How to Make an American Flag

The 4th of July, September 11th, and Memorial Day are days to celebrate the good of our country and our glorious flag! Why not decorated for the holiday or day of remembrance, with a simple project that you and your kids can enjoy! Creating a 3-D American Flag using art tissue paper and white glue can be a fun craft for kids of all ages. Whether in the classroom or at home on a summer day, this craft is sure to please!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 piece of white construction paper or white cardstock
• white glue
• red, dark blue, and white 2X2 inch squares of Tissue Paper-the kind often used for gift wrapping. Also known as Craft Tissue
• a pencil
• a paper plate
• access to a computer

1. Begin with a black and white image of the American Flag. You can print this on a computer or sketch it directly onto the cardstock. You do not have to add exact amount of stars OR stripes, a downloaded one, will likely be precise. Stripes should be about 1/2 inch think. Stars can be drawn freehand.

2. 
    
   2X2 inch papers

   Pre-cut 2 sheets of each color of Tissue Paper into 2X2 inch squares. If you are working with a whole class of students, you will need a complete package of each color cut into 2X2 inch squares]'.

3. Pour a quarter-sized puddle of white glue onto a regular-sized paper plate.

4. 
    

   Take one square of red Tissue and put your pencil's eraser tip into the middle of the tissue. Cup the tissue around the pencil's eraser tip so that you can dip it into the glue. Sometimes its easier to use 2 pices of tissue at a time to keep pencil tip from getting sticky.

5. Using the pencil tip, stick cupped tissue onto a stripe of your flag that you know is designated red.

6. 
    

   Repeat steps 4 and 5 to fill up the entire stripe and then move to another area of your flag.

7. The closer you stick your Tissue plumes the more "Float Style" your flag will look.

8. Fill entire top left rectangle with blue and then insert white tissue papers for the stars.

Tips & Warnings

• The time it takes to complete the project depends on how large you choose to draw your flag or how big of a flag you printed.
• Kids are delighted to help and easily get the hang of wrapping the tissue and sticking the tissue to the flag.
• Flags of all sizes make GREAT decorations for your home or your classroom.
• Project took approx. 2 hours (with breaks) for a class of very chatty 2nd graders to finish.

Resources

• Link to a Blank Flag

[GreenMomma]

on 9/10/2009 That's a great idea!

[Susanh]

on 9/8/2008 This is a great craft!

[heatherschulte]

on 7/5/2008 CUTE! I'm going to try this with my little ones.

[thesquirrelymom]

on 7/4/2008 Real cute craft for the kids!

[vikki9]

on 7/4/2008 Nice family project! *****