DIY Kid's garden banner

Easily create and personalize this cheerful sign to decorate your garden.

What You Need:
• Tracing paper
• Scissors
• Tablecloth plastic: yellow, orange, red, and green
• Self-healing mat, ruler, and rotary cutter (optional)
• 3/16-inch hole punch
• Blue plastic cording
• Fabrics glue
• Teal paint pen
• Black permanent marking pen or black paint pen
• Drill and 3/8-inch drill bit
• Two sticks, one bigger around than the other
• Wood glue (optional)
• Paintbrush
• Orange acrylic paint
• Sponge brush
• Water-base, nontoxic gloss exterior varnish

Instructions:
1. Trace the patterns (see link below) (flower, flower center, leaf) onto tracing paper. Make a mirror image of each shape along the dashed line. Cut out paper shapes. With scissors, cut out an orange flower, a red flower center, and green leaves from tablecloth plastic.

2. Using scissors or a self-healing mat, ruler, and rotary cutter, cut a 10 x 28-inch rectangle from yellow plastic for the flag. (Ask an adult for help if using a rotary cutter.) Fold the yellow rectangle in half crosswise. Mark dots 3/4 inch apart about 3/4 inch from the fold (or a distance big enough to accommodate the diameter of your smallest stick). Punch holes at the dots. Cut an 18-inch length of blue plastic cording. Make a knotted loop in one end, and thread the other end through the holes in the flag to create a casing. Make another knotted loop at the opposite end. Trim the excess cording.

3. Apply glue evenly to flower pieces, and adhere them to the flag front. Let dry. Use teal paint pen to draw the dashed outlines. Write words in black.

4. Drill a hole in the top of the large stick that is just big enough to receive the small stick. Check the fit and secure the sticks with wood glue if you like. Paint the sticks orange. Protect them with two or three coats of varnish using the sponge brush; let dry. To hang the flag, slide the cording loops and casing over the small stick.

Download the Patterns.

Used with permission. © Copyright Meredith Corporation.