How to Make a Patriotic Craft from Paint Stirs

It’s a double win when you can make a patriotic craft with recycled items. This rustic star started its life as paint stirs.

Supplies for Rustic Star Patriotic Craft:

• 15″ Bowdabra bow wire
• Mini Bowdabra
• 18″ jute cording
• 5 paint stirs
• 12 self-adhesive small stars
• FolkArt Ultra Dye in Infra Red and Blue Bayou
• FolkArt Coastal Texture Paint in Sand Dollar
• Paint brush
• Quick dry liquid adhesive
• Drill with small bit
• Proxxon Band Saw

Instructions for Rustic Star Patriotic Craft:

1. Sand any printed lettering off the stirs to eliminate any shadowing through your paint.
2. Cut the handle section off each of the paint stirs. I stacked mine, marked the cutting line with painter’s tape, and cut them on my Proxxon band saw. But, any kind of a saw—power or manual— will work. 
3. Paint two stirs red, two white, and one blue. Set aside until the paint dries.
4. Make the bow hanger by folding the bow wire in half and placing in the Mini Bowdabra. Tuck the ends under the Mini Bowdabra, out of the way.
5. Begin the jute bow, leaving a six to eight inch tail.
6. Continue the bow until you have three loops on each side, and end with another six to eight inch tail.
7. With the bow still in the Mini Bowdabra, pass the wire ends through the loop, and tighten.
8. Remove the bow from the Mini Bowdabra, and tie a knot on the reverse side, leaving the wire ends long. Set the bow aside.
9. Coil the bow wire ends around a thin pencil or skewer for an added design element.
10. When the paint has dried, glue the stirs together forming a five-pointed star with the colors arranged as shown in the photo.
11. When the glue has dried, drill two holes in the top point for the bow/hanger.
12. From the front of the star, pass one of the bow tails through one hole, and secure on the back with a knot. Repeat for the other tail.
13. Add self-adhesive stars to the blue paint stir.

Finishing your star

Hang and enjoy your patriotic craft. You can use this same method to make a smaller star using popsicle sticks with only one row of stars. And, a teeny star out of toothpicks!!

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