How to Make Race Flags
Ready, set, go! Checkered race flags are a quintessential icon of car racing and call to mind everything from the 1950’s greaser racing the jock to the intensity of modern NASCAR races. In NASCAR races today, the checkered flag is used to signify the end of a race and is commonly displayed in photos of NASCAR champions. A homemade race flag is an ideal decoration for boy’s bedroom or a racecar-themed birthday party. Standard racing flags are typically silk screened or digitally printed; however, we do not all have access to such equipment. Make your own flag at home using a fabric stamping technique.
Things You'll Need
- White fabric
- Scissors
- Sewing supplies or iron-on hem tape
- Rubber pad
- Straightedge
- Craft knife
- Fabric ink
- Paintbrush
Instructions
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1
Determine a size for your flag. Common sizes for commercially sold racing flags are 2 feet-by-2-1/2 feet and 3 feet-by-5 feet. A smaller, party favor-size is 1 foot-by-1-1/2 feet.
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2
Cut a piece of white fabric to the determined size and hem the edges using a sewing machine, a needle and thread, or iron-on hem tape.
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3
Determine the size of the checkers by dividing the length by 10. For example if you are making the 2 feet-by-2-1/2 feet-sized flag, you would divide 2-1/2 feet (30 inches) by 10 to end up with a checker size of 3 inches.
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4
Draw the determined checker size square on a rubber sheet using a straightedge and a pencil. Rubber sheets for stamp making are available at craft stores.
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5
Cut out the square with a craft knife.
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6
Use the straightedge and pencil to measure and mark a grid on the white fabric, with the squares being the same size as the determined checker size.
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7
Paint one side of the rubber square with black fabric ink and use it to make every other square in the grid black. Keep the ink on the rubber square wet as you go. Let dry.
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8
Repeat the stamping process on the other side of the flag so that both sides are checkered. Let dry.
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References
- Photo Credit racing flag and crowd image by Maria Bell from Fotolia.com
