Come Independence Day, everything looks better with stars and stripes. Give your home the star-spangled treatment with these simple 4th of July crafts. We have ideas that will keep kids occupied, as well as some more advanced projects for adults that when completed, can double as your patriotic decor. Get your hot glue gun and your crafting scissors ready, because you’re going to want to try these crafts out for yourself.

Whether you’re an old pro at crafting, or you’re just looking for something to keep everyone busy until the fireworks, there’s something for all ages on this list — including a DIY picnic blanket that you’re going to want to use all summer. When you’re done crafting, be sure to check out more of our favorite summer DIY ideas.

Mise en place—”things in place.” It’s the first thing any student at culinary school learns, the first thing any rookie cook learns on the line at a restaurant. You have to keep your things in place, your workspace clean, your tools and ingredients organized. But there are so many moving parts: dinner plates and wine glasses, cereal bowls and flatware, spices and pantry items, serving dishes and roasting pans, utensils and baking supplies. Where should you even start?

To put you on the path to organized bliss, IKEA Interior Design Specialist Charlene Tea answered pressing questions you shared about kitchen storage on @goodhousekeeping. The best part? Her tips and product suggestions below are applicable for every kitchen, no matter how big or small, and whether you rent or own.

1. How can you best make use of lower cabinet organization? What are the strategies to use for under the sink, pots and pans, or countertop appliances?

Interior organization is all about inserts. For lower cabinets, Tea suggests using UTRUSTA partition wires to keep items like baking sheets and lids in check, and pull-out wire baskets for pots, pans, and small appliances.

“No more digging through your cabinets to

Ask any parent what room in their house gets the most action, and they’ll probably say the kitchen. While it’s where families often congregate, the kitchen also contains a lot of not-so-kid-friendly features—hot stovetops, sharp knives, breakable glassware—so designing mindfully is crucial.

Thankfully, IKEA has always designed with the whole family in mind, and kitchen solutions are no exception. You want a space that encourages little ones to learn how to cook, is reliable, and easy to maintain. Here’s how to get all of that and more.

Ikea

When laying out the kitchen, make sure parents can cook while keeping an eye on their little ones, whether they’re in an adjacent play room or doing homework in the breakfast nook.

If you have a one-wall kitchen that’s adjacent to the living space, add an island to create an area to work where you don’t have to turn your back to the kids. Consider placing the sink under a window to provide a clear view of the backyard while washing dishes.

This is a no-brainer, but sharp kitchen tools should be as far from little hands as possible. Instead of an easily accessible knife block, install a magnetic wall rack