Woven Sandcastle Flags
Make your sandcastles the prettiest on the beach with these colorful paper flags. Even if you’re not planning a trip to the seaside, they would make striking decorations in your bedroom.
You will need:
- Paper in different colors or patterns
- A ruler and a pencil
- Large and small scissors
- A glue stick
- Twigs or sticks
- Cut out 10 strips of paper about 1 in. (2.5 cm) wide and 8 in. (20 cm) long. They can all be different colors, two colors or a single color. You can even use some of your old paintings.
- Lay 6 strips vertically on the table, close but not touching each other. Hold the tops of the strips down with a heavy book. Weave one of the remaining 4 strips through the vertical strips on the table. Go under one strip then over the next, then under and over, until you reach the end. Pull the strip so that about 1-1/2 in. (3.5 cm) is sticking out on the left-hand side where the flag stick will be attached.
- Take the next strip and weave it through—but this time start with the horizontal strip going over the vertical strip, then under the next strip (the opposite to the first strip). Again, make sure that 1-1⁄2 in. (3.5 cm) is sticking out on the left-hand side.
- Continue with the remaining strips, starting with one under, then one over. Push the strips close together. Tip: While collecting your sticks, look out for some dried seed pods on stalks—they look lovely, too.
- Remove the book from the top of the flag. Lift the loose end of the first vertical strip at the top of the flag, spread glue on the horizontal strip underneath it, and then press it down firmly to secure it. Continue all around the flag, lifting and then sticking down any loose ends of paper.
- Turn the flag over and do the same thing on the other side, sticking down any loose pieces. Turn the flag back over.
- Glue the back of the longer, sticking-out strips on the left side of the flag and wrap the ends around a stick, holding it and pressing for a minute while the glue dries.
- Trim the strips of paper that are sticking out on the edges. I think they look nice cut to different lengths.