Patriotic Star Frame

Dear Independence Day,

Why do you have to be so different than all the other holidays? Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween… they all give me nearly a month to prepare with fun projects. Yet you, you arrive just 4 days into the month.

In June I’m still thinking about the fist days of summer… of beach trips and running through the sprinklers. I’m not ready for fireworks or stars and stripes. Then, suddenly, it is the end of June, and you’re already here before I have time to pay tribute.

Which really isn’t fair to either of us. I’d love to put together some more starred, spangled, or striped items to celebrate. And I could and would absolutely do that if you’d just try to arrive a little later in the month.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally love the 3-day weekend and backyard BBQ that comes along with your special celebration… I’d just like it a little later. But not this year. This year I really need that long weekend right about now. So, I made you a little something. It’s not much because of the whole aforementioned short-on-time phenomenon… but it is something.

Thanks for reminding us of our country’s independence, and all who give to keep it that way. You’re pretty awesome… so, I guess you can go ahead and be on whatever day you want. And I’ll work on some more decor. As soon as I research exactly what a “spangle” is.

Your Pal,
Carolina

A few simple items from Target’s dollar section and a painted frame are all that are needed to make this a snazzy decor piece! I grabbed a red beaded necklace and a pack of Chinese YoYos. The irony is not lost on me that I used a “Chinese” YoYo to make patriotic decor.

I only had black frames, so I painted one white with plain ol’ paint. That way the black wouldn’t show through the waxy-paper. I took apart a blue-with-white stars Chinese yo-yo, and used ModPodge to attach it to the front. I cut at the corners to be able to wrap it around.

Then I ModPodged it all the way around to the back of the frame. I did this all the way around.

Of course there were some gaps, so I went back and filled them in with scraps of the paper, and went all the way around the whole frame A little overlap was fine, even though the paper is very thin.

When I was done, my hands were a bit messy, but it came off very easily. Thankfully. I have a feeling that looking like a smurf doesn’t give you extra patriotic points.