Patriotic Garden Flag Tutorial

I finally took down the Easter decorations last week and put up our summer decor. . . just in time for the 4th of July! I've been having so much fun hanging out with my boys that I haven't found much motivation to do a whole lot else.   I found some really cool pinwheels at Target when they first started putting up the Red, White, and Blue stuff and the flag I had hanging just wasn't working with the pinwheels. . .so I decided I was going to make one.  I really didn't want to buy one because. . . they are kind or pricey and I knew I could make one for super cheap!  This one ended up costing me less than $2, because I bought the cheapest red, white, and blue fabric possible at Target and I had everything else. It also only took me a little over an hour to make. . . so it's not too late to get started (or pin now for next year)

For this project you will need:
1/2 yard of patriotic fabric
thread
jean scraps
white fabric scraps
iron on applique

Step 1: 
Measure how wide you want your flag to be.  I just took out my cutting ruler and measured it really quick.  It was already out and I didn't want to get anything else out.

 Step 2: 
 Take your measurement and add 1 inch.  I cut out two 16 inch wide pieces and kept the length the of the half yard, making it only 1 cut.  There was just a little bit of scraps left. 

Step 3:
 Fold one of your rectangles in half, right sides facing each other inward.  Carefully make sure everything is lined up and then take your cutting ruler and cut at an angle from the fold.  I started my cut about 5 inches up the fold and all the way to the bottom corners.  This gives that upside down v look (^). 

Step 4:
Lay cut piece down on top of other rectangle, right sides facing inside.  Pin together.  I only cut one so that it would be exact after I sewed it all up.  Go ahead and sew all the way around, leaving a 2 to 3 inch hole for turning. Trim your edges and square your corners, especially the tips of the flag. Then flip right side out.  I used some chopsticks to makes sure all the corners were fully turned.

Step 5:
Go back to your flag pole and look at the width of the actual pole it hangs on.  Determine how much to fold over.  I folded over 3/4 inch to 1 inch. Pin it down in a few spots.   Then, sew straight across.  This is how your flag will hang on the pole. 

Step 6: 
Cut out a 2 inch star with your Cricut.  If you don't have one of these cutting machines, just find a start that you like (i don't recommend fine tipped stars, because you will have to sew them up).  Cut out a scrap of jeans (I found a pair of old Weston jeans that had holes in the knees).  Set the jeans aside for now.  Grab some iron on applique and your white fabric.  Iron the first side on the scrap of white fabric.  Then, trace 6 stars on the paper and cut out.  Iron those stars on the jeans and then top stitch each star to the jeans.  Once that is done, sew the jeans to the flag and top stitch all the way around the flag. 

Step 7:
Hang up and enjoy!  (and ignore the fact that my flowers are not enjoying the high temps of summer).  Maybe even snap a picture and post it to Instagram and use the hashtag: #outoftherightbrainblog so I can see what you've created! 

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe 4th of July!