Paint your own Rustic Painted American Flag with this simple Step-by-Step Tutorial. I painted this US flag four years ago and it is still my most popular post ever. I thought I would update it here and show you where the flag is now. It resides in my breakfast room over our restored Hosier cabinet.
It is a Pottery Barn Knock Off project. I love to browse the high end stores like Pottery Barn and West Elm for decorating ideas I can knock off. When I came across this large Painted American Flag, I knew it would be my next {Luxe 4 Less} or designer looks for less project. Memorial Day marks the start of summer festivities in our home. We remember those brave men and women who have defended our country by flying and honoring the red, white and blue.
Pottery Barn Version
my version {50X28″}
Rustic Painted American Flag Tutorial
My first dilemma was to decide what surface to use. I wanted it to be made of something I could keep forever. So I headed to Lowe’s for some surface inspiration. I looked at plywood and felt it was too heavy for what I wanted. I decided to make it on the back of a piece of wood paneling. It cost under $10 and they make two cuts for free. Just what I needed. It is wood and light weight so I can easily hang it and move it, yet it is sturdy. Perfect.
I bought white spray paint to create the background (see hints below). I bought some of the new single Painters Pens (Painters Opaque Paint Markers) for the detail work in red, white and blue. Elmer’s now offers Single Painters. This makes it less expensive than buying an entire pack of paint pens. You can get the exact colors you need in the amount you need. I also found an X-ACTO template with stars in several sizes that will be perfect as a stencil with the white Paint Pen. And I bought a cheap candle to create the distressed areas.
The entire project took me about 7 hours…the stars just about pushed me to the edge of insanity and took about 4 hours to get the placement correct. I needed a flag stencil for sure!!! But I persevered with beautiful results. I now have a showpiece for my family to treasure for generations to come.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
This distressed painted finish is an easy and simple way to achieve a rustic look on any wooden surface. I have used it for years on my Ghosts of Furniture Past painted furniture. The technique adds character and style to any piece along with instant age…paint worn off in areas that have been rubbed repeatedly or nicked by the many times it has been moved over the years. It indicates that the piece was well-worn and well-loved for generations.
The big secret is using wax under the paint. If you want paint to show through the distressed areas, as if the piece has been painted many times, you’ll need to paint two or more colors. If you want the rubbed-off areas to reveal bare wood, the technique requires only one color of paint. In my flag I will use both techniques because I want some areas of raw wood showing and some areas where the base color (white) shows through.
I will also stain the piece afterward to mute the bright colors and age the flag. To retain the integrity of my artwork and protect it, I will spray several coats of clear polyurethane over the finished project. I use a water-based polyurethane that won’t yellow over time.
materials
materials
Wood surface (cheap paneling) 50″ X 28″
Candle
White satin spray paint
Sandpaper
Cotton cloth to remove sanding dust
Red, White and Blue Single Painters Paint Pens (Painters Opaque Paint Markers)
Red, blue acrylic (indoors) or exterior latex (outdoors)
Star template or stencil
Brown acrylic paint
Spray Polyurethane – water-based
See the Painted American Flag Step-by-Step Tutorial for all the details with pictures.
Spray with two coats of Polyurethane over flag. Spray one coat horizontally and one coat vertically allowing first coat to dry before second coat.
at night…
So this is my designer looks for less project.
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