Patriotic Star and Stripes Sign TUTORIAL

Happy happy Wednesday! Today I am sharing how I made my Star and Stripes sign from my Patriotic Mantelscape. I used the vaseline distressing trick to give the wood a vintage Americana look in a matter of minutes. Its super easy and gives gorgeous results! I’ll show you how I did it and how to make this super easy sign that will add a punch to your 4th of July Decor! {this is also perfect for Flag Day tomorrow, like Priscilla said on Facebook!} 

4th of July Craft

4th of july craft

This sign is beautiful! Simple, but bold. LOVE it!! I think the navy blue looks fab with the deep red and white.

fourth of july craft

I’ve had the star for years. {yes, this is one of those stars you’ve seen in every decorating store for the last 10 years} I actually decorated with it back when French Country was all the rage. {anyone else go nuts over French Country like I did?? someday i’ll find a way to use that red toile chair again!} Then it found its way to a box in the attic. Where it sat collecting dust until this weekend.

This little star got a new purpose in life!

Star and Stripes Sign Tutorial

how to make a star sign

  1. supplies: 24″x34″ particle board, red spray paint, blue spray paint, white spray paint, black spray paint, vaseline, 2″ wide masking or painters tape, fine grit sandpaper {i used 100 grit}, sander {optional}
  2. Using sandpaper to round the corners and remove any rough edges on your wood. {i used a sander… its a lot quicker!}star sign
  3. Spray paint the edges of the 24″x34″ board black with 1 generous coat. {make sure to do all your spray painting over kraft paper or cardboard boxes in a well ventilated area.}
  4. Spray paint the star black with 1 generous coat. {the black coat doesn’t have to be perfect as it will be hidden and if its lighter in some areas, it will just add to the distressed look.} Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before moving to the next step.
  5. Use your finger and apply a thin layer along edges where you want the black paint to show through. Don’t worry about getting it even! Then spray paint the star red.
    patriotic craft
  6. Spray paint the 24″x 34″ board white. It will take a couple coats of paint. {sorry for the grainy pics, these were taken at midnight…}
  7. With a tape measure and a pencil, mark on the white board every 2″ for the stripes, all the way down the board along the 24″ side. Then using your masking or painters tape, apply tape across the sign and wrap around the sides. NOTE: I applied a couple spots of vaseline on the stripes at this stage so that a few white spots show through the blue stripes. Spray paint blue over the white board. {the tape will make the white lines}
  8. While the blue paint dries, grab your sandpaper and lightly sand the edges of the red star where the vaseline is until you like the look. The vaseline will make the paint look all peeling and chipped. Its fantabulous! {if you can’t remember where you put the vaseline, simply brush your hand across the edge and the paint will peel up where the vaseline is.}americana craft
  9. After the blue paint has dried, carefully remove the tape and lightly sand the edges of the board. See how nicely the paint just peels off?! Love this wood distressing technique!
  10. My star had a hanger on the back already {yay!}. If yours does not, I would recommend adding one. It makes it easier to store this 4th of July craft if you can separate the star from the board. PLUS its a lot easier than gluing your star to the board!
  11. Then I hammered a small nail into the stripe sign where I wanted to star to hang and then I hung the star

wood distressing

love the vaseline distressing! Looks amazing.
star and stripe sign

hello, pretty sign. where have you been my whole life? haha.

4th of july craftsTotally love my 4th of July mantel! One of my all time fave mantels.

vaseline distressingVaseline distressing totally rocks!! You should try it! Its really easy, cheap, and looks amazing.

I have more 4th of July Craft tutorials coming up, so make sure to stop by and check them out! {including the adorable bunting that everyone is raving about….}

happy crafting,

linda

I’m so happy you stopped by today! I post new craft tutorials every week and would love to have you follow along through RSS or email updates! {just enter your email at the top of my sidebar} If you have a craft question, post it on the Craftaholics Anonymous Facebook page!

Linda
Hi! I'm Linda, the craft addict behind Craftaholics Anonymous®, a craft blog. Crafting is cheaper than therapy, right? When I'm not DIYing something, I can be found taxiing around our 4 crazy kids or working out. Or shoe shopping... because you can never have too many shoes! Happy crafting! ♥
Linda
Linda

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Comments

  1. 1

    Thanks for the tutorial! I love this look!!!

  2. 2

    I’m swooning over that sign! And I love that little bunting draped over the milk glass plate – too cute! Great tutorial!

  3. 3

    I love it Linda! I can see why your husband loves this mantel arrangement so much. This sign just makes it!

  4. 5

    I really, really like this! I’m pinning it so I can hopefully make one, too. I love the Vaseline technique, so cool. Can’t wait to try it out!

  5. 7

    Fabulous! I love it

    Hugs
    SUeAnn

  6. 8

    I love it, Linda! You gave me an idea for displaying a patriotic printable I made. It is too small for the space I want to place it. I didn’t think of painting particle board as a backdrop. Your mantels are my favorite. Do you mind if I feature this at Decor2Adore{able}?

    Johnnie

  7. 9
    Jessica

    This is beautiful. I like that you changed the place of the blue and red. When I seen the blue stripes it made me think nautical. Maybe after the holiday you could take off the star ( since you were smart and didn’t glue it) and replace it with a big shell or one of those faux sand dollars! Turning it into a summer themed mantel.

    1. 9.1

      Ooooh, I love it, Jessica!! Great idea! You are spot on! Think I just might have to do that! Thanks for stopping by!
      happy crafting,
      Linda

  8. 11

    This turned out so great! The vaseline really makes it look aged….
    I love the way it looks!
    Very patriotic and the mantle looks great too…

  9. 12

    Love this!! Thank you so much for sharing :)

  10. 13
    Billie Jo

    Is the star wooden? or metal? Thanks!

      1. Billie Jo

        Thank you so much for your prompt reply! Could you give me the approx. dimensions? Do you by chance remember where you purchased this, Michaels, Hobby Lobby?? Thank you so much. I am super excited to make this.

        1. I bought the stars about 8 years ago at a Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I’ve seen them at Hobby Lobby not too long ago. Hope that helps!