Scrappy Paper American Flag

Hey y’all! We are going patriotic to celebrate not only Independence Day, but for those summer weeks that just make you think of picnics, fireworks and of course, the red, white and blue! Come hang out on the videos (There are two, just because the paper piecing took some time), and you’ll also enjoy the fun of seeing it come to life! Or, just follow along here and enjoy this crafty celebration!

Supplies:

Dollar Tree: Sign, stars, wood glue

Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint: White Swan (for stars), Hey Sailor blue

Stash: Hymnal sheets, scrapbook paper, ricrac, wood glue

Michaels: Grab Bag “Bunny Was Here” signs (explained below!)

Amazon: Mod Podge (matte) Click here to check out my favorite crafting supplies (This is an Amazon affiliate link and I may receive a small compensation for items purchased from this link.)

Let’s make it!

I used a sign like this Dollar Tree message board for the “stars” block of my project.

Ok, before we get started, let’s talk about those three signs on my table: they are all from a Michaels grab bag. The grab bags were $5 (now they are $10), and can you guess what I love more than opening them?

GIVING STUFF AWAY!

That’s right, y’all! The contents of the boxes are always a mystery! Michaels packs them full after certain holidays and they might contain kid crafts, decor, craft supplies, ornaments, florals, and whatever else they want to stuff in them! I love to grab a bunch of them and open them on live video, all while enjoying the excitement of knowing most of the items will be given to my viewers. Watch for the grab bag (or box) giveaway notices on my Facebook page, then follow the steps (announced at the time of the box openings) and see if you win a selection of goodies! (This is not announcing a current giveaway, just letting you know how it works.)

Now, back to the crafting!

Can you believe THAT sign up there turned into THIS? I know, I know! Those white stars and that blue background is just perfect for our flag!

I added some ricrac, and now we are ready to finish making the stripes.

Using a piece of painter’s tape made it a bit easier to have a guide to snow where the strips should land. I forgot to tape the third sign, but it was okay and worked out just fine.

I tore paper pieces (from my stash) and used Mod Podge to glue them onto my signs.

TIP: I use matte Mod Podge for projects like this one. It’s a little shiny, but not too much so.

I just painted on the Mod Podge, then place the pieces until I filled up the stripe.

The “white” stripe is hymnal paper. You can use any kind of white paper with musical notes, words or whatever you’d like. Use what you’ve got, girl!

Once all of my scrappy pieces are on, I painted Mod Podge over the top.

TIP: You can copy music sheets on your printer, and just tear pieces of your copied paper.

I dried each of the signs once I’d finished applying all of the scraps and Mod Podge. I used my heat tool, but you can set yours aside to dry if you’d like.

Now it’s time to assemble!

I used wood glue plus hot glue to join the “stripes” panels. The wood glue takes longer to set up, but gives a strong hold, while the hot glue sets up right away and allows us to continue crafting!

TIP: Check to make sure your pattern is correct; red, white, red, white, etc.

Now that they are glued together, I removed hardware from two of the three signs. I kept the hardware attached to the top one so the project can hang on the wall if desired. It also stands really well, so you could use it as a shelf sitter!

I used wood glue to attach the message board sign to the stripes, then followed behind with hot glue.

TIP: See where I’m holding the stars sign up? You could leave the underside blank and start your paper piecing just under the edge of the stars sign because it won’t be seen.