St. Patrick's Day Irish Flag Decor

St. Patrick's Day is around the corner! Celebrate your Irish heritage or show your love for the Irish with an Irish flag made out of paint sticks! Designer Dawn shows you how to make it.

Designed by: Dawn Mercedes Barrett
Time: 1 hour plus drying time
Level: Intermediate
Size: Approx. 8 x 12 inches

Keep the luck of the Irish on your side with this rustic DIY flag. It can convert into an outdoor decoration when you seal it with a varnish!

Here's what you need:

• Glue Dots® Advanced Strength Dispenser
  
• 3 lengths of 25" hemp string
• 10 - 12" paint sticks from your local hardware store
• DECOR ART Glamour Dust Paint (Emerald & Tiger Orange)
• Americana Snow (Titanium) White
  
• Americana DECOR Ultra-Matte Varnish (optional)
• Drill and drill bit
• Metal ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Painters tape
• Sponge brush
• Paint palette
• Hand saw
• Fine grained sand paper

Here's what you do:

Using a pencil and ruler, mark off 7 7/8" on three of the paint sticks. Use a hand saw to cut them to size and lay them aside. Use a drill to drill a small hole 3" from each side of one paint stick. The holes should be centered from the top to bottom of the stick as well. Lightly sand the 7 full length paint sticks. Brush off any grit. Line up the 7 sticks with the handle on the left side. Using a ruler and pencil, draw vertical lines down either side at 4" and 8". This will divide your flag into 3 equal parts.

Use blue painter's tape to mark off the lines. Be sure to keep the tape on the outside of the pencil line. Use Americana's Snow (Titanium) White Acrylic Paint to paint in the 4" center section of all 7 sticks. Apply paint to the front and sides of the stick. Do not paint the back side. Apply a second coat when dry and let the sticks dry completely.

Remove the painters tape. Retape to mask the white center area when the sticks are completely dry. Apply two coats of DECOR ART GlamourDust in Emerald on the left side and two coats of DECOR ART Glamour Dust in Tiger Orange on the right side. Allow drying time for each layer. Remember to paint the top and sides only.

Optional: When finished and completely dry, remove painter's tape. If you want to hang this outside, apply two coats Ultra-Matte Varnish from Americana DECOR to seal the top and sides of the paint sticks. 

Horizontally line up the 7 painted sticks faced down on your work area. Apply Glue Dots Advanced Strength adhesive along the back on each stick at 1", 6", and 11". Lay the three cut sticks vertically across the Glue Dots and press firmly together across all three dots for a strong secure hold. There will be a small space between each stick.

Thread the hemp string through the holes and knot on the back side of the flag. Now your Irish Flag is complete and ready to hang.

Don't forget to save this project to Pinterest!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

~Dawn