Red White & Blue Holiday

Crafting Value
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read

I love a good wreath but sometimes you just need something a little different. Today most of us are celebrating Labor Day with some good ‘ol American past times (my favorites are grilling out and water activities). But before I get into all that fun, I had to share an alternative to your typical door ornament. I love it because it can be used for all the great summer holidays and anytime you’re feeling a little extra patriotic.

The original tutorial can be found here: http://laughinglatte.com/diy-american-flag-backdrop/

After doing it myself, I have a few tips to add:

  • I bought 1/2 yard each of the red checkered & white fabric. This allowed me to have 6 strips of each color at 3” wide. The final dimensions of my flag are 12”x42”. If you want a larger or smaller version, adjust accordingly.
  • I bought 1 yard of the red tulle and cut that into (2) 9” strips and (1) 18” strip. The 9” strips were tied together with a checkered strip for a layering affect. The 18” strip was put on one end to act as the 7th red stripe.
  • To save time, cut all the strips before typing them onto the stick, unless you’re like me and need to double check the look as you go along but that takes longer.
  • I found it easiest to knot the fabric strips first and then slide them onto the stick. I used a 5/16” dowel rod from Joann’s but even a stick from outside will work, depending on the look you’re going for.
  • Give the top some interest by mixing up the direction you tie the knots so they don’t all lay the same way.
  • Like the tulle, the lace trim needs to be knotted with the background fabric, in this case the white so that it lays on top of the white strip instead of getting stuck behind.
  • Because the Pom Pom string knot will get large, it can be knotted on the stick by itself, positioned next to and on top of a white strip.
  • Tying on the blue fabric is a little tricky. Start with a 6” x 10” rectangle. Then from that rectangle, cut out a 4” x 4” rectangle. This leaves a 6”x6” square with two 1” x 4” tails to use for tying each corner to the stick. See image below.
  • I balanced my finished product on a wreath hanger. But I’m sure you could tie some twine on each end of the stick and hang it that way too.

There you have it! A no-sew, fun alternative to a wreath for your patriotic self. Now let’s go out and enjoy some sun!

Crafting Value
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