Are you looking to jazz up your Fourth of July celebration with some fun decorations? You need not pay a fortune. Here are five easy and cost-effective do-it-yourself projects that will give your decor the magical twinkle of a firecracker.

"Homemade (Non-flammable) Fireworks for Hanging in the Window."
Take an ordinary cheese grater, two pieces of wax paper, and three crayons (one red, one white, and one blue). Over one piece of wax paper, gently scratch the side of a crayon against the grater. Crayon shavings will fall onto the paper. Continue this process, alternating the red, white, and blue crayons. Next, set the second sheet of wax paper on top of the crayon shavings. Take an iron set to low heat and slowly move it across the topmost piece of wax paper. You'll see the red, white, and blue shavings melting between the wax pages. When the shavings are sufficiently melted, set the iron aside and let the wax paper cool. Afterwards, you can cut your creation into a star shape and hang it in your window.

"Twinkling Party Straws."
Take a plastic straw and a piece of thin metallic ribbon (if you're using red straws, try using blue or silver ribbon; if you're using white straws, trying using red or blue ribbon). With the ribbon, tie a small bow around the straw approximately one fifth of the way from the top. If you like, dab a small amount of non-toxic glue behind the bow to hold the ribbon in place. Repeat the process on as many straws as you like. When you're done, you will have fun drinking straws to give your Independence Day meal a special touch.

"All-American Placemats."
This is an especially great decorating project for the kiddos. Print out 8.5" x 11" black and white photocopies of a United States map (the map can be a simple outline of the states, a topographical map, etc.). Then, with markers, crayons, paint, tissue paper, glue, or anything else you can imagine, decorate each map. (Tip: If you'd like to go for a cohesive look, restrict your color palette to reds, white, and blues.) When you're done decorating - presto! You've got unique, Fourth-of-July-ready placemats. If you'd like to preserve them for future use, stop by your local Kinko's and ask the staff to laminate them for you.

"Festive Summertime Candleholders."
Start with a clear candleholder, approximately 3" high. Then, take vellum from your local crafts store, and cut it into a long strip approximately 2.5" wide. (Note: The strip should be long enough to wrap around

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