Cut Now, Measure Later : DIY Christmas Garden Flag

Happy December!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Now that it is over, it is officially time for embracing Christmas carols, cookies, trees and other sugar plum fairy-friendly things.

This week I decided to make my own garden flag, since my usual little snowman flag has lost some of its luster over the last couple years. I love these little flags, but I don't love buying them. It turned out to be a pretty quick little sewing project and a great way to use more of my fabric scraps. This would make a great gift for any garden-loving person in your life! You can make a flag for any season!

If you have some scrap fabric, you should try this too!

Here is what you'll need:

-Fabric for flag*, the dimensions I used were 20"x 14"(including allowances for hems/folds)

-Scrap fabric for applique

-Straight pins

-Jingle bells/buttons for embellishment, if desired

-Clear acrylic spray (matte finish)

*(I used a duck cloth, but you could use burlap or canvas too. I would definitely recommend a sturdy fabric!)

Ok, first, cut your fabric to size! I used another garden flag to come up with my dimensions, but you can make it bigger or smaller-- it's up to you!
Again, the dimensions I used were 20"x 14",(including allowances for hems/fold.)

You will need to make two 1/4" folds on all four sides to conceal any raw edges.

(This is the same technique I used to sew the napkins.)

Use an iron to make the crease and secure the folds with pins if needed.

Sew (using a straight stitch) along each long side and one short side of the flag.

Now you need to make the sleeve for the flag hanger/holder. Fold the short side that isn't sewn down one inch (towards the wrong side of the fabric.

Now sew along the 1/4" fold to secure the sleeve.

Ready for hanging :)

You now have a flag! If you had a fun pattern on your fabric, you could just be done here!

I wanted to add some applique to this flag to make it Christmas-y. ;)

I traced an "S" onto the back of a red, striped fabric and cut a Christmas tree shape out of burlap. I also cut a star for the tree from the same fabric as the "S."

You could use an iron-on adhesive or fabric glue to secure the fabric pieces to the flag fabric (before sewing), but I just used pins. (I wasn't feeling patient enough to wait for glue to dry.)

Iron the applique pieces to help them lie flat while you position them. I used pins to hold the pieces in place.

Use a zig zag stitch to sew on the appliques. Since this little flag will be facing the elements, I made sure to go over the stitching a couple of times, especially with the burlap.

Back view of fabric

Once you have sewn the applique pieces, you can call it a day.... or.... embellish!

I have no idea why I have a ziplock bag full of jingle bells, but I do. So, what better time is there to put them to use?

You could use buttons or whatever you have handy to give the flag a little sparkle or pizzazz. :) I sewed on the jingle bells to the Christmas tree. Just imagine the happy sound the flag will make when a Christmas wind blows. Magical, right? I thought so too. :)

Now it's ready for some finishing spray! I decided to use a clear acrylic spray with a matte finish to help protect the fabric from the sun and rain. I thought about using starch too, but the acrylic spray makes the fabric stiff; I don't think starch is necessary.

Make sure you're in a well-ventilated space when you spray! The fabric will be sticky for a few minutes, so let it dry for a little while before you handle it again.

Done!