How to Make Your 4th Of July BBQ Table Sparkle

Want your 4th of July bbq table to look as good as the food coming off the grill tastes? Read on for how to create this muted red, white, and blue tablescape for your holiday weekend party!

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Sometimes softening a traditional holiday color palette brings and updated twist on an old favorite. That’s what I was going for in this muted patriotic tablescape that would be perfect for your Memorial Day or 4th of July celebrations.

The overall design includes TONS of texture – tassels, fringe, woven rattan. As the sun sets, the flickering candles in the hanging lantern installation cast a lovely glow and provide a festive ambiance.

You can pull off this look too with just a few key pieces! I’ll show you how.

In this post, we’ll walk through each layer of this Fourth of July party table setting, including shopable links to where you can find each item. So, fire up the grill and let’s make our tables sparkle!

This post is all about 4th of July bbq table setting ideas.

4th of July Table Linens

Soft navy star napkins were the jumping off point for this tablescape. I purchased these last summer for 4th of July, and LOVE them. A subtle design that is still in the holiday spirit. The material is more of a thicker canvass cloth, giving them a casual vibe.

New in this year is a red and white stripe tassel tablecloth. I used the blue version – also a summer of 2020 purchase – in a nautical inspired Father’s Day tablescape. While blue is definitely the more versatile color of the two, red is a fun option to have around! A soft, muted tone, blue accents pop right off of it!

Lastly, the blue charger placemats – also new in this year. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the fringe edge and white stitched details, shall we? I mean, how cute, right!? I’m obsessed.

All of these pieces are from Amazon – quite reasonably priced and delivered right to your door!

Patriotic Place Cards and Dishes

Next, lets talk place settings. I used my oldie but goodie white dishes from Crate & Barrel. Stacking a salad plate plus a small square bowl on top of the dinner plate gives the eye a feast of layered dimension.

Stacking dishes might seem impractical in reality. Honestly, I’ve thought that myself. They may look cute in a picture, but how does that actually translate into real life?

As long as your menu makes sense for the order in which the dishes are layered, you can make it work. In this case, you could serve:

Bowl: 4th of July inspired red, white, and blue fruit salad (like this one from Show Me the Yummy)
Salad plate: Caesar salad
Dinner plate: Main course – whatever Americana fare you’re grilling plus sides

Moving on, the place cards. I cut apart a wood star banner I found at Target last summer. The individual stars as place cards were tucked inside the square bowls. Using twine, I tied a bow on each as a finishing touch.

Since chances are you don’t have this same star banner, you can recreate this look by using wooden star cutouts instead.

The Perfect Summer Glassware and Cutlery

Can I tell you how excited I am to FINALLY have these rattan glasses? I have been eyeing them forever and am so happy to have them in my collection.

They’re the Cayman Glasses from Serena and Lily, and I chose the shorter lowball option. Definitely an investment piece but a classic that we’ll use all summer long. So, on a cost-per-use basis, these are probably a bargain! (does anyones else ever justify purchases like this!?)

I waited until there was a free shipping sale to purchase. Sometimes they also run percent-off sales. Just keep an eye on their website, which btw is also stocked with a ton of other gorgeous table decor that is perfect for summer entertaining!

Back to this table, paired with the muted tones of the linens and soft matte gold cutlery, the glasses add a dreamy, natural texture.

Need non-alcoholic 4th of July beverage ideas? I recommend serving Arnold Palmers (does it get more summery than iced tea and lemonade with pretty slices of citrus!?) or a red-toned iced tea flavor, like hibiscus or raspberry, garnished with mint.

Speaking of cutlery, these are a great modern option if you’re on the market for gold utensils. I have started hand washing them because the finish is fading from many dishwasher cycles. Otherwise, no complaints. They’re a great weight and fresh design.

Subtle 4th of July BBQ Centerpiece

Centerpieces don’t always have to be grounded. Sometimes you can look up, and add to your tablescape with a hanging installation, as I did here with lanterns.

Creamy metal with star cutouts make the lanterns tie in perfectly with the subtle, muted tones of the overall tablescape. They are from IKEA and credit goes to my daughter for finding them on a recent shopping trip! They’re a great summer table decor find!

If you don’t have an IKEA nearby, the lanterns are offered on Amazon (although priced higher).

To hang the lanterns, we (and by we I mean my husband), used twine and hung them on a low branch. Obviously, be very careful if you do this and make sure the lanterns are tied securely!

To complete the centerpiece, I used simple squared glass vases filled with blue hydrangea. You cannot go wrong with fresh blue hydrangea on a summer table – and they work perfectly for a toned down 4th of July bbq style.

Overall, I’m so happy with how this table came together. The muted tones provide an elegant, modern twist on a classic Americana meal. By using basic pieces with a lot of texture, the result is simplistic but not boring – if I don’t say so myself!