Memorial Day and the 4th of July are right around the corner, so it’s time to get out the Patriotic Decor and the Red, White, and Blue! This rustic patriotic star is the perfect addition to your Americana display that will leave your neighbors asking “Where did you buy that?”!
There is something about the Antiqued look that just pairs sooooo well with Patriotic like it does with no other! Don’t get me wrong, I love the Red, White, and Blue no matter what, but I especially love it with the deep dark reds and blues with the burlap and lace. It’s a match made in Americana Heaven!
This Rustic Patriotic Star DIY was made with wooden shims, which I love because of their wedge shape that adds dimension to the piece, but you could also make this with 1 gallon paint sticks. Technically, you could even use large popsicle sticks but that may be pushing it. Anything that give the Stars and Stripes a surface to live on will work.
I think this Rustic Star takes the cake for my fave Patriotic craft of all time, and I’ve done quite a few Patriotic crafts here on the blog. My American Flag Clothespin Wreath was the top dog last year, but move over wreath, this Rustic Patriotic Star is coming in!
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Supplies Needed to Make a Rustic Antiqued Patriotic Star DIY
- Nelson Wood Shims
- Lace
- Burlap
- Pearl Strip Adhesive
- American Flag fabric (You can use scrapbook paper as well)
- Wood beads
- Twine
- Wooden star
- White chalk paint
- Wood cubes (or Jenga blocks for raising star)
- Antique wax/stain (I use Waverly which can be purchased at Walmart)
- Mod Podge
- Flat piece of cardboard
- Glue gun
How to Make a Rustic Antiqued Patriotic Star with Wood Shims
I made this beautiful Patriotic Stars and Stripes decor on video, so you can WATCH the step by step tutorial HERE or right below.
Since this amazing project was done on video, I do not have a photos of each of the individual steps, but I’ll still do my best to list them out and explain what I did for each.
Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes
How to Make an Antiqued Rustic Patriotic Star DIY
- Stain the wood shims with Antique wax or stain.
Paint or rub the wax all over the wood and spread around using a damp paper towel or baby wipe. Wipe off the excess using a dry towel. It helps to mist the wood with water first, to open up the pores and help the wood absorb the stain. I used eight 8″ Nelson wooden shims for this projects.
- Cut your various fabric to the size of the surface of the shims.
Lay the shim on the back surface of your fabric/material, and trace the outline to cut it out. I used 2 blue star strips, 2 deep red, 1 deep red and white striped, 1 burlap, 1 lace, and 1 pearl strip adhesive.
- Mod Podge the fabric/material strips to the top of the shims.
If the size is not just right you can trim up any excess material from the edges. Take a sanding block to sand the edges to clean them up and remove anything extra and to give the fabric a bit of a frayed rugged look.
- Glue the shims to a piece of flat sturdy cardboard.
Cut the cardboard so that it is smaller than the size of your shims when lined up so that it does not show from the bottom or sides. When hot gluing your shims make sure to alternate the wedges from thick end to thin end, and then thin end to thick end, and so forth.
- Paint the wooden star white.
If you are using a Dollar Tree sign that was covered in glitter mine, you’ll want to first sand off as much as the glitter as possible. Then paint the star white and brush Antique Wax around all the edges, as well as over the star itself. Wipe off any excess wax.
- Glue the star to the patriotic shims.
Glue a couple of mini wooden cubes to the back of the star to give it some depth, and then glue to the front of your shims right in the center.
- Make a wood bead hanger.
Stain some wood beads with the Antique wax, string them onto a piece of twine, and glue to the back of the cardboard. Break a popsicle stick in half and glue over each end of twine to secure the hanger to the back of the cardboard.
I don’t know what it is about this Rustic Antiqued look combined with the Patriotic colors, but I am a littttlleeeee bit obsessed. My brain wheels are already turning to think up another project with this same style and look to go along with it (I’ve got some ideas). The colors with the wax just pair so beautifully with the lace and burlap, its mesmerizing really! Are you as drawn to this look as me?
Are you going to make this Rustic Patriotic Star decor for yourself? If you do, I’d love to see your version of it. If you’re not part of our Craftspiration Facebook group, join in on the fun and post a pic of your completed DIY crafts. I just love to see all your creative and crafty creations!
Until Next Time…
Stay Crafty San Diego!
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