Every year dozens of Spring and Easter garden flags begin appearing in stores around this time of year.
This year why not try something a bit different; why not custom make your own yard flag? You can be sure that your neighbor won't come home with the exact same decor.
Materials Needed:
- Paper-two 2' x 3' sheets and colored smaller sheets
- White Paper
- Pencil
- Marker
- Scissors
- Heavy weight nylon fabric -2-2' x 3' pieces and 1/3 yard in each of the other colors to be used.
- Sewing Machine
- Pins
- Thread
Designing Your Flag
- Begin by sketching out some ideas on your white paper until you have a design you are really happy with. Keep in mind that color will make a big difference to your design.
- Transfer your design onto the large sheets of paper making sure to expand the design to fit the space. Allow a 1-2" border on both sides and the bottom and a 3" border on the top.
- Take one of the large sheets and cut the design into pieces. Imagine it like a stained glass window. Once the window idea is designed, the artist needs to cut out each individual piece of glass before the design can be reassembled. These cut pieces of paper are your patterns.
- Use your patterns on the smaller colored paper. Cut the paper into the pieces necessary to create your design and fill the field.
- Lay the pieces out onto the uncut piece of large paper to make sure the colors and shapes work together.
Preparation
- If you are happy with your design you can begin cutting out the fabric pieces the same way you did from the paper. The only difference is you will need two of each piece. Attach the paper to each piece with pins to help identify it.
- Make sure to match the paper color as closely as possible to the fabric color.
- Use the pins to pin one of each of the pieces onto one of the large fabric pieces.
- Repeat the process with the other large piece of fabric. You are not making two flags. You are making a two-sided flag with will look good when viewed from either side.
- Using your zig-zag stitch, sew each piece one at a time onto the fabric.
- Repeat for the second piece of fabric.
Assembling Your Flag
- Sew the two pieces across the top with right sides facing.
- Open fabric. You now have one long piece. Fold down all of the remaining outside edges 1/2 inch and sew down
- Fold fabric with right sides facing again and sew the fabric from four inches blow the fold around the side to the bottom. Continue up the other side stopping four inches before the other fold.
- Turn fabric so the right side is on the outside.
- Stitch across the top about 1/2 inch down from the fold line.
- Stitch again about 2 1/2 inches own from that stitch line all the way across the top.
Your flag is now ready to hang and enjoy. Simply slide your pole in the rod pocket the sewing created. Try several different designs. Make new ones for each holiday and season. You can make them for gifts or sell them as a sideline. Most of all just enjoy the process and take pride in your creation.
The copyright of the article Make Your Own Easter Yard Flag in Crafts is owned by Mary Welling-Bonney. Permission to republish Make Your Own Easter Yard Flag in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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