How to Sew Small Outdoor Flags

Small outdoor flags, also called garden flags, are fun accessories to decorate your house or yard. You can sew small flags for any occasion. Consider sewing one for every season or even making 12 to celebrate a different holiday every month. These flags have a finished size of 13 by 18 inches and feature appliquéd designs of your choice. The flags hang vertically from an L-shaped garden flagpole that sticks in the ground or clamps to a deck rail.

Things You'll Need

• Water-repellent nylon fabric
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Iron
• Straight pins
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Fabric marker

Instructions

1. Cut a 15 by 22 1/2-inch rectangle of fabric in the color you plan to use for the base of your flag.

2. Fold over raw edges on one short edge and both long edges 1/2 inch. Press using low heat. Fold over 1/2 inch again. Press and pin. Stitch along the folded-over edges.

3. Fold the remaining short edge over 1/2 inch. Press. Fold over again 2 inches. Press, pin and stitch as for side edges. You have created a casing at the top of the flag for the flagpole to slide through.

4. Draw or trace the design for your flag onto scraps of fabric using a fabric marker. Cut out the design pieces 1/2 inch larger than the marked lines.

5. Pin the cut-out design pieces onto the flag where desired. Sew the scraps onto the main part of the flag, using a closely spaced zigzag stitch along the marked lines on the edge of each piece. Trim away excess fabric outside the zigzag lines after stitching.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash fabric before cutting and sewing to ensure colors won't run if they become wet from rain.

• Do not sew the top edge of the flag before the sides. Doing so will close up the casing.

• Use only a low-heat setting when pressing nylon fabric to prevent the material from melting.

References

• Karlin of Quakertown: Flag-making Tips