Summer Red, White and Blue for Memorial Day

June 15, 2026 203 Comments

15 Jun

from Memorial Day 2022

This red, white and blue table is great for all the summer holidays. This year I will be recreating it for our USA 250th birthday this 4th of July. Undoubtably there will be few changes. I don’t have the blue willow dishes any more. There are definitely enough placemats for our kids and their families. Not sure act;y whatI will be dragging out of my cabinets butI do know it is going to look fabulous!

Summer red, white and blue for Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer. Never mind that the calendar says summer solstice is June 20! It also marks all the fun filled upcoming USA celebrations.

We’ll be grilling with some of our kids and their families. There is even a birthday cake in store for our dessert! How about you?

summer begins

It’s a red, white and blue summer holiday, the first of our country’s annual patriotic holidays. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. Others are 4th of July also known as Independence Day. Flag Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day and in the fall, Veterans’ Day.

The Stars and Stripes wave from porches and along parade routes. Pools open and grills are fired up. We honor the memory of the fallen from our wars and conflicts. We honor their sacrifice. It’s the real reason for Memorial Day.

The 4th of July is a special holiday too in our county, There are parades and fireworks! Sparklers and searching for fireflies.

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Yes, it is a day of remembrance and a day we can be thankful for the sacrifice made for our country. I think it is also fitting that we can celebrate with happy gatherings and flag waving because we can. We should celebrate and honor those who have gone before us and our freedoms never forgetting.

celebrations

We been having lots of rain and overcast skies. Honestly, I do hope we actually get to eat on the patio. If not, the tablescape is portable!

The small flags are mementos from our son’s baseball team. I can still picture those little second and third grade boys running the bases carrying these small flags in their small hands to Jim, his father who was deploying as part of Desert Storm. We were at Fort Bragg. Everyone knew what that deployment meant even if it wasn’t their dad or mom going.

Most of those little flags are gone, lost during so many moves no doubt. They are stored in the summer holiday bin along with the other red, white and blue decor.

The youngest granddaughter wanted one and I gave it to her. I think I may need more this year.

red white and blue centerpiece

Buliding the centerpiece is first, before setting the table. I’m not using candles because we are eating late afternoon, well before dusk.

Starting with a large tile from the Home Depot Jeffery Court collection I had in the basement to uses as a base for the centerpiece, I added mini vases. The flowering tiny branches are from our yard. I put the flags in the mercury glass lantern style jar. They were purchased years ago during a Christmas ‘open house”.

We have many bushes ,trees and flowers in our yard. I use all of them. Please note I am definitely not opposed to using faux flowers and branches!

The decorations were my mom’s They have been with us since her passing traveling even to our home in East Asia where we lived for over 13 years. The painted Uncle Sam and the cute smaller 1776 couple figures add dimension. The red star salt shaker is missing the blue one that is long gone. I especilly like painted heart, a fun piece. The collection is whimsical that reminds us of our independence we are thankful for.

place settings

When I spied the white woven place mats at Home Goods, I snatched them up, already planning the tablescape in my mind.

After counting out the small red polka dot plates, I realized there weren’t enough so I added the red small plates. After trying out different combinations of layers and placement around the table, I added the blue fruit bowls. Just the right touch of blue!

I no longer have those dishes so I will use the Blue Garland Haviland china which is more formal but entirely appropriate.

The polka dot dishes were a Home Goods find during the Valentine season. The blue dishes are Pottery Barn’s I found on sale at the outlet and have been discontinued along with the red ones. I bought 16 white plates too. Nice pristine white dishes can be found in many stores at affordable prices. I always have white dinner plates on hand. I keep a look out for pretty and cute dishes for accent dishes at a good price!

I used our regular silver and bistro glasses.

For this tablescape, I decided not to use any decorative napkin rings or colorful ribbon ties. Instead, the simple length wise folded napkin put under the plate leaving half to hang over the edge of the table seemed best, simple and artful. It complemented and didn’t detract from the focal point of the red, white and blue centerpiece.

Simple and pretty for the first summer celebratory time together!

The whimsical water pitchers added just the right touch of bold red.

Look beyond the storage bin or shelf labeled Summer decorations to other stored china, vases, candlesticks and linens. Remember those bright red bows of Christmas?

happy gatherings

This year all the kids and families will be here. We will be grilling and playing games. If the evening is cool, we’ll roast marshmallows over the fire pit for s’mores. Maybe the fireflies will make an appearance.

Summer Celebration Menu

You can’t go wrong all-American menu of hambugers and hot dogs. It will be Grandpa’s Hash Brown Potato Casserole, a vegetable platter, srawberry pretzel salad and spinach artichoke dip. Ive included the links for the recipes.

https://bushelandapickle.com/strawberry-pretzel-salad/ https://bushelandapickle.com/fabulous-side-for-labor-day-celebrations/ https://bushelandapickle.com/summer-morning-buffet/