Flag Day

Start with a clean, smooth wood square—we chose birch-veneer plywood with edging for three-dimensionality and ease of painting and hanging. Any size will do, so let your room dictate your needs.

Prime all exposed sides of the square, preferably with a smooth roller. Latex-based primers make cleanup easier.

To keep the edges white, apply painter’s tape and press firmly to smooth out any gaps or bubbles.

Choose your design. We found these through a quick Google image search.

Paint the entire surface of the top of the wood with your base color; typically, lighter colors should be applied first, because they are more easily covered by darker colors. We like acrylic enamel paints, which have a bit of sheen, for this project.

When the base color is dry to the touch, measure and mark your design with pencil.

Apply painter’s tape along the pencil lines, and press firmly to smooth out bubbles or gaps. For a clean line, use a sponge brush to apply the base color over the edge of the tape on the side the second color will appear on.

Roll on any additional colors, again overlapping the tape for a smooth, clean edge.

When the paint is dry to the touch, carefully remove the painter’s tape from the top and sides.