Patch Picks: Six Fourth of July Party Ideas

is coming up this weekend. By now you've probably thought to buy fireworks and get a big group of friends and family together to celebrate our great nation's birthday.

If you're hosting the party this year, you may be still working out the details of making it interesting and creative. There are a lot of patriotic ideas you can use to make it stand out, and this week's Patch Picks bring you just that. 

Patch Picks: Six Fourth of July Party Ideas

• Bake a cake — A flag cake, that is, or flag-iced cookies. All you have to do is bake your flavor of choice, then do your best to draw straight lines with red and white icing. For the star area, you can simply fill it in with blue or try your hand at making stars. For the icing impaired, ice the cake white, then use strawberries for red lines and blueberries for stars. Pick up everything you need at , , or .
• Decorate with Christmas lights — Still have red, white and blue lights lying around in a box from the holiday season? Pull them out and use them to accent your yard in twinkling patriotism. If you don't have any, you can surely find some at .
• Fourth of July cocktails — Keep the colors separate with martinis, blue curacao and campari cocktails. For a more complicated cocktail recipe, check this one out. Head to to stock up for these unique drinks, and keep in mind summer flavors like watermelon and raspberry.
• Make fun rocket favors — For instructions on how, peruse marthastewart.com. The favors are cute yet appropriate, for kids and adults alike. Fill them with whatever you want, though Stewart recommends American Starlight peppermint candies. Find what you need (besides the candy, which can be picked up at any grocery store), at .
• Use themed tableware — It doesn't have to be expensive or too nice, as a Fourth of July party is inherently casual. Still, if you're looking to go all out and want specialty linens, napkins or tablecloths, call up , or . Both will help you plan the perfect themed party.
• Buy color-themed flowers — You can use whatever red, white and blue flowers you like best, whether it's your own hand-made arrangement or an arrangement custom-made for the holiday. Head to for an increasing variety as the fourth draws near.