by Ted Sherman

Created on: May 13, 2010

Fourth of July costume ideas are virtually endless. Get together with friends and family to decide how you want to mark the occasion. Choose a theme, set your budget, assign duties and put your originality to work. Your holiday can be a fun and memorable time for all.

Consider three basic ideas for the costumes:
1. Kids: If your party involves kids, let them join in to help make their costumes. Then help them plan and put on an original Fourth of July play or tableau based on a famous painting of the Continental Congress meeting in Independence Hall. Or if there are just a few kids involved, recreate George Washington's visit to Betsy Ross for the design of the first American flag.

2. Families: Make costumes as a group project, and wear them on the holiday at an outside picnic or barbeque, complete with fireworks.
3. Adults only: Make it a fun evening party or barbeque with fireworks and prizes for different categories: most authentic costume, sexiest costume and most bizarre costume.

Some ideas for the costumes include:
1. Uncle Sam: What Fourth of July celebration could you have without him? Make or rent an authentic costume of the symbol of America.
2. Spirit of ‘76: The costumed marchers from the famed painting could make a grand entrance at your party, complete with fife, drum and waving flag. Cheers and fireworks would make an appropriate backdrop.
3. George Washington: The Father of our Country would feel right at home in your celebration, if dressed to the hilt with white wig, tri-corner hat, blue uniform, gold epaulets, sword and shiny boots.
4. Betsy Ross: She could be dressed as the quiet seamstress with her demure white cap, or a more contemporary figure as if she were dressed(?) by Playboy. The latter costume is strictly for the night's adult celebration.
5. To honor today’s heroes on this special national holiday, put on a picnic or barbeque where everyone dresses in GI camouflage uniforms. Choose a person with military or similar experience to put all the guests through an exercise routine, including climbing and a race which includes crawling under stretched ropes on their backs. Award prizes to winners of the race.
6. Invite real GIs: It would be even more enjoyable if you’d invite some actual GIs or other service personnel from a nearby military base. It can be a great way to thank them for their service to their country.

If you’d rather rent or buy costumes than make them, check with a local costume shop or go to www.costumzee.com/tag/4th+july/ or www.buycostumes.com/browse/4th-of-July/

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