With that being said, the most recent craft project I completed was to get the entry to our driveway all dressed up for the upcoming season. I tried my best to wait until after Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't wait any longer. Besides, the weather is fantastic this week and I really wanted to take advantage of it before the cold winds and wet snow arrive. Not to mention I am a bit anxious this year, since last year we were still unpacking all of our belongings from the move during the holiday season. With that being said, I decided to go with something that I have seen trending on the web--flag banners. It seems like everywhere I look on Pinterest I am seeing these super cute flags used for decorating during any season. So, after giving it a bit of thought I decided to make some for myself.
It's a bit hard to get the full view. Had to basically take this photo from across the street to get it all in. But up close it sure looks festive.
While there is no electrical source down there, I was itching to have a little holiday light. I ended up finding solar powered Christmas lights at Target and decided to "invest" in two sets to add to the mood. I am hoping that no one else on the planet wants solar powered Christmas lights, and that there will still be some left when they go half off after the holidays! I love them!
They look so natural and it doesn't cost a dime to run them. 
I don't usually document my crafting steps,but I thought I'd show them today:
I started by mapping out what I would need to complete the project. I knew I wanted a natural look since I love the feel of it. {Seriously, I live on a farm...or is it a ranch...or is it just property? I haven't quite figured it out, yet. I know it's been a year, but since we don't have crops or livestock I really have a hard time deciding what it is}
Anyhoo...
I made two flag patterns based on the size of my stencils. The 'merry' and 'bright' flags are done in all caps so the flags needed to be larger. The 'and' on the wreath was done in lowercase since I wanted it to fit neatly with the circle of the wreath. {My dearest friend cut me a set of uppercase and lowercase letters from her cricut a couple of years ago, so I used these rather than buying a new set. I'm old school. I don't have a special computer program that will create stencils for me. And for as often and I use them--insert not very here--I figured it was okay!}
Then I made a list of the supplies I would need:
- burlap
- sewing machine with thread to prevent fraying
- stencils
- marking pen
- paint
- paintbrushes
- some kind of fabric sealer to protect it from the weather
- twine
So, after gathering all my supplies (most of which I would normally have around the house, but I don't since everything is packed away in the barn until after Nana's apartment is built) I got started!
I cut out the flags from the burlap using my handy dandy copy paper patterns. No, really, I used plain white copy paper and taped them together to create the sizes I needed!
Then I sewed them using a zigzag stitch on both sides and making a pocket on the top which I would feed the twine through for it to hang on
Next, I traced a letter on each flag using the stencils and then painted it using a small artist's brush. I used leftover red paint from the barn and the puppies doghouse. I am really enjoying this color right now and red is always a great choice this time of year!
The last two steps were to feed each letter through the twine and then spray them with a waterproofing spray. And that's it! It was so much easier than I thought, and I am so glad I decided to tackle it. I think I might do it again and create something for the Fourth of July. We'll see...
For me crafting is such a thrill. Being able to see something online that costs a bit more than I am willing to pay and then recreating it exactly the way I want it is a gift that I am so grateful God provided me with.
Here's a shot of Nana having to puppyproof the ribbon. They are seriously into the chewing stage and they think everything is something for them to chew on. We put the garland up a few days ago and after the first day they had weasled their way through the gate opening and ripped half of it down. Love those puppies!
Seriously...look at Lilly trying to pop her head through the top of the gate. She is something else!
So that's it in a nutshell. I am so thrilled when I pull up to my driveway and see how warm and welcoming it looks. Feel free to stop by anytime! I'll put on a cup of hot cocoa and we can listen to holiday music!
