How To Make A Wooden Flag: DIY Patriotic Decorations

If you have ever wanted to learn how to make a wooden flag, then you are in the right place! Today I will be showing you how easy and so inexpensive one is to make. I actually had everything on hand that I needed to make my version. Free is definitely the right price for me! Grab a scrap piece of plywood and make your own version using our instructions below. You are sure to love the results!

How To Make A Wooden Flag

This wooden flag is one of those pieces that is perfect to keep out all year around! It would look great displayed inside your home and could easly be displayed on a porch or patio as well.

Also, the nice thing about this project, is that it can be customized to fit your patriotic decor style. For example, I made my flag large with a rustic/distressed look, but you could make your flag small and bright in color. So, if you are ready to make your own wooden flag, check out our tutorial below!

Supplies Needed To Make Wooden American Flag

• Plywood (my piece was about 2 foot by 3 1/2 foot as it was a scrap)
• Craft paint in red, white, and blue (be sure to use outdoor paint if you are going to use outdoors)
• Paintbrushes
• Foam roller (optional)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paint pen
• Cricut machine (click here to see which one I like best)
• Star Stencil
• White cardstock
• Sandpaper
• Wood stain

Step 1: Paint Wood Board

First, paint the entire board white. I have a super easy secret weapon. I just discovered these fancy bottle tops from Plaid. They are available in the craft section at Walmart.

Just screw it onto your paint bottle and you have a paint roller! I covered this board in no time flat using this little trick!

I did one coat of paint on the plywood. Yes, there were still some poorly covered areas. It will help later with our rustic look. Allow this to dry completely before continuing.

Step 2: Draw Flag Onto Wood

Do some measurements and come up with a layout that will work then draw it on the wood in pencil.

Step 3: Draw 50 Stars

Then use your Cricut machine to cut a couple of rows of stars out of white card stock to use as a stencil. You can see how to use shapes to make a design here. You can actually just cut out a couple of rows and repeat those to fill your space. Then just use your template to draw fifty stars into the upper left-hand rectangle. Again, the placement was developed by measuring.

Step 4: Trace Pencil Lines With Paint Marker

Here is a little hack for making the perfect DIY wooden American flag: trace your lines with an Elmer’s Paint Marker! This gives you more control over your lines and you don’t have to be as steady with a paintbrush.

After you finish, you have broader lines that are easy to paint around with a brush.

Step 5: Paint Flag

Then take your brush and fill in the white areas. Remember, we are going to be making this rustic so areas of light paint are okay.

Paint your red stripes on your DIY wooden American flag with a brush. Then you can do some sanding.

NOTE: If you love the look of a bright and tradtional flag, you can stop here. However, if you like that rustic/distress look, continue on to steps 6 and 7!

Step 6: Sand Flag

Break out some ROUGH sandpaper. I used 60 grit. Sand until you get bare spots. Make it look as rustic as you like.

Step 7: Paint On Stain

But those sanded areas don’t look very “worn” or “old”? We are going to make them look that way! Mix equal parts water-based stain and water in a disposable bowl. Also, grab an old paintbrush.

Cover small areas with your stain mixture then wipe it right off with a rag.

In the picture below, the right stripes have had stain wiped on them but the left ones have not. It changes the appearance and makes your sign look old, worn, and rustic….in other words PERFECT!

Gorgeous rustic wear in just a few minutes!

Use the stain mixture over the entire thing then let it dry. Your DIY wooden American flag is now ready! I would recommend, if you are using this one outside, to seal it with a clear sealer to be on the safe side.

I was smitten with this one as soon as the stain was wiped away. It made it perfectly rustic for my taste.

These stars and stripes are now resting on my summer mantle. Where will you put your version of this DIY wooden American flag?

Be sure to grab a scrap piece of plywood and start on your own version of this project.

This one is perfect for decorating your farmhouse home for summer!

Tips and Tricks for How To Make A Wooden Flag

Now that you’ve seen how to make a wooden flag, are you ready to make your own? Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure your project goes as smoothly as possible!

• Change Up The Wood Size – For this project, I used a 2 foot by 3 1/2 foot piece of wood. However, you can make this project bigger or smaller depending on the look you are going for!
• Use That Outdoor Paint – I chose to display my flag inside, which is why I used acrylic paint. However, if you want to display your flag outside, you can use outdoor paint instead!
• Get Straight Line – Since this American flag is rustic-looking, the lines don’t have to be perfect. However, if you want your stripe lines to be straight, I recommend using a ruler or even some 1.5” wide painter’s tape.
• Skip The Cricut – If you don’t have a Cricut machine to make a star stencil, don’t worry! You can easily use your own homemade stencil or a premade star stencil.
• Skip The Wood Stain – If you don’t have wood stain, you can make your own ”stain” by using water-down brown acrylic paint!

6 More Patriotic Crafts

Did you love learning how to make a wooden flag, and are looking for more patriotic crafts? Then check out the projects below!

• 4th of July Crafts: 50 Ideas in 15 Minutes or Less
• Large Wooden Star: A Patriotic DIY
• Decorative 4th of July Paper Rockets with the Cricut
• Rustic Wood Flag You Can Make From Scraps
• Uncle Sam Decorations from Scrap Wood
• DIY 4th of July Decoration

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