Make It: Monogram Burlap Flag

It's been a while since I shared my last DIY project here on the blog, so I'm excited to be sharing something new that I worked on this past weekend to decorate my front door. I'm all about the projects that last no longer than a few hours during the afternoon. This was one of those projects where I was hoping for that instant crafting gratification - simple, quick, and inexpensive. This was a super simple project that I made using extra scraps of burlap, twine, paint, and wood.  If you're looking for an easy way to decorate your home, I encourage you to give this a try! It's so much easier than it sounds, and it's such a great way to add a handmade element to your home.

Supplies:

Strip of burlap size is your choice

Gold metallic thread

Scissors

Black acrylic paint

Sponge brush

Stained wooden dowel anywhere from .5" to 1"diameter

Twine

Sewing Machine

Straight pins

Ruler

Monogram stencil (or freezer paper and printer)

Instructions:

1. To begin, cut a rectangle shape out of the burlap. Reserve about 4" to one of the short sides of the rectangle. This is where you will fold over and create a tube to insert the dowel when ready to hang the flag.

2. Fold over that short side of the rectangle about 2". Use your ruler to measure and pin to secure.  You will see I used the natural hem which I cut from the burlap coffee sack. Using the sewing machine threaded with the gold metallic thread, sew two lines of stitches at the bottom of the fold to create the tube. I used a straight stitch, but you may choose to use something more decorative.

3. Then, I secured the raw ends of the burlap by sewing a small zigzag stitch around the perimeter of the other three sides of the rectangle in the same metallic gold thread. This is done to keep the burlap from fraying. I left a bit of fringe on the long sides of the rectangle by just removing a few of the burlap threads.

4. Next center your stencil on the burlap. Make sure to measure the distance to the edges to get it as centered vertically and horizontally. I hand made a stencil using a print out of the letter A from my computer and tracing it to freezer paper which I ironed onto the burlap as a stencil. (You can see more details on making a freezer paper stencil here.) Grab your brush and paint inside the stencil until no burlap is remaining uncovered. Let it dry for an hour.

5. Peel off the stencil when the paint is dry to reveal your monogram. Thread the dowel through the tube created in step 2. Then cut a long piece of twine and tie the ends together. Place each end of the dowel through the twine loop like a picture hanger.

That's it! Then you can hang this on your front door or on a flag stand if you have one in your yard. Or, you can leave it indoors and hang it by a nail or hook as bedroom decor.

Happy burlap crafting!

Erica