Old Glory & The Declaration of Independence Patriotic Wall Art
2 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Easy
I wanted to do a quick project for the Independence Day holiday – something that delved deeper into the meaning of the day. Red, white and blue cupcakes and the like are all well and good, but I fear the true heart of the holiday beats weaker with each passing year and with each successive generation. I had an idea for something to hang on the wall: the original draft of the Declaration of Independence flanked by the Betsy Ross flag and the 50-star flag. It would be a simple thing to make: print out the flags and the Declaration, Mod Podge them onto a piece of plywood (it would be my first time using Mod Podge), and stick that into a frame that I would make. This easy project would serve as a reminder of those whose words and ideas shaped our nation.
Well, let me tell you, there’s no such thing as “simple” when Mod Podge is involved. Or maybe it's just me...
To start, I cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to size and painted it with some homemade dark charcoal chalk paint.
I had some shiplap left over from a previous project, so I used that to make the frame.
I cut the shiplap down to size, mitered the corners and glued them up.
When the glue had set, I stained the frame. Then using decoupage glue I glued the prints.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had to scrap the entire project (again), reprint the flags correctly, and try another three times with the Mod Podge before finally getting it right.
I'm glad I didn't give up, though, because I love the way it turned out.
Happy Independence Day!
To give my flags and declaration a vintage feel, I first crumpled up the printouts.
To protect the prints from the Mod Podge process, I sprayed them with sealant.
Ah, the dreaded Mod Podge. In all, I may have done this project 6 or 7 times before I got it right.
Looked good at this point. There was just one problem...
The flags were backwards! I was in violation of the Flag Code.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading!
-Greg
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 56 comments
-
Bravo! Thanks for preserving our heritage. I agree that we should keep the history alive. I have several patriotic pictures and other objects. My home theme is Americana. Love your project.
-
Bravo! Thanks for preserving our heritage. I agree that we should keep the history alive. I have several patriotic pictures and other objects. My home theme is Americana. Love your project.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Where did you find the printouts?
Where did you use the shiplap? Is that what you ripped down to make the frame? You didn’t say what you printed the flags on or what you did for the background ? You didn’t say what the mod podge process is you just said you sealed to protect them from it. What do you mean by protect? Mod Podge is supposed to coat them to protect them right?
Where did you find the flags and letter?