Welcome visitors with a celebratory flag to hang from a wrought iron garden flag pole, wall bracket, or mailbox. A willow, thin branch or dowel rod could also be used to hang the flag, using twine or cord, to decorate a porch or use as a window display. Garden flags add welcoming visual interest to home, garden or business and provide an extra display of color and whimsy for any outdoor space. Garden flags make great gifts and are easy to sew too.

For a small size flag use a 15” x 20” nylon, canvas, or weather-resistant polyester fabric (20” x 30” large size) treated for outside use; woven cotton-blends for inside window or wall hanging.

Hem-finish the fabric rectangle edges with a narrow straight-stitched hem. Turn under one short end an additional 1” to make a rod-pocket for the pole or branch to slide through.

Cut out simple fabric shapes using themed cookie cutters, clip-art or from children’s coloring books for template ideas. Shapes like pumpkins, ghosts, witches’ hats and half-moons for Halloween; turkeys and cornucopias for Thanksgiving, leaves, seasonal flowers and tree shapes for any season, Santas, angels, pine trees, snowmen, bells and stars for Christmas. Special occasion flags would announce a new baby with shapes like a rattle, stork, bottle or pacifier, balloons for a birthday, and fanciful lettering for anniversaries, graduation or remembrances.

Machine-stitch the cut-out shapes onto the flag using a zigzag or satin stitch around the shapes’ edges to secure to the background fabric. For outside garden flags, once the shape is stitched to the background fabric, cut away the background fabric from the now appliquéd shape so that the garden flag will show the design from both sides of the flag.

Flag poles and accessories can be found in local hardware stores or on many online websites.
Flags made as window decorations could also be hung from window suction cups.
Spray Scotchgard™ Outdoor Water Shield or other spray fabric protector onto both sides of the outdoor garden flag to help protect against weathering.
Place the garden flag along a driveway, sidewalk or hang on a fence for a cheerful touch to outdoor spaces.

For garden flag ideas visit:

Halloween Garden Flags from Twilightbridge.com

Springtime Garden Flag from Babylock.com

Cat Garden Flag tutorial and pattern from HGTV’s Carol Duvall Show and featured guest Sheila Haynes Rauen

Appliqué Patterns from Sewingfreebies.com

Sew happy, sew well.

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