DIY Rustic American Flag

I’ve always thought of the American flag as a beautiful symbol of our country, but this passed week I was reminded of it’s beauty and importance. My husband was one of 2,100 people in Boston to become a citizen.  Our boys were both so excited that we could say Daddy was an American. 😉 John interviewed Luke as part of his immigration fair earlier this year and Conor’s class is learning about American symbols and the flag.  Conor’s class created this beautiful flag for Luke to wish him a congratulations on becoming a citizen. All the kids wrote something to him. Can you see Conor’s excitement?!?

So I got to thinking that it would be fun to make my own DIY Rustic American Flag.  I partnered with my friends over at Royal Design Studio to create this fun tutorial. You probably already have many of the materials to make your own!

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I love how it came out! Slightly distressed and very rustic. I think it has a Ralph Lauren feel to it.  Wanna see how to create one of your own?

I knew with the help of Royal Design’s Polka Star Stencil I could create my rendition of Old Glory!

I’ve actually used this stencil quite a lot on oars and rugs!  Anyway, here’s how to make your own DIY Rustic American Flag:

Materials

• Polka Star Stencil by Royal Design
• Wood ( you could used reclaimed, old fence but I used Poplar from Home Depot)
• Compound Miter Saw (if cutting wood)
• Wood Glue
• Clamps
• Drill
• Dowel Joints
• Saw Horse
• General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel Stain
• Rags
• Chalk Paint® in Napoleonic Blue, Primer Red and Old White
• Stencil Brush
• Clear Shellac
• Paper Towels
• FrogTape
• Chalk
• Large Square
• Sanding Block

Method 

Step 1 – Create your flag, by sawing wood and attaching the planks together. We attached our planks by drilling corresponding holes in the boards and used wood glue and dowel joints to hold it together. We clamped them together on the saw horses and let the glue dry overnight.

Step 2 – I wanted a rustic look for our flag so I stained the poplar with General Finishes Gel Stain in Antique Walnut. This is one of my favorite stain colors. It instantly gives the aged look. Brush on with a cheap brush and use rags to wipe away stain. Be careful not to wipe off the stain completely, with gel stain you want to leave some stain on the wood.

Doesn’t that look like old, reclaimed wood?

Step 3 – Wipe on clear shellac. This will prevent any dyes from bleeding through the paint. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes. Make sure to stir it before applying, don’t shake!

Step 4 – It’s time to paint your flag.  I used a square to section off the blue square. I painted the square with Napoleonic Blue Chalk Paint® and did Old White for the undercoat of the flag as it has an older look than Pure White. For the white parts, dry brush in some areas so you’ll get that rustic, distressed look. It will make it easier when you get to the sanding process. Once dry, measure out your stripes.  This site provided a good guide for the flag. I was going to just wing it with my kids chalk but found it easier to measure precisely and use FrogTape for clean lines. I used Primer Red for the stripes because it’s a deeper, more aged looking red than Emperor’s Silk. Apply the red in the same way as the white, some solid and some dry brush strokes.

Step 5 – Stencil your stars.  Line up the stencil on your blue square. Your flag won’t have the correct number of stars but that’s okay. I find it easiest to position my stencil with FrogTape. Dip stencil brush into Old White paint and use a towel to offload some of the paint, apply paint on the stencil in a circular motion. Carefully remove stencil when done and allow to dry.

Step 6 – Use a sanding block to distress your flag.  It will look nice and weathered.

That’s it!  Easy peasy and ready for the 4th!

It’s currently out in my she shed but I have a feeling it’s gonna end up in the boys’ bedroom.

You can see it two ways, one coastal and relaxed:

Or all set for a 4th of July celebration with lemonade and 4th of July treats!

I made these super easy 4th of July desserts in mason jars and I’ll give you the recipe next week in time for your 4th of July festivities! The flag makes the perfect back drop.

Do you think you’ll try this at home?

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