The Suede Sofa Blog

Ok, so when it comes to talent, Lara is the one who has got it in the designing and creating category.  I am not good at doing that sort of thing.  But I was flipping through a Potterybarn catalog and saw this picture of a fLaG.  It’s the inspiration:

 

Well, the idea came to me to design and make one.  The requirements:  It had to be EaSy-PeAsY, LeMoN SqUeEzY.  I didn’t want to have to saw anything.  I was only willing to apply some paint and do a little hammering.  After I finished my flag this is what it looked like.

Here’s how I constructed the flag:

1.)  Materials:   As I said, I did not want to do ANY of the cutting!  I left that up to the fine folks at the family owned, CLEAVER’S (my town’s version of The Home Depot).  They gave me lots of help and cut all the wood for me.  ThAnKs CLeaVeRs!!!!

• 1- 26×36 inch piece of plywood (I used 1/2 in thick)
• 7- 36 inch pieces of 2-inch wide pieces of trim
• 1- 14×17 inch piece of  1/4 inch wood

• 50- 2 inch wood stars.  You can find these on line.  (I Googled “Wood Craft Stars”). 

• 1 quart of white paint (get exterior paint if you plan on putting your flag outdoors).  If I were doing this again, I would get an off-white paint to give it a more aged look. 

 

• ReD paint – I purchased 1 quart of “SuNdRiEd ToMaTo” (I preferred a burnt red vs. a fire engine red) from Sherwin Williams but that was too much paint.  Craft paint in a small bottle would have been sufficent. 
• NaVy BLuE paint – I also purchased 1 quart of  “NaVaL” from Sherwin Williams but if I were doing it over I would use a craft paint for this as well.  Way too much paint!

Paint the plywood white.  (Paint front, edges, and back.)  I primed my wood.  If I were doing this a second time around I would forget the priming.

Paint the stars white.  Second time around:  I would use spray paint instead of paint from a can.  (Paint front and edges.  Back of stars do not need to be painted.)

Paint trim Red.  (Front and edges – back does not need to be painted.)

Paint 14×17 inch board BLuE.

Sand ReD trim and BluE piece of wood if you want a more vintage-y look.

Nail 1 piece of trim at the top of the white plywood.  Line up the edges and the corners.

Place a 2nd piece of ReD trim below the 1st piece of trim that has been nailed down.  Then, place a 3rd piece down.  Make sure they are touching each other.  You will nail the 3rd, but not the 2nd.  The 2nd piece of trim is only there temporarily to help space the ReD trim 2 inches apart.  Once you nail down the 3rd piece of trim you can remove the 2nd piece.  (Notice I didn’t even have to use a ruler or yardstick!  YaH BaBy!!)

Continue spacing ReD trim boards and nailing.

Nail BluE board down on the four corners.  Make sure you nail each corner into ReD trim board.

Arrange stars.  I was concerned this would be the hardest part of the flag – getting the stars to look even.  However, it was easier than I thought.  And I DiDn’T cArE if they didn’t look perfect.  I had a flag that I was looking at for guidance – 6 stars on the 1st row, 5 on the 2nd.  Continue this pattern until all stars are used.

HoT GluE stars to secure them in place so you can nail them down permanently. 

NaiL stars down in center of star.

If you wish to HaNg your flag, here’s how I (my husband) hung mine.  I got some random sizes of 2×4 scraps. 

Paint, dRill hole (the size of a dime) throught the wood, and screw in to the back of flag.   

ThReAd rope down through wood and tie a knot.

FiniSheD pRoduCt!!

This project’s cost:

$11.16 – 7 Trim pieces

$14.34 – 1 Piece of 26×36 inch plywood

$2.33 –  3/8 inch piece of wood for upper left corner of flag

$1.69 – Nails (5/8 x 18 Wire Brads or whatever you prefer)

$3.52 – 8 foot of 1/2 inch rope

$13.00 – 50 stars – 2 inch.  You can find these on-line.

$ 10.00  (Approximately) – Craft paint in red, white, and blue.

TOTAL  (Approximately)

$55.00

HaPpY FlaG MaKiNg!!

Robynn~