Star-Spangled Banner & Union Jack Wall Hangings

The great thing about 4th of July decorations, is that they don’t necessarily have to be boxed up right after the holiday. So, I had the idea to make a wall hanging of an American flag that I could use all year. I wanted it to look a little different, so I thought to incorporate old neckties in the design.

Neck ties would be the perfect element to add uniqueness, variety, and a prep-school vintage flare to my flag. Goodwill and eBay made my hunt for the perfect red ties very easy. I collected so many ties, my plans expanded to include a second flag. The Union Jack flag was a quick decision; it’s such a recognizable symbol, it’s beautiful, AND I could use the same materials and ties as I would for the American flag.

I chose a gorgeous and consequently, very expensive blue velvet and a moderately priced army duck canvas(cream color) for both flags. Oh, and I used some sort of white utility fabric for the stars on the American flag. I think the rich velvet and the simple canvas complement each other beautifully.

I really had to channel Betsy Ross for this one. I tried my hardest to keep the correct ratios and details of both flags, they might be a little off, but hey, who cares? They both measure about 56″ x 30″, give or take. I didn’t really have a full plan or even a half plan for this project. FYI- that’s probably a bad idea, I wouldn’t recommend it. Having only very basic sewing skills, I really didn’t know what types of issues could arise. I wasn’t trying to be unprepared, I just didn’t think it would be so difficult or time consuming. I worked on these flags for over a week straight, after I had all the materials an idea of the size I wanted them to be. Basically, I planned on posting this on Wednesday and it’s clearly not Wednesday. I made a lot of mistakes and learned as I went. They were a huge pain in the ass, but I’m really glad I did it!