Decorative Flag Accents

• Decorative flags are a popular way of celebrating holidays, events, and special occasions. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, and St. Patrick's Day are holidays that are perfect for decorative flags. Special announcements can be made with flags, too, such as Happy Birthday, It's A Boy, or It's A Girl. A graduation cap with "Congratulations Graduate" is an extra nice way to reward the hard work and success of a student. A flag with "Party" announces the place to be for a celebration.
  
  

Make Your Own Flag

• Customized decorative flags are a creative way to decorate your home and can be tailored to a specific theme that you choose. To make your own flag, begin by selecting a pole and the attachment hardware for your project. To hang the flag, hardware can be attached to your house or you may decide to hang your flag from a hook that is easily screwed to an exterior wooden area of your home. Select hardware, cord, and dowels that are coordinated in size. The dowel to which you will attach your flag for hanging will determine the size of your flag.
  
  Purchase ripstop nylon in the amount needed keeping in mind the size of the dowel. The color of the ripstop nylon is best a solid color, like white, dark blue, or green. Cut the flag to the desired size that will be in keeping with the size of the dowel and approximately one and a half times the length of the dowel. Hem the material around all four edges.
  
  To decorate the flag, draw a design of your own or use a stencil. Stencil a design and add some words of your choosing with gel pens and acrylic paints. Many homes feature seasonal flags that have stencil designs of birds, flowers, pumpkins, or snowflakes. Use a variety of materials to embellish your flag such as crystals, buttons, or different fabrics. Add bells to the bottom edge of the flag for sound effects as the flag flaps in the wind.
  
  Using staples or small nails, attach your flag to the dowel. Tie cord to both ends of the dowel on either side of the flag allowing 4 to 7 inches of space for the flag to hang, depending on the size of the flag.