Waving a flag around is the most common way for people to show their American colors on the 4th of July. I have some ideas, though, that are not the norm and that are sure to turn some heads!
Dye Your Hair
At any hair supply store, Hot Topic, and many other places, you can buy red or blue hair dye. If you are not blonde, do yourself a favor and get some bleach to go with it. There are lots of ways you can do this, whether you just would like one strip of hair, or your whole head done is a special color. I’ve done a lot of them, and here are some pointers: do not skimp on the bleach. It’s going to look terrible if you do. Red bleeds out of your hair a lot, so avoid white shirts and white pillowcases. Also, make sure you use lots of conditioner afterwards (color safe) to make sure that your hair stays healthy. Bleach and dye are not good for it. The best brand I’ve found was Special FX, but Manic Panic isn’t bad, either.
Dress Up Your Car
This is exactly what it looks like. Window decals, stickers, ribbons, or flags will all be displayed while you drive around. Find out if it’s legal in your area first, but many stores also carry little lights that screw onto the valves on your tires, and you can find red and blue ones. Antenna balls are also a fun addition that can be easily removed from your car.
Dress Up Your House
Again, exactly what it looks like. Put up decorations- those Christmas lights might be good for something else! Try ribbon on the stair railings, or other light touches. in the kitchen, make sure you have some nice wooden dinnerware sets to accentuate your table.
Colored Lights
Not just the Christmas lights. At many stores you can get floodlights and outside lights in different colors, including red and blue. If you have multiple outside lights, this can be a neat way to display your colors. If you have a lantern-style outside light that you don’t want to change the bulb in, try using colored cellophane.
Sidewalk Chalk
Especially good for the kids, give them the pink blue and white chalks and let them go to town on the driveway. Don’t let them play in the road though!
Your Yard
Make your yard a field of flags. (It’ll help aerate it!) If you have the time in the spring, plant red white and blue flowers where they’ll be visible. Barring these, you could also try mowing your lawn with a flag design in it- but that’ll take some planning.
Window Treatments
I wrote about some ways to make your own window treatments in another of my articles. It’s a fun, crafty way to decorate the house and show your colors. Curtains aren’t difficult to make, and thrift stores often have older curtains that are very inexpensive that can be dyed.
Clothes
This one’s more common on Independence Day. Wear blue jeans, and a red or white shirt. It’s not so different from most people’s wardrobes that it’s hard to find the clothes. Most workplaces will allow or even encourage this, but check the policy where you work so that you’re not breaking any rules.
Enjoy your 4th of July and have a safe holiday.