Summer is here and independence day is right around the corner. What better time for a couple patriotic DIY’s right?

The first one I made to use as a door hang for our front door but it could really be used anywhere. I liked it so much a made a few more as gifts for family.

The second DIY craft I made just to add to the table to complement the rustic looking flag bunting we have hanging on our mantle.

letter: I got the letter from Hobby Lobby for about $4. The paints are about $1 each and can be found at most craft stores. I was going for a rustic look so I used country red, uniform blue and white wash. If you are like me you have a drawer filled with various colors from other craft projects. The stars are actually stick on stars from the craft section of Hobby Lobby but I have seen them at other stores as well. They were $2.99 for a bag which was enough to make 3 letters although it depends on how you want to configure yours. I used painters tape to ensure straight lines and again I did have a few rolls of that in a drawer. (I was shocked to discover the kids hadn’t commandeered it yet. It seems kids inevitably find any and all tape in our house…) I added some twine which can be found at the dollar store in the craft aisle.

1. Draw lines in the upper right hand corner to create a square of sorts.
2. Paint that square blue & then let dry.
3. Use painters tape to create vertical stripes.
4. Paint white stripes in between the painters tape. Be sure to remember the sides as well.
5. Before the white is dried carefully pull off the tape. (if you wait until it dries it tends to clump and pull the paint off with it…just trust me on this one)
6. Allow time for the white stripes to fully dry.
7. Paint the red stripes carefully using a thin brush. It’s easy to fix any mis-haps with the white if need be. Again don’t forget to paint the edges.
8. After all the paint is dried apply the white stars as you desire. As a DIY Art/Deco project you have free reign to use your artistic desires no need to over analyze the placement of a few stars. 🙂
9. After everything is completed and dried I wrapped a few pieces of twine/Jute around the line that separates the blue from the red/white stripes. You can tie a knot on the front or hide the knot in the back. Either way looks great.
10. I choose to hang mine with some burlap ribbon that had stars on it but you can also use the twine/Jut. I think the hanging method depends upon the letter some are more symmetrical and hand easier than others. When I made a letter “C” I used the twine/Jute. I used a regular stapler to attach the ribbon and twine for hanging.
11. Hang and admire your work. 😉

Candle: The table decor is super simple and super cheap. I already had the glass jars on hand left from table decor I used for a party. They can be found at the dollar store. The candles I used are also from the dollar store but really any candle could be used. The burlap ribbon is from Hobby Lobby and was about $6. The twine/jute is again from the dollar store. The sand is actually from our sandbox but you could also use rocks which are available at the dollar store in the craft aisle. I made two of them to decorate our dinner table.

1. Measure & cut your ribbon. Make sure you have enough to go around the jar and overlap but.
2. Measure and cut your twine/Jute with the same idea in mind.
3. Fold one end of the ribbon and make sure that part is on top when you wrap the ribbon around the jar.
4. Wrap the twine/jute around the ribbon on the jar and tie to hold the ribbon on. (You could use hot glue here if you wanted too but I tend to reuse items and wanted to be able to remove these in the future.)
5. Cut a small circle out of cardboard.
6. Use a lighter to melt a small portion of the bottom of the candle then while still hot gently press it onto the cardboard. This creates a holder of sorts.
7. Put your candle/cardboard into the car and pour the sand in. The sand will help hold the candle in place.
8. Enjoy!

Please share your ideas/feedback in the reply section of this post. Happy crafting!