Easy 4th of July Banner

Summer is flying by! Somehow it’s the end of June already and the 4th of July is next week!!! If you are looking for inexpensive 4th of July party decorations or a patriotic craft here is a another idea for you… a USA Banner in Red, White, and Blue with craft foam stars! The banner pictured below is made with white clothespins, craft foam, ribbon, and elastic cord so it’s super light-weight and easy to hang. Craft foam flags have been hand stitched with embroidery floss, Large Stars with the letters “USA” added to each flag, and Mini Stars with Curly Ribbon hang in-between each flag. This light-weight, inexpensive, patriotic banner that can be hung across a picnic table, in a window, or on a railing (inside or out). Now it’s time to celebrate our independence ~ Go USA!

Here is How To Make this easy USA Banner w/ Stars:

For a 3 flag and star banner (like the one pictured above) cut a 36″ piece of Royal Blue Metallic Elastic Cord.

Measure about 10″ from one end of the cord and tie a loose knot. Then “string” one White Clothespin onto the cord.

Tie another loose knot on the other side of the clothespin to hold it in place.

Tie another loose know in the cord about 7-8″ away from the 1st clothespin. Then string on the middle clothespin and tie another knot to hold it in place. Repeat this one more time and you should have 3 clothespins ready to hold the flags!

Attach Small Craft Foam Stars (red, white, and blue) to the top of each clothespin with a Mini Glue Dot. If you haven’t used these before, they are super easy to use and bond instantly. No drying time, no mess! Attach the Glue Dot directly to the clothespin and then press the foam star to secure.

To make the red, white, and blue “flags” cut 3 pieces of 2mm craft foam into 4×6″ rectangles. Then, cut a triangle out of the bottom of each piece (shown below).

Now the fun part… Sew around the edge of each flag with Embroidery Floss! It takes about 30″ of embroidery floss per flag. Start in the upper corner and stitch all the way around the flag. Finish on the back and tie off the ends to hold in place. Below you can see the back of the blue banner. Notice the embroidery floss tied in the upper corner and trimmed.

Before attaching the Large Stars to each flag, write the letters U, S, A on each individual star with a Sharpie Marker. You can also add lines or dots to the center of edge of the star. Let dry for a few seconds before attaching so the marker won’t smear.

Now attach the Large Stars to the flags with 1/2″ Craft Glue Dots! Add a Glue Dot to each point of the star (5 total per star). Set each star on a flag (we did white on red, blue on white, and red on blue) and once they are centered and in place, press to secure. ***You will not be able to remove the stars easily once you have pressed them down so make sure they are centered before you press to secure!

Add 2 Small Stars to the tips of each star and a small white button to finish them off. Use Mini Glue Dots to secure small stars and buttons.

Attach each Flag to a white clothespin to spell USA!

Now the only thing missing is the adorable Curly Ribbon with hanging stars! Making curly ribbon is super fun and easy. All you need is 1/8″ Satin Ribbon, Small Wood Dowels, Natural Clothespins, and an OVEN!

Click here for step by step instructions for making “curly ribbon”. Or see below…

Here is the “short version” on how to make curly ribbon. Secure 1/8″ Satin Ribbon to the end of a 1/4″ Wood Dowel with a natural clothespin. Then wrap ribbon around the dowel all the way to the end, trim the ribbon, and secure the end with another natural clothespin. ***Do not use painted or dyed clothespins because you must bake the ribbon in the oven. Here is what the ribbon should look like secured to the dowels:

Bake in a 275 degree oven (convection or toaster ovens will work) for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool and remove ribbon from the wood dowel. Here is what happens… it’s curly!

Cut 6 pieces of curly ribbon in varying lengths around 4-5″ each. The curl will hold even after the stars are attached to the ends of the ribbon.

Attach Small Foam Stars to the ends of each piece of curly ribbon with Mini Glue Dots. The Glue Dot should be attached to the end of the ribbon, press the 1st star down, add another Mini Glue Dot and place the 2nd star on top to finish. Make sure you line the stars up before you press to secure.

Make 2 sets of 3 hanging stars w/ curly ribbon to place between each flag on the banner.

Attach the Hanging Stars to the banner with Mini White Clothespins:

Since this USA Banner is so light, you can hang it in a window with suction cups, in front of a picnic table, or attach it to a bucket or railing easily!