How to Make an American Flag Out of Construction Paper
A construction paper version of the U.S. flag takes just a few minutes to assemble once all the parts are cut to the correct dimensions. Our current flag, with its seven red and six white stripes, blue canton and 50 stars has flown unchanged since July 4, 1960. The original flag, with 13 stars and 13 stripes, was designed in 1776, after Betsy Ross demonstrated how to cut a 5-pointed star with one snip according to ushistory.org.
Things You'll Need
- 13-inch by 24-inch sheet of white construction paper
- 7-inch by 12-inch sheet of true blue or royal blue construction paper
- 12-inch by 24-inch sheet of true red construction paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
- School glue
- Yardstick
- 50 gummed stars in silver, gold or white
- Laminating machine and clear laminating plastic (optional)
- Hole punch
- 15-inch piece of 10mm gold cord
Instructions
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1
Lay the white construction paper so that the 24-inch side is facing you. Position the blue construction paper in the top-left corner of the white paper, with the top-left corners of each piece of paper even and the 12-inch edge of the blue paper facing you.
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2
Make a light pencil dot on the white paper, at the bottom-right corner of the blue paper. This dot will help you position the blue paper correctly later.
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3
Apply glue to the blue paper and return it to its correct position, matching the pencil mark on the white paper to the bottom-right corner of the blue paper, and matching the top-left corners of both pieces of paper to each other.
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4
Cut four strips of red construction paper, 1 inch wide and 6 inches long, and three strips of red paper 1 inch wide and 24 inches long.
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5
Measure along the right edge of the blue paper with a ruler, making a light pencil mark every inch from the top-right corner to the bottom-right corner where it meets the white paper.
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Measure along the right edge of the white paper, making a light pencil mark every inch from the top-right corner to the bottom-right corner.
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Connect the pencil marks at the edge of the blue paper with marks at the edge of the white paper by making very light pencil lines along a ruler placed between each pair of points.
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Position one of the short strips of red paper so that it fits between the top edge of the white portion of the flag and the first pencil line, and glue it in place. Skip a 1-inch space and position the second red strip. Position the remaining two strips with an inch of white space between each one.
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Measure from the bottom-left edge of the blue paper and the bottom-left corner of the white paper, making a light pencil mark every inch. Connect points on the left side of the white paper with points on the right side by making a light pencil line along a yardstick.
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10
Position one of the long red strips along the bottom edge of the white portion of the flag and glue it in place. Skip a 1-inch space above it and position the second strip. Skip another 1-inch space above that and position the third strip. Glue both strips into place and allow your flag to dry overnight.
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11
Mark along the top and bottom edges of the blue paper at every inch. Connect each pair of points, making six columns. Place five gummed stars in each column, 1 inch apart from top to bottom.
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12
Stagger four gummed stars, 1 inch apart from top to bottom, in rows between the first six rows.
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13
Laminate your flags once the glue has dried, if desired. Make a hole in the top-left and bottom-left corners of the laminated edge of the flag with a hole punch. Thread 10mm gold cord through the holes and knot each end. Hang your flag banner style, with the blue field in the top-right corner as you face your flag. This is the natural position a flag would assume if it had started out on an upright pole before being lowered into a horizontal position.
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Tips & Warnings
American flags have almost a 1:2 ratio between their length, called the fly, and their width, called the hoist, as specified by http://www.flagcode.us, a site that assists people in correctly displaying the U. S. flag. The website also describes the four quarters of a flag, especially the upper-left quarter, where the blue field with its 50 white stars belongs. This quarter is also called a "canton."
Younger children may become frustrated if they are expected to be exact. Allow some leeway in positioning the various pieces. Children over age 9 should be expected to measure and be as accurate as possible, but tiny positioning errors should be ignored.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit paper image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.com
