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By Joanna Linberg, Better Homes and Gardens, Source: MCT News Service

FRESH LIVING: Salute our nation's independence with these effortless entertaining ideas _ all showcasing the iconic imagery of the Fourth.

Star Spangled:

Pound cake gets the star treatment. Use star-shape cookie cutters _ one 3-inch, the other 1-inch _ to cut slices of homemade or store-bought pound cake and strawberries for serving. For berries, cut off the green tops, slice in half top to bottom, and use the 1" cookie cutter to form stars. Drizzle with a sugar glaze and serve.

Set of 7 cookie cutters from 1" to 3-{", $13; 800-678-5752

Take a Stand:

Festoon a plain white cake stand in the holiday's signature bunting. All you need are crepe paper streamers, string, and glue. For each bunting segment, fold six inches of red-white-and-blue crepe paper streamer accordion-style; tie a string around the center. Pull bottom edges together to form a fan shape, and secure with a dab of white glue. Hot-glue bunting to the underside of a cake stand.

When you want the stand back, just pop off the dried glue.

Flower Parade:

Skip the complicated flower arrangement and let these paper lantern "vases" march down the table instead. Cut the bottom out of a cylindrical paper lantern (available at party and import stores). Pour a little water in a small vase or juice glass and place inside. Drop a handful of blooms in the vase _ these are white agapanthus and spiky blue sea holly _ letting them fall casually.

Light Show:

Put a modern touch on flying the colors: Hot-glue red, white, and blue rickrack ribbon (found at most crafts stores) to a paper lantern. Hang with wire.

Maru 24" paper lantern, $10; worldmarket.com

Furled Spirit:

Remember those stiff bracelets you used to "slap" onto your wrist? Put them to use as napkin rings. Fold a napkin into quarters, then curl a purchased flag-covered bracelet around the center to hold.

Flag slap bracelets, $3 for 12; store.rebeccas.com

Sparkling Service:

Give a serving tray a temporary makeover. Use a dab of royal icing to stick red and white sugar stars onto a tray (both icing and stars available in the cake decorating aisle at crafts stores). Pile in silverware or cookies.

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Go Online

Looking for more simple ways to celebrate? Find recipes, easy crafts, and ideas for decorating the whole house in Fourth of July style at BHG .com/july4

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(Want to see what else is coming from Better Homes and Gardens magazine? Go to www.bhg.com for more.)

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(c) 2009, Better Homes and Gardens.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.