The 4th of July is around the corner, so I thought it’d be fun to share some patriotic bar cart styling ideas with y’all in today’s post! This one’s more of a self-serve drink station than anything else (which is what bar carts are supposed to be, right?), so I wanted to make sure I had all the essentials in one spot. I also thought it’d be fun to forego traditional wine and beer and make a DIY watermelon keg instead. It turned out super cute, and I can definitely see myself continuing the trend on Labor Day and Memorial Day, too. Keep reading for more patriotic bar cart styling ideas!

Patriotic Bar Cart Decor

Every patriotic bar cart needs bold pops of red, white, and blue. I’ll admit that I don’t have lots of Americana decor– most of my stuff’s pink, to be honest. Consequently, I had to get a little creative. Here’s everything I used to style mine–

• 4th of July flower arrangement– I used some white hydrangeas, red carnations, baby’s breath, and greenery to design a super simple 4th of July-inspired arrangement. The whole thing cost me less than $12!
• Ginger jar– To help pull some blue into the arrangement, I used one of my favorite light blue ginger jars as a vase. 
• DIY watermelon keg– I made my own DIY watermelon keg and filled it with skinny watermelon margaritas. 
• Cake stand– I used a cute white cake stand to prop up the watermelon keg for spill-free dispensing.
• Striped paper straws– I found these at the grocery store, but you can find similar paper straws here!
• Gold jigger– I found this gold jigger on Amazon and love it! I also found a set with a matching gold cocktail shaker here. 
• Blue cotton napkins– I found these light blue check cotton napkins on Amazon and love the color! I also love that they’re oversized and come in a set of six, too. 
• 4th of July cocktail napkins– Every cocktail needs a napkin! I found these at Target last year, but you can find an equally adorable set from Swoozies.
• 2-tier serving tray– I bought this gold and white 2-tier serving tray from Target about two years ago, but you can find a similar serving tray here.
• Watermelon stars– I used a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out watermelon stars, which double as both yummy snacks and cocktail garnishes.
• Mason jars– Mason jars are always my go-to cocktail glass in the summer. I found a twelve pack at Walmart and use them as glasses, vases, candle holders, etc! 

As always, Nellie wanted to be a part of the whole thing, too. She seriously loves showing off her crunchy vodka toy!

If you need a festive vase for your 4th of July flower arrangement, consider using a blue and white ginger jar! In my experience, pretty blue flowers are relatively hard to find (aside from blue hydrangeas, which weren’t available), so it can add a pop of blue to your centerpiece, too. 

Honestly, learning how to make a watermelon keg was long overdue for me, and it’s probably my favorite thing on the bar cart. It’s just so colorful and festive. I also love how you can fill it with whatever refreshing batch cocktail you want. Watermelon and vodka punch is a classic, but I’m honestly not a big vodka fan. So, I opted for skinny watermelon margaritas instead. Stay tuned for a skinny watermelon margarita recipe!

Also, I’m not sure why I’ve never thought to use a tiered serving tray on my bar cart before, but I’m glad I finally did. They’re perfect for holding snacks, hors d’oeuvres, and garnishes, like these watermelon stars! I recommend putting some wax paper down, though, to help contain the juice.

Last but not least, a cute puppy with a crunchy vodka dog toy can help pull the whole thing together. Thanks for being the sweetest little model pup and all-around good girl, Nellie!

Super fun, right?! If you loved this patriotic bar cart, I think you’ll love these other seasonal bar cart styling ideas, too. Thanks so much for reading, y’all!

Click to shop!