Want to make flag decorations on a budget? Fortunately there are a number of cute, affordable and easy options. Celebrate Flag Day or Independence Day with a star-studded door wreath, patriotic bunting or NJ-themed banner. In fact, these projects are so simple that the kids could pitch in and help out too.
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to create your own flag decorations this summer.
More from Best of NJ
Festive Flag Door Wreath
Materials:
- Foam wreath form
- Red ribbon
- Star cutouts (in foam or card stock)
- Pearl straight pins
- Red, white and blue striped ribbon
Directions:
- First, hold your foam wreath form and wrap it with the red ribbon. Make sure you overlap the ribbon as you wrap it around the form. Once the form is completely covered, pin the ribbon into place at the back. You can also use hot glue to adhere it.
- Gather your stars of various sizes and place them on the front of the wreath using the pearl pins to hold them in place. (You can either cut out the stars by hand or purchase pre-cut versions from a craft store.)
- Finally, create little bows using the striped ribbon and use the pearl pins to attach them to the wreath. Make a loop with the remaining striped ribbon and use it to hang your wreath.
New Jersey Porch Banner
Materials:
- Iron-on, patch or felt cut out of New Jersey map
- Patriotic bandana
- Wooden dowel
- Needle & thread (or a sewing machine)
Directions:
- First, you’ll need to create the New Jersey cut out. The one in the photo features an iron-on of the state map that was created with a Cricut machine. You could also use a patch or print out a pattern and trace it onto felt.
- Next, adhere your New Jersey cut out directly to the bandana. If you used a patch, felt or fabric, sew it to the center of the bandana. Otherwise iron it on.
- The last step is to fold over the top of the bandana and sew a straight line. This should create a pocket for you to insert the dowel. (You may need to cut the dowel if it’s not the right size.) You can also add some ribbon to each side for more visual interest.
Patriotic Bunting
Materials:
- Patterned fabric in red, white and blue
- Needle & thread, hot glue or safety pins
- Wooden dowel
Directions:
- – Collect various pieces of fabric in patriotic patterns. You can find “fat quarters” at many fabric or craft stores that are perfect for this project.
- Place the fabric on a flat surface and arrange it exactly as you’d like it to look once the project is complete. You can fold over one side of each piece of the fabric and sew it down to make a clean edge.
- Fold the fabric accordion style at the bottom of each piece. Use straight pins to hold things in place before sewing. Then, sew only the edges (on both ends) of each accordion fold.
- Next, sew the top center and left and right edges of each piece of fabric to the bottom of the piece above it.
- For the very top piece of fabric, fold over an inch of fabric and sew it down to create the pocket for inserting the dowel. (Cut the dowel down to size if necessary.)
- If you don’t achieve the look you’re seeking, keep playing with the fabric. For example, you can make accordion folds at the top of each piece of fabric and sew down the edges. Or you can also use safety pins or hot glue to keep the folds in place.
Click here for more 4th of July stories
Hero (Top) Feature Image: © arinahabich / Adobe Stock
Additional Images (in Order) Courtesy:
Francesca Di Meglio
