Take the Celebration Outdoors

July is national picnic month, and with 4th of July weekend right around the corner, there is no better time to host a patriotic picnic. Nancy Soriano, editor-in-chief of Country Living magazine, stopped by "Good Morning America" today to offer some tips on how to have an old-fashioned picnic that is easy, affordable and good for the environment.

To plan the perfect patriotic picnic, check out our list of Soriano's tips and suggestions.

Environmentally-Friendly Table Setting

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Why not throw a little "green" in with your red, white and blue color palette. Consider using environmentally-friendly alternatives to the standard disposable picnic-ware. These items can be reused, recycled, or even things you grab from home.

Table Cloth

Do you have any extra red or white holiday wrapping paper lying around? Wrapping paper makes a great colorful and inexpensive table cloth. It also gives you reason to use that old gift wrap you've been saving since December.

Place Settings

Your tableware can be cheap, chic and easy on the environment. Preserve Tableware is made from recycled plastic, and unlike other plastic utensils, can go in the dishwasher. It's just a little more expensive than normal plastic-ware, but is very environmental-friendly, reusable and recyclable. You can find Preserve Tableware at Whole Foods.

Setting the table for six? It's fun to mismatch a little. Nancy suggests using different colors that still all go together. For another idea and a clever way to separate flatware, try putting each person's utensils in different envelopes. For added decoration, you can use rubber stamps to put people's names on the outside of the envelope. This makes it easy for guests to grab cutlery before sitting down to eat.

Flatware

For a "green" flatware fix -- don't toss your bottle carrier; instead, reuse it as a caddy for napkins and flatware. You can use the different compartments to hold items, like condiments, and if you're looking for patriotic colors, a six-pack carrier of Coke comes in red and white.