When I think of the Fourth of July, I totally think of arts and crafts, like little wooden boats and cakes involving red, white, and blue frosting topped off with sparklers. I also think of beer cozies, and the time a coworker came in on July 5th and told me that everyone at her July 4th cookout had gotten sick from "the cheesburgas" (we were in Boston).

With such a wide swath of possibilities when it comes to visually imagining this holiday, I think it's best to take a unique approach. Instead of making a perfectly crafted and photo-perfect July 4th party, why not employ some cheap, fun, simple July 4th decor? Express your individuality. It is, after all, Independence Day. You're worth it.

1. Get some people in shark hats to play improvised garden hose horns.

2. Every July 4th party needs one tall man in red pants to ride an extremely large bike.

3. Provide your guests with whimsical and historically accurate tricorn hats.

4. Make a perfectly imperfect red, white, and blue cake.

5. Red and blue paper lanterns look super cool when grouped together.

6. Make red, white, and blue cocktails. This one contains cherry juice, and is called The Abigail.

7. Do like this New York City paint job. Your landlord will totally not mind. JK!

8. Red, white, and blue strawberries. Any excuse to eat strawberries and white chocolate, really.

9. Make a DIY American flag out of reclaimed pallets.

10. A super simple centerpiece like this, on a red or blue tablecloth, is all you need. Add white paper napkins and you're good to go.

11. Deck the porch with strings of white star lights. No electrician required! Just plug them into an outdoor outlet, or run an extension cord from inside.

Chaya Kurtz writes for Networx.com.