USA Map Flag

“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.”

Albert Einstein

Although I always celebrate the 4th of July, I have never decorated my home specifically for Independence Day before.  It was time to change that.

If you remember from my DecoArt giveaway (which you can still enter), I received a box of Americana goodies to play with.  After some small purchases from the Target dollar spot and Goodwill, I was ready to create some patriotic décor.

To make a USA Map Flag, you will need:

bamboo placemat

an old map of the US

Decoupage

foam brushes

scissors (if your map is much bigger than your placemat)

Americana paints in red, white, and blue

pearlizing medium (optional)

I chose to make my flag on a bamboo placemat that I bought in a package of 4 from the Target dollar spot.  You could easily make yours on a piece of scrap wood, some paint stirring sticks, or even a piece of sturdy cardboard.

Apply an even coat of Decoupage to your base surface.

Press the map onto the decoupaged surface and use your foam brush to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles.  The Decoupage dries fairly quickly, but you will have enough time to get them all out.

Apply another coat of Decoupage over the map. Give it time to dry before moving on.

After it has dried, flip your placemat over and decoupage the edges down to the back side.  Pay special attention to the corners which will want to pop out at you.

Let it dry.

After the decoupage medium has had time to dry, it is time to paint!

In order for the map to show through the painted flag, the paints need to be thinned.  I mixed together equal parts paint and decoupage medium.  I also added a small amount of Americana’s pearlizing medium to give the paint a little shimmer.

From there, it was just a matter of painting on the stars and stripes (or STAR and stripes in this case). 

Don’t be too precise with your lines or your flag will lose that “folk art” look.

It is that easy to add some festive Fourth of July décor to your home. 

Since maps are so trendy right now, this is easily a piece that could stay up in my kitchen past the holiday too.

What are your plans for the 4th?