Can you believe we made this flag out of a wooden crate? Talk
about a transformation! Follow along to see how we did
it.
Materials Needed:
Steps:
1. Pull apart the boards on your pallet or crate. We used a old
shipping crate made of poplar but a pallet would be perfect for
this project too!
2. Remove all hardware including screws, nails, and
staples. There were an abundant amount of staples from the crate so
we removed them by hammering the back where the prongs stuck out to
slighty push the staple forward. Fliip the boards over and remove
the staple by pulling up on the flat part with a pair of
pliers.
3. Rip your newly hardware free boards, cutting them
in half lengthwise. Removing the hardward ensures an easy cut and
prevents damaging your saw blade.
4. Cut the boards horizontally, creating 1 1/2 inch
blocks. To make this process go faster we stacked two boards on top
of eachother and also clamped a board to the arm saw to create a
stopper so we didn't have to measure every time.
5. Lay your sandpaper on a hrad, flat surface. Sand the
blocks just enough so that all the rough edges are smooth and you
won't get a splinter!
6. Lay out your blocks to get an idea of the shape you
want. To make the flag we decided to go with 12 across the top and
14 down the side. Then create seperate piles for the blocks you
want to be blue and red. For this flag we left some of the blocks
unstained to create the white stripes in the flag.
7. Pour about an inch of each dye stain into seperate
containers. If you're wondering why we use dye stain and what it
is, check out this
blog post.
8. Put a few blocks at a time in each container and
carefully swirl the container around. The dye stain will easily
cover multiple blocks in the plastic container (we did 2 or 3 at a
time). Lay the blocks out to dry.
9. After the blocks are dry, lay them out in the pattern
you want to create. This will make transferring them to the plywood
backing much easier and faster. Roughly measure the dimensions of
your flag.
10. Cut a piece of plywood or scrapwood to the match the
dimensions of your flag. It's okay if the backing ends up slightly
smaller than anticipated! You don't want any of the backing peeking
out from behind the blocks.
11. Use your favorite wood glue to attach the wood blocks
to the plywood backing. Doing one row at a time, create a line of
glue and grab the blocks from your model. The blocks will slide
around at first but don't worry, this makes it easy to adjust the
shape! Let it sit for several hours to dry.
12. After your flag is completely dry, spray it with vinyl
sealer. This will protect the entire piece, especially the
unstained blocks that make up the white stripes. Let it dry and
then apply a matte lacquer finish according to the directions on
the can.
And just like that you have a new piece of Americana inspired
decor, perfect for summer! This project took us just one day from
start to finish, making it the perfect weekend project!
Be sure to share any pictures of your own DIYs using
#mohawkfinishing or #mohawkconsumer