A Red, White and Blue Table for the Fourth of July

How do I set a red, white and blue table for the Fourth of July?

Start with white, then add red and blue in a few strong pieces rather than everything at once: William Yeoward Scarlet and Bella Blue crystal, Gien Filet Red and Filet Cobalt plates alternated around the table, and red and blue fruit in crystal bowls.

Choose Gien Filet Red and Filet Cobalt dessert plates, alternated, if you want an easy patriotic pattern.
Choose the Herend Chinese Bouquet Garland Blue Dinner Plate if you want a more formal blue-and-white Fourth.
Choose the Christofle America Silver-Plated Steak Knife if you are serving from the grill.
Choose the Halcyon Days Star-Spangled Banner Enamel Musical Box if it is a keepsake for a patriotic collector.

The Fourth of July is the United States' birthday, celebrated with parades, cookouts and fireworks on the fourth of July every summer. It is also the one day of the year when a red, white and blue table looks exactly right. The secret to doing it with style is restraint: start with white, then add red and blue in a few strong pieces – crystal, a platter, a stack of plates – rather than in everything at once.

Here are our red, white and blue table ideas for Independence Day. Everything is gathered in our Red, White & Blue Tableware collection.

Red: William Yeoward Scarlet

William Yeoward's Scarlet is a deep red created in the glass-blowing, so the color runs through each piece. See the William Yeoward Scarlet collection.

William Yeoward Scarlet Pitcher

"A really graceful piece with a lovely optic effect in the body and a clear handle and base." Fill it with lemonade or sangria.

William Yeoward Scarlet Fanny Old Fashioned Tumbler

Tall and sophisticated with the Scarlet color throughout – "lots of cocktail opportunities."

William Yeoward Scarlet Fruit / Nut Bowl

A punch of color for the table or bar – perfect for nuts, fruit or a bowl of cherries.

Blue: William Yeoward Bella Blue

Bella Blue has, in William Yeoward's words, "the spiral blue of summer skies." See the Bella Blue collection.

William Yeoward Bella Blue Pitcher

A generous pitcher for long drinks, 11¼ in tall and holding 3½ pints.

William Yeoward Bella Blue Highball Tumbler

A 14 oz handmade highball in the same spiral blue.

On a White Table

Gien's Filet is a white scalloped shape with a single hand-painted band of color along the rim. Mix Filet Red and Filet Cobalt plates around the table for an easy patriotic pattern. See Gien Filet Red and Gien Filet Cobalt.

Gien Set of 4 Dessert Plates – Filet Red

Four 9⅛ in faience plates with a red band at the rim – the right size for a burger, a slice of pie or a plate of strawberries.

Gien Set of 4 Dessert Plates – Filet Cobalt

The same plates with a cobalt blue band – alternate them with the red.

Gien Oval Platter – Filet Red

A 16 in faience platter for corn on the cob, ribs or a flag cake.

Herend Chinese Bouquet Garland Blue Dinner Plate

A 10½ in hand-painted porcelain dinner plate with 24k gold accents, sold individually – blue and white for a more formal Fourth.

America on the Table

Christofle America Silver-Plated Steak Knife

Christofle named its Art Deco America pattern after the country, in admiration of American modernity after the First World War. The steak knife has a pointed, serrated blade suited for cutting meat – made for the grill. See the Christofle America collection.

Christofle America Silver-Plated Serving Spoon

Ideal for serving meat and vegetables – and sized to the collection's platters so it does not slide into the food.

Stars, Stripes and the Eagle

Fourth of July Table Ideas

Start with white. A white tablecloth or bare wood lets the red and blue pieces stand out.
Alternate the plates. Red, blue, red, blue around the table looks deliberate and festive.
Serve red and blue fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries in crystal bowls are decoration you can eat.
Light the table after dark. Hurricanes and votives keep the table glowing until the fireworks start.

For the first table of the summer, see our Memorial Day summer table; for the last, our Labor Day entertaining ideas. And for a winter American table, see Presidents' Day: an American heritage table.