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It’s a wrap
Hello, everyone, and happy summertime! With spring ending and the unofficial beginning of summer just behind us (Memorial Day weekend), I thought I’d share some fun ideas on how to decorate with worn out American flags…
One of the first things I ever did with an old flag was wrapping my tall maiden statue with a flag. Draped this way makes her look reminiscent of our country’s Lady Liberty!
Here is another Lady Liberty idea ~ this time a large American flag is wrapped around a dress form. I thought this lady looks very chic!
Cindy from Edith & Evelyn Vintage shared this large flag used as a wall hanging in her post linked above. Wall hangings are perfect especially when you don’t wish to cut up your old flags. This photograph was used as our inspiration in a Pinterest Challenge from a couple of years ago. 🙂
Pillow Talk
Cindy also shared this photograph from House Beautiful in that same post. I love the mixture of flags made into pillows along with other red/white or blue/white striped pillows!
Kristen from White Arrows Home, also in that same Pinterest Challenge, shared one simple American flag pillow set into an easy chair. Paired with other pieces of Americana in our countries’ red, white and blue color palette, this old flag looks just right.
Craft Ideas
I thought of recycling old jeans and an American flag into cute rough-edged placemats several years ago. I have a pair of jeans just about to expire, so I will finally be able to have four patriotic placemats!
These are fun to bring out whenever family or friends come over during any of our summer and fall patriotic holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day (June 14th), Juneteenth (June 19th), our American Independence Day – July 4th (of course!), Labor Day and Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11th).
There are so many ways to display old flags!
This fun craft idea using sewn-together strips of fabric fooled me at first. Love this wreath with its berries and greenery!!!
Whole Flag Decor
I love how MaryJo from Master”Pieces” of My Life folded and stacked her Old Glories in a blueberry scoop bucket then used one or two others to drape her footstool.
Clever!
Of course, framing old flags and hanging them all together creates a stunning gallery wall… Love this!
Retiring an American flag
This fun post isn’t made with a real flag, but I love that this *Life Scout Chip Gaddis from Troop #511, from Medina, Ohio, created this flag retirement box. Boy Scouts are one of the organizations here in America which takes civic pride in retiring American flags. This box would be left around town for citizens of a community to put their worn flags in for the Boy Scouts to dispose of in the manner they deserve.
If you don’t know what Scouts do with retired flags, here is what they do:
At a campout where a campfire is prepared in the usual way, there is a formal ceremony. Sometimes taps is played and a leader may say where particular American flags have come from ~ sometimes off a United States naval ship, sometimes from a state capitol building from where these scouts live. Oftentimes, many flags are just donated to the Boy Scouts from everyday citizens who wish to honor America’s flag.
The flags are then unfurled from their **13-fold triangle, stretched out full, then laid carefully over the fire. The next day, after the fire is out and cooled, ashes are scooped from the fire and put into recycled bottles. The rivets which held each flag to its rope or pole are also placed in these bottles then the bottles are given to each member. It is an honor to keep these as special mementos to remember the sacrifices of our countrymen and why our country is free.
As a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout, then later as a member of Air Explorer Post #747, Cameron Park, California, I enjoyed being a scout and being of service in my communities.
For my own children, I was a scout leader in our daughter’s Daisy, Brownie and Junior troops, and in our son’s Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Webelos and Boy Scout troops. Both went on to high adventure programs (white water rafting, caving, rock climbing) and I was a leader in their Venture Crew.
Our son is an Eagle Scout.
Our daughter earned the Bronze Award in Girl Scouts and the Bronze, Gold and Silver Awards in Venture Crew.
The first female Eagle Scouts just earned their ranks in 2020! Our daughter was just ten years too early…
I share this post as I still receive the national Scouter newsletter each month ~ once a Scouter, always a Scouter! 🙂
*Life Scout is one rank below Eagle Scout.
**13 folds represent the 13 original colonies.
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I hope you have enjoyed this little post on what to do with Old Glory when it is retired. Much like us as we age, taking care of our great flag in its retirement is something to treasure, even when worn and faded.
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Happy Flag Day, friends,
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