4th of July Mini Fireworks

8 Materials
$15
1 Hour
Easy

I love to decorate my home for the holidays. I like to change up the mantle, the front entryway decor, my table centerpieces, even the piano decor. I also love to craft and make a lot of my decor pieces. These mini fireworks are fun and easy to make using scraps I found around the garage and in my craft bin. Keep reading to see how you can make your own set.

Finished product


Here you can see the finished product. I like to start with the end in mind, have a vision of what I’m working toward. I’ll give you directions on how to make each set, but I think the best part about sharing is sparking your imagination to place your own flare on the project.


These also make fun friend, neighbor or book club gifts or even Bunco prizes. My Bunco groups in the past always look forward to my holiday surprises. Although right now we are not meeting because of social distancing.

Materials & Cut List


Materials:


• 1x1” wood boards

• acrylic paint (red, white, blue)

• Mod Podge

• black or silver craft wire

• scrapbook paper (red, white, blue)

• miter saw

• power drill with drill bit

• sponge craft/paint brushes

• Ribbon or twine

• star wire garland


Cut List:


For each set you make you’ll need one each of the following sizes cut from the 1x1 boards:


• 8”

• 6 3/4”

• 5 1/4”


** you can change the size of board you use and the heights of the boards depending on your space and what scraps you may have on hand.


Getting started


First thing I did after I cut and sanded each piece was to drill holes in the top for the “sparklers”. I used a drill bit and power drill making sure not to go too deep into the wood. I went about 1/4“ to 1/2” deep. Then I sanded the top one more time and painted my fire works.


Set 1- is red, white and blue.


Set 2- is all white.

Scrapbook Paper


I chose 3 different patterned papers in reds, whites and blues. I measured the width of the blocks. They were just over 1 1/2” so I trimmed my paper to the following sizes:


• 1 1/4” x 7 1/2” (4 each) **

• 1 1/4” x 6 1/4” (4 each) **

• 1 1/4” x 4 3/4” (4 each) **



** I wanted to cover all four sides, that is why I cut 4 each. This is where you can get creative and maybe only cover 2 sides or have all 4 sides be a different pattern of paper. The possibilities are endless. **


Apply Scrap Paper


I like to use Mod Podge to adhere my scrapbook paper to wood. I use a craft sponge brush and brush on a thin layer of mod podge (too much or too thick of a coat makes the paper bunch up) then I place the paper on the wood and smooth out any bubbles or bunching.


Repeat this process for each side of each different size. Then I go back and brush (with a sponge craft brush) a top coat of mod podge over each side sealing the paper in place.

Sparkler Tops


Then it’s time to add sparkler tops. I used two different methods.


Set 1- cut several pieces off the star wire garland. I used 3 to 4 sections in each top. You can secure with a glue gun, but I found the were wedged in tight enough I didn’t need the glue.


Set 2- cut 3 sections of craft wire at about 3 to 4 inches long. I used a thick wire. Then stuck the wire in the top hole and used a pencil to wind the wire giving it a curled look.

Curled Craft Wire


You can use as long or short length of wire as you like. Again be creative and try out different looks for your design. You could cut out tiny stars and glue them to the ends of the wire, tie ribbons on the wire... make it fun for you.

Bundled Fireworks


The last thing I did was bundle the fireworks with twine or ribbon to give them that little extra pop. Set 2- I bundled them all together.

Ribbons


For Set 1- because I left them painted with no scrapbook paper, I wanted to tie ribbon around them individually. You can also see a closer view of the star wire garland I used in their tops.

Styling Your Project


Now all that’s left is styling your project in your home. They are small so they fit well on mantles, pianos, centerpieces, tables and even countertops. They are pretty inexpensive to make, especially if you use materials you already have on hand. The only thing I purchased for this project was the star wire garland which I found at the dollar store for $1.


If you don’t have any scraps laying around I estimate this project will cost about $15.


To see more of our projects and holiday/seasonal decor you can find is on our Instagram page @beaus_and_belles

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Joleen | The Refining Home
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
6 of 10 comments
Next