How to Make a Decorative Flag

Some people have decorative vinyl flags hanging outside their house on short flag poles. The flags may celebrate the season or an upcoming holiday. You want to achieve the same look, but don't want to pay a high price at a craft or department store. However, you can get the same festive-looking flag at a fraction of the cost by creating your own decorative flag.

• 1

  Fold over all four sides of the nylon fabric 1/4-inch, then repeat. Pin the folded edges in place. Stitch around the edges with an 1/8-inch inseam, removing the pins as you sew. This hems all four sides of the flag.

• 2

  Fold one of the short edges of the flag over 1 1/2 inches to create a casing for hanging the flag on a flag pole. Sew the fold in place following the seam that is already there from the hem.

• 3

  Trace shapes from stencils onto the other colors of vinyl using tailor's chalk. You might trace leaves for fall, snowflakes for winter or hearts for Valentine's Day. Cut the shapes out with scissors.

• 4

  Arrange the shapes how you want them to appear on the flag, remembering that the edge with the casing is the top edge of the flag. Pin the shapes in place.

• 5

  Sew around the edges of the shapes with a tight zig-zag stitch to secure them to the flag. Remove the pins that were holding the shapes in place, since they are now secured to the flag.

• 6

  Slide the decorative flag pole through the casing that you created along the top of the flag to hang it for display.