities. It looks simple. All you need is sugar cookie dough, popsicle sticks and red, white and blue sprinkles.
One of my favorite blogs is ”Kids Activities Blog.” The woman who writes it, not only features lots of ideas to do throughout the year, but has come up with more than 100 activities, craft and food ideas for July 4th.
Some of my favorite include a scavenger hunt, a simple paper windsock kids can make, a red, white and blue clothespin wreath to hang on a door and a patriotic paper lantern that reminds me of my elementary school days in Willard.
So if you’re thinking you would like to add some red, white and blue to your home, get on the internet. Stars and stripes craft inspiration is easy to find.
You can reach reporter Loretta Park at lpark@standard.net or at 801-625-4252. Follow her on Twitter@LorettaPark SE or like her on Facebook.