Funky Folk-Art for the 4th

Okay, I admit it.....I don't know what to call this.....

My husband said it looked like folk art.  I thought it was more like a vertical banner (is there such a thing?).  Then there's that vintage looking star.  Not to mention the rather country-looking old wooden thread spools, given to me last weekend by my blog friend Loy.  But the fact that it has washi tape just makes it funky.  Whatever you call it....I had so much fun making it and I love the way it turned out.  I don't always love my stuff.

Probably my favorite thing about this project is that although I used only 4 different rolls of washi tape, all 13 spools have a different design.  No two are alike. (Was that redundant?)  Playing with the patterns was just way more fun than a girl ought to have on a Friday afternoon!  The truth is, this was a quick project.  Maybe too quick.  I would have made it longer, or made more, but I was out of matching spools, so 13 it is.

Here are the supplies I used to make this funky 4th of July decoration:

Clockwise from the top:  Wax paper, garden twine, washi tape, scissors, wooden thread spools, wooden beads.

Let's have a closer look at that washi tape.

It came from Target, in the office supply section.  It think it was about $1/roll.

I love the patriotic colors and I've been waiting to use them for a Fourth of July project.

So here's the story morning glory.....

I unrolled some lengths of the washi tape and stuck them right on to some wax paper.  Then I cut off various strips in different widths so I had some patterns to play with.

Then.....I just played with wrapping them around the spools in different ways.  After I cut the length I wanted, I just put the rest back on the wax paper.

So, after I was finished and made sure each spool was different, they looked like this:

Aren't those fun-looking?  Can you believe I got all of those designs out of just 2 solid colors and 2 patterned ones?

Then, I put red and blue stripes on the wooden beads (6 blue, 6 red), strung them all on a piece of garden twine, tied on an old metal star I had left over from a long since destroyed garden ornament.  And "voila".....  I have myself a very patriotic looking___________________ (fill in the blank)!!

Anyway, it's patriotic, fun, colorful, vintage, country, funky and folky looking all at the same time.

It makes my heart smile.

I'm glad to be working on some projects for the upcoming 4th of July holiday because I am a Yankee doodle girl!

Linking Up: