Last year I found a vintage American flag at an antique store. I brought it home and found the perfect place to hang it up, proud of myself that I was decorating for the Fourth of July for the first time in my life. I was sad to take down my flags after Labor Day, but that made it extra special to pull them out again the other day as we approach Memorial Day. Today, I’m going to share how to create a Patriotic tablescape on a budget and how you can fancy it up, if you have the moola.

One thing I suggest is if you are going to have only one set of dishes, make them white. It sets the perfect blank space to dress up with napkins, chargers, or even paper bowls, which is what we are going to use here. My dishes are from Pier 1, which is no longer open, but if you are looking for a nice basic white dish set, here’s a favorite of mine.