June 14 marks the 99th anniversary of Flag Day, a time in which we celebrate the adoption of our country’s flag. Flag Day was officially established in 1916; our country’s flag was officially adopted in 1777. Whether your family makes sure your American flag is proudly displayed on your front porch or you wear a favorite red-white-and-blue T-shirt this weekend, there’s no wrong way to appreciate the flag. For a DIY approach to the holiday – or if you’re looking for some early Fourth of July ideas – have your children try making their own flags out of basic craft felt.
Materials
- 1 sheet of stiffened red felt
- 1 sheet of stiffened blue felt
- 1 sheet of standard craft felt
- Tacky glue
- White craft paint
- Foam paintbrush
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Skinny ribbon
- Dowel rod
Instructions
Start out by prepping the felt pieces for your children to assemble. From the blue felt cut a 5-inch square; from the white craft felt cut two 1-by-12-inch rectangles and three 1-by-7-inch rectangles. Set aside.
Tacky glue works best for connecting the felt pieces. Apply a liberal amount of tacky glue to the back of the blue square and position in the top left corner. Add the longest stripes first, working your way up and adding the smaller stripes. Let dry.
Next, dip the eraser end of a pencil into the white craft paint and create rows of “stars” on the blue felt square. Again, let dry.
Once the paint has dried, punch three holes down the left side of the flag. Cut three pieces of ribbon to tie the flag to the dowel rod.
Double-knot the ribbon onto the dowel rod. Trim the excess ribbons ends and your DIY felt flag is ready for the parade.
