How to Make Matching Patriotic Decor: Candlestick Swag, Bike Wheel Swag, and Lantern Swag

If you love creating matching home decor pieces, this patriotic set is a perfect beginner-friendly project. Using the same florals, greenery, ribbon, and red, white, and blue color palette, you can make a coordinated Bike Wheel Swag, Lantern Swag, and Candlestick Swag that look beautiful displayed together. These pieces are great for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, summer decorating, craft booths, Etsy shops, or handmade gift sets.

The best part is that these designs do not take a huge amount of supplies. One greenery bush, a few patriotic floral stems, some ribbon, ivy, and geraniums can stretch across multiple projects. When you create matching pieces, customers can easily picture them together on a front door, entry table, dining room table, mantel, or porch display.

Supply List

• Red bike wheel frame
• Lantern
• Candlestick holder or candle ring base
• Small Styrofoam block
• Spider fern or fern bush
• Alternative fern stems, optional
• Red geraniums
• Red leaves or red accent greenery
• Ivy greenery
• White cherry blossom stems
• Blue cherry blossom stems
• Patriotic ribbon, blue with red and white stripes
• Zip ties
• Bind wire
• Floral pins, optional
• Hot glue gun or glue pot
• Glue sticks
• Wire cutters
• Scissors
• Ribbon scraps, felt, leaves, or flowers for covering mechanics
• Optional candle for candlestick display

Instructions

Begin with the Patriotic Bike Wheel Swag. Cut a small piece of Styrofoam, about one inch by three inches. This will be the base that holds your greenery and flowers. Decide where you want the design to sit on the wheel, then push the foam down between the spokes so part of it grabs into the frame. Secure it tightly with a zip tie wrapped around the center. Trim off the extra zip tie.

Start with your fern. Spider fern works beautifully because it has long, airy pieces that create movement without needing a lot of product. Cut apart the fern bush and use smaller pieces toward the inside of the wheel. For larger pieces, strip a few leaves off the bottom so you have a clean stem to insert into the foam. Add glue to the stem and place it into the Styrofoam.

Work your fern all the way around the foam section. Keep the shape balanced by placing greenery on both the inside and outside of the wheel. Bend the stems upward and outward so they do not lay flat. This gives the swag a more natural, finished look.

Next, make a small bow for the bike wheel. Cut ribbon tails around 22 inches long, then create about five-inch loops. You can make seven loops for a full but not oversized bow. Add a couple of shorter tails at the top, around 16 inches, and secure the bow with a zip tie or bind wire. Fluff the loops by twisting and pulling each one into place.

Attach the bow near the center of the greenery. Run the bind wire or zip tie around the back of the wheel and tighten it securely. Push any excess wire down into the foam so it is hidden.

Now begin adding florals. Pull the leaves off the red geraniums if they make the flower heads too bulky. Add the red flowers around the bow and greenery so they peek through. Break the white and blue cherry blossom stems into smaller sections. Place a blue piece on one side and a white piece on the opposite side. When working on a wheel, remember that if you add something to one side, you should balance it on the other side. It does not have to match exactly, but the weight and color should feel even.

Add a few pieces of ivy last. Ivy is beautiful in these projects because it drapes and softens the design. Place a few pieces so they spill slightly around the bow and greenery. Once the front is finished, cover the back mechanics. You can glue extra geranium flowers, leaves, felt, or ribbon scraps over the foam and zip tie. This gives the back a cleaner look and helps protect the door.

Next, create the Lantern Swag using the same supplies. Make another bow, but shorten the tails to about 15 inches so it fits the lantern better. Use the same patriotic ribbon so it matches the bike wheel. Secure the bow with rustic wire or bind wire.

For the lantern, you can attach a small swag underneath the bow, but using a small piece of Styrofoam under the bow gives the florals more stability. Cut a small piece of foam, slightly smaller than the bike wheel foam, and attach it under the bow. This helps keep the bow sitting straight and gives you a place to insert greenery and flowers.

Add fern first, just like you did on the bike wheel. Use smaller pieces and keep the design compact so it does not overwhelm the lantern. Insert red geraniums, white and blue cherry blossoms, and a little ivy. Let the ivy drape slightly over the lantern for a soft, natural look. Tuck a few floral pieces into the bow so the bow feels like part of the arrangement instead of sitting separately on top.

Keep the lantern swag removable if possible. This allows you to switch it out for different seasons, which is especially helpful if you sell decor or like to reuse your lanterns year-round.

Finally, make the Patriotic Candlestick Swag. This project is smaller, so use your leftover pieces. Place a small amount of fern around the candlestick or candle ring base. You do not want this piece to be too long or too full because it needs to sit nicely on a table.

Create a tiny bow with short loops and small tails. If the ribbon is the same on both sides, you do not have to worry as much about twisting. Secure the center with bind wire and twist the wire tightly to create a small pick. Insert it into the foam or arrangement. If needed, poke a starter hole with scissors or a floral tool before inserting the bow.

Add small geranium flowers, blue cherry blossoms, and white cherry blossoms around the bow. For the candlestick piece, you can leave some geranium leaves on because the arrangement is smaller and the leaves help fill space. Add tiny pieces of ivy around the base so it can drape naturally around the candle.

Once all three pieces are finished, display them together. Place the Bike Wheel Swag on the front door, the Lantern Swag on a porch or entry table, and the Candlestick Swag on a dining table, mantel, or tiered tray. Because all three pieces use the same ribbon, greenery, and patriotic florals, they feel like a coordinated decor collection.

This matching patriotic set is quick, simple, and budget-friendly. It is also a wonderful option for craft shows because customers love seeing pieces that go together. You can create one for your home or make several sets to sell for summer decorating.