A few tips for adding flavor to your Fourth of July holiday

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Celebrate: Let your flag fly

Mini ever-waving flags make any treat — be it a cake, cupcake or cocktail — fit for the Fourth of July. Brush 3-to-5-inch pieces of grosgrain ribbon with fabric stiffener, like Aleene’s ($7, amazon.com), then lay them on top of pencils to form the ripples. Prevent sticking by placing plastic wrap between the ribbon and the tools. Let set overnight; hot-glue them to wooden skewers.

Wavy Flag Cake

Get into the Fourth of July spirit with the festive buttermilk cake recipe accompanying this story. Fresh strawberries and blueberries, amped up with their respective jams, and rich buttercream frosting form the red, white and blue layers.

DIY decor

A casual backyard barbecue becomes a star-studded event with oversize ornaments twirling around. Simply bend and glue inexpensive brass strips from the hardware store to form celestial shapes. They will withstand the elements and catch the light as they spin in the breeze.

• 2 brass strips (each 1⁄2 inch wide and 36 inches long)

• Ruler

• Heavy-duty scissors

• Flat-nose pliers

• Strong adhesive

• String

1. With a pencil, mark seven 5-inch-long sections on one brass strip; cut off excess with scissors.

2. Using pliers, bend strip at each mark to form points of top part of star.

3. Cut a 17-inch-long strip. Mark at 1 inch, then three 5-inch intervals, and then another 1-inch interval. Bend at each mark to complete star. Glue short end sections of 17-inch strip to ends of first strip. Let dry 24 hours, then hang with string.

Where to get: K & S brass strips, 36 by 1⁄2 inch, $19 each, acehardware.com. E6000 clear adhesive, $5 for 2 ounces, homedepot.com.

Instant upgrade: happy campers

With a little paint, the classic folding stool is ready to come indoors, creating a chic entryway — and extra seating. To give the plain canvas some color, detach the seat from the base and lay it on a paper-covered surface. Brush on an easy pattern freehand, or block off areas with painters’ tape or geometric stencils before painting. Let the canvas dry overnight, then remove the tape and stencils and reassemble.

Where to get: Byer of Maine Pangean folding stools, $40 each, byerofmaine.com. Martha Stewart Crafts multisurface craft paint, from $2.50 for 2 ounces, michaels.com.