One of my last Pottery Barn inspired projects was Christmas garland for the columns of my front porch. (You'll find the full tutorial for the Pottery Barn Christmas Garland hack, HERE.)
Recently, I decided to do a complete a make-over of my screened-in porch for the 4th of July.
L.jpg "Screened-in Porch Decorated for the 4th of July")
I had seen an awesome flag in a Pottery Barn catalog but the $129 price tag was way more than I wanted to spend. Also, the PB flag was 50" x 27", too large for what I had in mind. (Doesn't that light fixture look like a giant spider?)
So, what to do? I decided to try making my own. Before heading off to The Home Depot for supplies, I measured the area where I wanted to display the flag. I envisioned hanging it above the hutch for my 4th of July porch redo, replacing the large platter that normally lives there.
I wanted to use narrow strips of wood so the flag would have a "pieced together" look, as opposed to being cut out of a solid sheet of wood. When I got to Home Depot, I found an associate, described what I wanted to do and asked him where I could find wood slats or narrow wood molding/trim. He immediately understood what I was trying to do (YAY!) and showed me several different options. One of the things he showed me was a bundle of "grade" stakes. They looked just like the stakes used to hold a sign on the side of the road for a garage sale or open house.
The hutch is around 37 inches wide and the stakes were 36 inches long in their present state, so I knew they would be just about right. I wanted the finished flag to be about 32-34 inches wide and about 17-18 inches tall.
I had planned to saw off the pointed part of the stakes when I got home, but the nice Home Depot guy offered to run them through their giant saw. Is that service, or what?! I definitely took him up on that deal!
I didn't really want nails to show on the face of the flag, so I bought a tube of "Liquid Nails." The HD guy wasn't too sure about this plan and suggested I buy a box of nails, too...just in case. In the end, the Liquid Nails was all I needed, except for the frame which I nailed together with skinny, little nails I already had at home.
Below you'll see the stakes with the tips already cut off, and the "frame pieces" the Home Depot associate cut to the size I requested. You'll also see the tube of Liquid Nails, as well as the box of nails I purchased but didn't use.
I used nails I already had to put the base frame together. I didn't used Liquid Nails at the corners, but that wouldn't have been a bad idea. I pre-drilled the holes for the nails because I didn't want to splinter the skinny frame pieces. The top and bottom pieces of the base frame each measure 28 1/4 inches and the side pieces measure 16 1/2 inches long each. I asked the Home Depot guy to cut them this size because I wanted the base frame to be smaller than the finished flag. That way when I glued the strips of wood across the frame, it wouldn't be visible from the front. That was my plan...I was keeping my fingers crossed it would work.
I brought the wood strips and frame inside and created the flag in the air conditioned comfort of the breakfast room. Ahhhhh! It was blazing hot in that garage when I was building the frame! I laid the stakes across the frame to test out my plan. When working on a project, I always try to "simulate" as much as I can before I commit and start nailing, gluing, painting, etc.... It's the old measure twice and cut once theory.
Using a pencil, I sketched off the area where the stars would be. There was no exact measuring for this part. I just pulled up a flag online, noticed the star section (known as the canton) didn't go quite to the center of the flag and I eye-balled it from there. I was careful to count down and make sure the canton didn't extend lower than the 7th stripe since that's how it is on a real flag.
I decided to paint all the stripes prior to using the Liquid Nails to attach them to the base. After my Home Depot trip, I had stopped by Michael's and picked up some small bottles of paint. I chose Americana's Cherry Red and Apple Barrel's White (205803) and True Blue (20383). I also bought another red called Americana Primary Red, but after testing the reds on the back of the flag, I liked the Cherry Red best.
I started by painting all the white stripes first, including a white background for the canton. You'll see why I painted that section white in a sec.
I painted a second coat of white paint on the canton area so it would be bright white.
With the individual stripes/stakes still not glued down, I began painting the red stripes, next. I just took each piece of wood over to the kitchen counter and painted it while I watched TV. It didn't take long to paint them at all and was actually pretty fun. :) Painting each strip of wood (stripe) first before gluing the flag together made the flag super easy to paint. No risk of getting white paint on the red stripes or red paint on the white stripes.
In this photo all the stripes have been painted. The sections of wood are spread out drying and are still not glued to the base.
Next, using the Liquid Nails, I glued the strips of wood to the base I had constructed. Apparently, I forgot to take pics during the gluing process (bad blogger) so I'll describe it. I just pre-positioned all the strips on the frame exactly where I wanted them and starting at the top, going down one at the time, I glued each piece of wood to the base/frame you saw at the beginning of this post.
I used nails I already had to put the base frame together. I didn't used Liquid Nails at the corners, but that wouldn't have been a bad idea. I pre-drilled the holes for the nails because I didn't want to splinter the skinny frame pieces. The top and bottom pieces of the base frame each measure 28 1/4 inches and the side pieces measure 16 1/2 inches long each. I asked the Home Depot guy to cut them this size because I wanted the base frame to be smaller than the finished flag. That way when I glued the strips of wood across the frame, it wouldn't be visible from the front. That was my plan...I was keeping my fingers crossed it would work.
I brought the wood strips and frame inside and created the flag in the air conditioned comfort of the breakfast room. Ahhhhh! It was blazing hot in that garage when I was building the frame! I laid the stakes across the frame to test out my plan. When working on a project, I always try to "simulate" as much as I can before I commit and start nailing, gluing, painting, etc.... It's the old measure twice and cut once theory.
Using a pencil, I sketched off the area where the stars would be. There was no exact measuring for this part. I just pulled up a flag online, noticed the star section (known as the canton) didn't go quite to the center of the flag and I eye-balled it from there. I was careful to count down and make sure the canton didn't extend lower than the 7th stripe since that's how it is on a real flag.
I decided to paint all the stripes prior to using the Liquid Nails to attach them to the base. After my Home Depot trip, I had stopped by Michael's and picked up some small bottles of paint. I chose Americana's Cherry Red and Apple Barrel's White (205803) and True Blue (20383). I also bought another red called Americana Primary Red, but after testing the reds on the back of the flag, I liked the Cherry Red best.
I started by painting all the white stripes first, including a white background for the canton. You'll see why I painted that section white in a sec.
I painted a second coat of white paint on the canton area so it would be bright white.
With the individual stripes/stakes still not glued down, I began painting the red stripes, next. I just took each piece of wood over to the kitchen counter and painted it while I watched TV. It didn't take long to paint them at all and was actually pretty fun. :) Painting each strip of wood (stripe) first before gluing the flag together made the flag super easy to paint. No risk of getting white paint on the red stripes or red paint on the white stripes.
In this photo all the stripes have been painted. The sections of wood are spread out drying and are still not glued to the base.
Next, using the Liquid Nails, I glued the strips of wood to the base I had constructed. Apparently, I forgot to take pics during the gluing process (bad blogger) so I'll describe it. I just pre-positioned all the strips on the frame exactly where I wanted them and starting at the top, going down one at the time, I glued each piece of wood to the base/frame you saw at the beginning of this post.
Follow the directions on the Liquid Nails tube. It's best to squirt the glue on the base frame, press the strip of wood down, let it set a few seconds, then lift it off and place it again. Somehow that helps the Liquid Nails bond everything better, per the directions on the tube.
Liquid Nails works quickly. It was firmly set up within 24 hours, but I was able to move the flag around and even try it out on the porch just a couple of hours after gluing all the wood strips down. I didn't leave it in the upright position, though (just to be safe) until 24 hours had passed.
Here's a side view of how the flag looked with all the wood strips glued down. See how the base I made is a bit smaller than the flag itself. I'm sure there are many ways to construct this flag. You could even build a frame to go all the way around for a really "finished" look.
Here's a photo of how the flag looks on the back. You can see where I tested out the red and blue paint colors before deciding to use them. That strip with the dried glue showing...that's a strip I had glued to the bottom of the base/frame, but during the gluing process I decided to move it upward to a different spot. That's why you can see glue on it from the back. It had been the bottom stripe at one point.
Here's a photo of how the flag looks on the back. You can see where I tested out the red and blue paint colors before deciding to use them. That strip with the dried glue showing...that's a strip I had glued to the bottom of the base/frame, but during the gluing process I decided to move it upward to a different spot. That's why you can see glue on it from the back. It had been the bottom stripe at one point.
The stakes aren't "perfect" and some are cut/beveled a little "off" so that's why it helps to try them out in different places before you start gluing them down. I did that, but apparently I swapped a couple in the painting process, so once I started gluing them down, I had to do a little repositioning. You have about 15-20 minutes before the Liquid Nails sets up, so that gives you time to move them around. I tell you, I'm a big fan of Liquid Nails now. It worked great for this project! And, no, I am not affiliated with them and they don't know me from Adam's house cat.
Now it was time to create the star section or canton. When I first started thinking about how I wanted to build a flag a few weeks back, I had an idea I hoped would work for this star section. The trick would be in finding the right size star stickers. If I couldn't, I figured I'd cut a star sponge shape and stencil them on. After hitting Home Depot and Michaels, I headed over to Office Depot. They had stickers in a couple of different sizes and these looked like they just might work. They came 72 to the package and I used all but 7 of them. I'll explain in a sec.
Again, I like to test how things are going to look before "committing." It was a pain in the you-know-what, but I rough-cut out each sticker and just set them out on the star section before going for it. They looked about right, so I decided to use them. This testing process also helped me to know exactly how much of the canton I wanted to paint blue and how much I might need to extend the red stripes over.
I taped off the star section using Frog Tape. I bought this tape to use when I painted the crown molding in my Pottery Barn Bedford office. I still haven't caulked and painted it, yet...can you say procrastination??? :) The Frog Tape came in handy for this flag project.
I peeled all the stars off and positioned them one at a time on the flag. I did the top row and then moved on to the second row, etc... I left all the stars I had cut out in place as I worked, just lifting the one I was working on at the moment, to stick it down. That way I kept my rows fairly straight through to the end. Then I painted the entire canton area with "True Blue" paint.
Now it was time to create the star section or canton. When I first started thinking about how I wanted to build a flag a few weeks back, I had an idea I hoped would work for this star section. The trick would be in finding the right size star stickers. If I couldn't, I figured I'd cut a star sponge shape and stencil them on. After hitting Home Depot and Michaels, I headed over to Office Depot. They had stickers in a couple of different sizes and these looked like they just might work. They came 72 to the package and I used all but 7 of them. I'll explain in a sec.
Again, I like to test how things are going to look before "committing." It was a pain in the you-know-what, but I rough-cut out each sticker and just set them out on the star section before going for it. They looked about right, so I decided to use them. This testing process also helped me to know exactly how much of the canton I wanted to paint blue and how much I might need to extend the red stripes over.
I taped off the star section using Frog Tape. I bought this tape to use when I painted the crown molding in my Pottery Barn Bedford office. I still haven't caulked and painted it, yet...can you say procrastination??? :) The Frog Tape came in handy for this flag project.
I peeled all the stars off and positioned them one at a time on the flag. I did the top row and then moved on to the second row, etc... I left all the stars I had cut out in place as I worked, just lifting the one I was working on at the moment, to stick it down. That way I kept my rows fairly straight through to the end. Then I painted the entire canton area with "True Blue" paint.
I was glad the package contained 72 stars because the stars were very thin/fragile and occasionally one would tear when I was trying to remove the backing to stick it down or if I had to pull it back up to reposition it. I used all but 7 stars in the end.
In the pic below, you can see I went a little further over with the red paint on that top stripe than I did with the other red stripes. No need to panic...I knew the blue would hide that pretty well. I do recommend trying to keep it even, though, because the blue won't totally hide the red paint.
I let it dry for about 15 minutes (acrylic paint dries quickly) but before it was completely dry, I took a straight pin and began lifting the stars off, one at a time. I just skipped all around, as you can tell in the photo below. The bright white stars are the ones where I had already lifted the stickers. It was fun seeing the star section come to life.
Now, here's something you may decide to do differently. The stakes I bought were kind of flat on one side and beveled on the other. A few seemed to be beveled on both sides, but mostly they were flat on one side and beveled on the other. I chose to put the beveled side facing upward. I was trying to emphasize the fact that this flag wasn't a solid piece of wood, but was made by individual strips of wood assembled together. The bad thing about building the flag with the beveled side facing up is, the star stickers kind of wrap around the beveled edge which can sort of give the impression the top or bottom tip of the star is missing, even though it isn't.
If that bothers you, design your flag with the FLAT side of the stake facing upward and the beveled side facing down. I'd still probably build it this way again...I just like the beveled look.
Another variation you could consider doing is to make your base frame bigger than I did and space the wood strips out a teeny bit using a penny or some slender object as a spacer, creating little gaps between the slats of wood. I thought of doing that, but in the end I decided to just squish them up close to each other. I'm just throwing that idea out there, though...in case you like it. Here's how my flag looked after all the star stickers had been removed with a straight pin.
Because I wanted my flag to look pretty crisp and near perfect (before I distressed it) I touched up a few of the stars with the white paint and a really skinny paint brush. The stickers worked great so the only touching up I did was just due to the beveling where a tip might be missing here or there. The paint had a bit of an uneven look, due to how the wood absorbed the paint. I actually liked that since I didn't want it to look too, too perfect.
In place above the hutch...
I put two short screws into the back when I initially built the base frame so I could hang the flag with picture wire once I was done. But in the end, I liked the casual look of having it just leaning against the wall.
Side views...
I haven't distressed my flag, yet. I think I'm going to just live with it a while...then decide. This flag was a labor of love, but really fun to make!
In the pic below, you can see I went a little further over with the red paint on that top stripe than I did with the other red stripes. No need to panic...I knew the blue would hide that pretty well. I do recommend trying to keep it even, though, because the blue won't totally hide the red paint.
I let it dry for about 15 minutes (acrylic paint dries quickly) but before it was completely dry, I took a straight pin and began lifting the stars off, one at a time. I just skipped all around, as you can tell in the photo below. The bright white stars are the ones where I had already lifted the stickers. It was fun seeing the star section come to life.
Now, here's something you may decide to do differently. The stakes I bought were kind of flat on one side and beveled on the other. A few seemed to be beveled on both sides, but mostly they were flat on one side and beveled on the other. I chose to put the beveled side facing upward. I was trying to emphasize the fact that this flag wasn't a solid piece of wood, but was made by individual strips of wood assembled together. The bad thing about building the flag with the beveled side facing up is, the star stickers kind of wrap around the beveled edge which can sort of give the impression the top or bottom tip of the star is missing, even though it isn't.
If that bothers you, design your flag with the FLAT side of the stake facing upward and the beveled side facing down. I'd still probably build it this way again...I just like the beveled look.
Another variation you could consider doing is to make your base frame bigger than I did and space the wood strips out a teeny bit using a penny or some slender object as a spacer, creating little gaps between the slats of wood. I thought of doing that, but in the end I decided to just squish them up close to each other. I'm just throwing that idea out there, though...in case you like it. Here's how my flag looked after all the star stickers had been removed with a straight pin.
Because I wanted my flag to look pretty crisp and near perfect (before I distressed it) I touched up a few of the stars with the white paint and a really skinny paint brush. The stickers worked great so the only touching up I did was just due to the beveling where a tip might be missing here or there. The paint had a bit of an uneven look, due to how the wood absorbed the paint. I actually liked that since I didn't want it to look too, too perfect.
In place above the hutch...
I put two short screws into the back when I initially built the base frame so I could hang the flag with picture wire once I was done. But in the end, I liked the casual look of having it just leaning against the wall.
Side views...
I haven't distressed my flag, yet. I think I'm going to just live with it a while...then decide. This flag was a labor of love, but really fun to make!
Click HERE to see the full make-over of the porch for the 4th of July.
♫ You're a Grand 'Ole Flag
♪ Music and lyrics by George M. Cohan
You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
General Information About Construction:
Flag was constructed of sign stakes from The Home Depot that measured approximately 1 1/4 wide and 36 inches long before the pointed tips were cut off. After tips were cut off, stakes measured 32 inches long.
Paint Colors: Acrylic Paint (purchased at Michael's)
Apple Barrel, White, 20503
Apple Barrel, True Blue, 20383
Americana, Cherry Red
Star Stickers:
Purchased at Office Depot
Flag Measurements:
Side pieces of base/frame: 16 1/2" long each
Top and bottom pieces of base/frame: 28 1/2" long each
Size of Canton Area:
12 1/2 " wide x 9" tall
Size of Finished Flag:
32" wide by 17" tall
Cost to build:
Wood Stakes: $5.97
Paint: $1.98
Stickers: $1.99
Liquid Nails: 3.47
Total: $13.41
Looking forward to all the "Before and Afters" for this Metamorphosis Monday!
Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday you will need to link up the permalink to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the "url" box for InLinkz.
If you'd like to include the MM button in your post, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo under the "Join a Blog Party" header at the top of this blog.
In order to link up, you'll need to include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch so your regular readers will be able to find the Met Monday party which ensures your friends and fellow bloggers will receive lots of visits, too. Isn't that what a party is all about? :)
PLEASE DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)
Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. :-)
Welcome! Thanks for coming to the party!
Hi Susan! Oh, you'r absolutely the smartest one! I love your flag and the tutorial! Sure makes your porch look so festive and you can leave it up all summer.
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Fantastic project! I was all ready to put this flag on my wish list when I saw your tutorial. Thanks
ReplyDeleteLove your flag. I'm a 4th of July baby so I love this!
ReplyDeleteI'll hope you'll come see the nursery I helped create for my first grandchild.
Allison
Atticmag
Oh, Susan, you are so crafty clever. I love the flag. Your porch is just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week ~
TTFN ~
Marydon
What a fabulous piece of art, Susan! Your flag is really striking and goes so well with your patriotic decorations! Thanks for hosting MM!
ReplyDeleteAmazing job with your flag! I'm impressed with how helpful the HD employee was. My parents keep telling me how much nicer everyone is down south, and it must be true. I like the beveled look too. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow, Susan! I am sooo impressed! Your flag looks so professional! You really found a good HD person, too! The porch looks so festive! Happy week!...hugs...Debbie
ReplyDeleteWow!! So wonderful. That was an amazing project.
ReplyDeleteLove this idea! Thanks for the great directions and pictures, too. This is something that I'd love to make.
ReplyDeleteLove your flag. It turned out great! What a nice addition to your already beautiful porch. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteThis might be a project for the future...when the weather cools! You, dear friend, make it look so~o~o easy! Your porch looks amazing!!! What a lovely tribute to America!
Fondly,
Pat
Great job Susan! I love the directions too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Met Monday. I hope you have a great week.
Pam
I love your flag just the way it is! Thank you for the tutorial. You write wonderful instructions.
ReplyDeleteAre you keeping this beautiful look for the summer?
Mary
WOW! Your Flag is Fabulous!! Thanks for sharing and for hosting the party!
ReplyDeletethat came out great! I love finding a way to make something on a budget.
ReplyDeleteSusan, You make it look so easy. Your flag turned out great, I love it. I will attempt to make one. I've wanted one for the veranda. I have the perfect place over the double windows. Like your I I've looked in retail stores and PB always has something beautiful but who wants to spend $$$$? Your tutorial is right on. I really can't wait to start mine. Thanks for sharing........Oh and your porch looked gorgeous and so festive for the fourth.
ReplyDelete~Emily
The French Hutch
Thanks for the info on how to build the flag! Love It!! Can't wait to make one to decorate my house next year!
ReplyDeleteyour flag is awesomeness!!! Thanks so much for the step by step tutorial! Now to check out some of the party links...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tutorial. I've always wondered about Liquid Nails and now I'll give it a whirl. The room is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteLove the way you make it so easy! Now if my Home Depot has as nice a man working, I might just give it a try.
ReplyDeleteBeckie in Brentwood, TN
What a fabulous project! You did a fantastic job and now we can too, thanks to this great tutorial. Love it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful project!! It turned out great! Filing in my inspiration folder.
ReplyDeleteYou've outdone yourself! I feel like standing up and saluting :) The porch looks fabulous decked out in its patriotic finery!
ReplyDeleteYou are one smart gal! I love your flag (and your porch!). I have been trying to link up my post for Met Monday of our new kitchen but I can't get it to work. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'd really appreciate some help with it so I can share it. Thanks so much. Pamela
ReplyDeleteLove your flag! Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI love, love your flag...
I was thinking of making one too..I reall was...LOL
In May I purchased two new sofas and a rug from Ethan Allen, they should arrive late Aug. The colors are red, white and blue.. The Ohio Quilt I posted about that I linked with you on, will be a throw for one of the sofa's.
Your tutorial is wonderful! you just might be seeing another flag very soon.
Have a sweet day and hugs, Elizabeth
Susan, you are a clever one. I admire your resourcefulness. The flag looks terrific. Love seeing your patriotic porch. ~ Sarah
ReplyDeleteJust love your flag! thanks so much for sharing. Your porch is just gorgeous (as usual!!).
ReplyDeleteI like the beveled side up and the star tips curving around it to emphasize the roughness of the wood. That's what makes it folksy Americana!
ReplyDeleteYour idea about using the stickers as paint-stoppers is brilliant!
I've had my eye on the PB one for a while now, but just couldn't justify the $$ ! You've inspired me to try it myself - thank you !!!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great and the stickers were a brilliant "trick" !
thanks for sharing!
gena
Your room looks great. I recognize your plates - They are in my hutch also!
ReplyDeletehttp://jeanneselep.blogspot.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-hutch.html
I've sure bookmarked this idea for next year, or a winter project. Thanks for sharing....very well done! There is "nothing new under the sun" so I always enjoy a good COPY!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this fun party! I enjoy participating each week!
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job! Looks wonderful. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great tutorial! Turned out fantastic! Thank you for hosting! Christie
ReplyDeleteThat is a super cute flag. It looks great on your hutch. Thanks for having us over.
ReplyDeleteSherry
Beautiful job. Easy to understand directions.
ReplyDeleteAren't you the most clever Susan!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful and so perfect for your 4th of July porch!
Everything looks amazing in there! From the red pillows to the flag and the table you have it all and its gorgeous!
Hugs,
Cindy
I love it when people do PB knock offs as their prices are such rip offs for something like this! Great job and ingenuity! That was indeed a labor of love.
ReplyDeleteSusan, this is a wonderful tutorial and your flag is beautiful! I like the beveled side up because it seems to give a little movement to the flag--not so flat. Even the stars folding over the edges help with that impression! Excellent job and your porch looks fantastic! Linda
ReplyDeleteSusan, this is a wonderful project and a clear and easy tutorial. I love all things flag related and I'm going to get started on a wood flag for my porch this week. Thank you so much for the great instruction.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS!!! Would I like to make one? YES! Will I make one? Probably not, but I still want to. Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial. You make it look doable.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your porch is pretty amazing! Love all the flag decor and your pottery inspired word flag. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteThe flag is darling! Thanks for hosting this great party. Cheers
ReplyDeleteLove your flag tutorial. Thanks for the detailed step-by-step instructions and pictures. Maybe I should get started now so I have it for next Fourth of July. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWow Susan, you are brilliant! Love the flag and your porch is so America-so love it!!
ReplyDeleteBRAVO Susan! That turned out GREAT & your tutorial & the explanations of what & why you did things is extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE one to hang in the entryway of our front porch.
Thank you so much!
fondly,
Rett
This turned out amazing, i think I might even be able to do it!! Thank you SO much for the easy step by step and the paint colors and etc., that makes it even easier to get everything ready. If you do end up distressing it be sure to let us know how it turns out!!
ReplyDeleteI just called DH in here to see your flag project & told him "You could easily do that!"
ReplyDeleteHis response...."NO...YOU could do that!" LOL
I don't think he appreciates all the ideas I get from you. *smile*
Wow Susan, this is really awesome. The porch looks fabulous. What a great tutorial. I love those plates and all those yummy pillows too!
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial, adorable flag -- but the BEST part is you did it with GLUE against the advice of the HD guy. Men are so bound by the rules of how things SHOULD be done.
ReplyDeleteWe women just look at what we accomplish and aren't burdened with the "shoulds," we just go for the "this SHOULD work!" methods, and they usually do! Imagination over tradition -- love it.
Thanks! -- Cass
Love the flag thanks for the party!
ReplyDeletedreaming-n-color.blogspot.com
LOVE the flag!! What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks wonderful -great job! I know you will get a lot of use out of your grand ole flag :) Jennifer
ReplyDeleteLovely picture of the porch.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Oh, this is wonderful! Thank you for the tutorial. I'm wanting to get my boys into some crafts and this would be a wonderful way to teach them. Lots of love to you, Sally xx
ReplyDeleteThat turned out super cute !! Such a clever idea!
ReplyDeletewhat a fun-looking and easy project! If you have it in your mind that you want a "not so perfect" look, it's easy not to get stressed out if part of your project is, well, less than perfect :) That's the way I like things anyway...I've got enough stress in my life without me adding to it! This is another one of your projects I'm going to try but I would love the distressed look. When the time is right, do you know how you plan to distress it?
ReplyDeleteI am in love with your flag!! It is awesome!!! God less you and God Bless America!!
ReplyDeleteYour flag turned out wonderfully, and the great thing about doing it yourself (aside from saving a bundle (of money, not sticks!) is that you can get the exact size you want.
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing - that flag is gorgeous, and you made it!!! I love all the $ you saved, too! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for hostessing today's Metamorphosis Monday.
ReplyDeleteYou sure came up with a great idea and a creative approach to it! As I viewed the one picture of it on an angle, I thought about the same design made smaller into trivets that you could use on a dining table! Kudos on this project! Liz
ReplyDeleteyour lights are amazing! *adds to wish list...
ReplyDeleteThe flag looks very cool too :)
http://jacabag.blogspot.com
Susan - the flag is so perfect and you do a beautiful job with the porch party set-up. Thanks for keeping track of the costs - I was wondering what the new wood added and it wasn't much at all. Great post.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part, Susan, was how you did the stars. That was ingenious. I probably would have thought the only way was to paint on the stars or stencil them. The sticker idea - way cool. Thanks for sharing such a neat wall art project with us. I am sure there are other creative ways you could use those wooden slats to create wall art for outdoor areas. Love this idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mary - I wouldn't have thought about the star stickers. In fact, I'd be afraid they'd permanently stick.
ReplyDeleteThe flag is lovely, Susan. I like the bevels on top. I like . . . well, everything about it!
OK girl, you are my hero!!! I have been checking back on a regular basis to see if you posted this tutorial and this is just darling and doable!
ReplyDeleteI am printing the entire thing just to make sure I get the right supplies and I can only hope mine turns out as cute as yours...you are amazing as always!!!
Terry
Susan,
ReplyDeleteI am linking this to my facebook page.
Cheri
Love the Pottery Barn knockoff, Susan! It looks every bit as good as theirs...but at a MUCH more reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteEver wonder how PB makes any money - with us all just copying their ideas? lol
Blessings,
Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
Hi There! What a great article! And I love your flag! But I think it looks better with a distressed look! You are full of inspirations!
ReplyDelete:)
I love your flag! It looks wonderful in your screen porch Thanks for the tutorial, that is a lot of work to put together.I make several of these kinds of flags, especially since 9/11 they are one of our biggest sellers. You can check out my blog(I am new to this)at http://salmonfallsprims.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI have on on my header.Have a blessed week. ~Sara
SO Brillliant, I am stealing this idea for sure!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Lisa
Thank you so much for the flag tutorial! I have been wanting one!
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Love the flag! Someone might have mentioned it in an earlier post, but my friend has a flag that was made out of an old fence that was cut to size then painted. I bet yours was more fun to plan and make.
ReplyDeleteLinda
New England Fine Living
http://www.newenglandfineliving.com
Would you make me a flag? Yours is so cute! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job on the flag! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to stop by and let you know that I linked over to your project in my post today. I did a colonial flag version of this popular PB knock and linked to several I have seen lately, yours included :) http://www.craftsbyamanda.com/2011/07/pb-inspired-rustic-colonial-american.html
ReplyDeleteI LOVE how your flag came out! I was also interested in the Pottery Barn flag but it was too large (and too expensive) for the space I wanted to put it in my son's room. When I can get myself motivated, I am going to follow your step by step tutorial from start to finish! Thank you!!
ReplyDelete-Shelley