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Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag

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This Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag is the perfect coastal home decor! Grab some paint, paint sticks, and mini starfish and you can easily create one for yourself. 

Before we dive into the post, I wanted to share our beautiful sunburst mirror made from wood shims. This sunburst mirror will complement your coastal themed decor, and would look great paired with this beach flag!

Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag by CraftsbyAmanda.com @amandaformaro

Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag

Beach decor is probably my all time favorite. I love making things with starfish, seashells, and sand dollars. There’s something about beach decor that brings the ocean indoors and reminds me of how relaxed I feel when I’m there. I live in the midwest, quite a ways from the ocean, so bringing it into my decor is the next best thing.

Before I show you how I made this, I should probably clear something up right away. I know that the American flag has 13 stripes. I also know that its colors are red, white and blue. This project was “inspired” by the American flag, it’s not meant to be a replica. With that said, I hope that you enjoy the project!

Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag with starfish

Recently, someone gave me a big box of paint sticks, so I tucked them away for a future project. I’ve actually been meaning to make this beach flag for quite some time and was finally able to sit down for a couple of hours and get it done.

DecoArt Americana paint

I’m in love with beachy colors. I chose to use DecoArt’s Americana paint in Cool White, Sea Glass, Whispering Turquoise, and Oyster Beige. I’ve used DecoArt paints on many, many projects and love it!

Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag by CraftsbyAmanda.com @amandaformaro

My bathroom is decorated with some other beach projects I’ve created, like this Weathered Newport Beach Sign, these Textured Glass Beach Canisters, and this Beach Starfish Plaque. The Weathered Beach Signs are among my favorites. Here are all my beach crafts if you want to have a look.

paint stick beach flag

This flag measures about 12-inches wide. Eventually, I’d like to make another one that’s much larger, similar in size to my PB Inspired Rustic Colonial American Flag.

weathered starfish on painted beach flag

What You’ll Need

DecoArt’s Americana paint


position the starfish the way you'd like them

I started by lining up seven paint sticks. Some of them were a little warped, but gently bending them with my hands helped bring them back to shape. I laid out the starfish to help me decide which ones to use.

painting the stir sticks

I painted the sticks, alternating colors as I went. The end result was 2 green, 2 blue and 3 white. After they had dried, I dry brushed white over the blue and green sticks. I used a sponge applicator to paint the starfish white, and once they were dry I added a layer of Oyster Beige.

starfish on beach flag

Sanding all the edges and corners came next. I also sanded the face of the sticks and the starfish.

Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag by CraftsbyAmanda.com @amandaformaro

I hot glued the sticks together, one by one, gluing from the backside so that the glue wouldn’t show. Next, I tied a hanger out of twine and glued that to the back, then turned the whole thing over and glued the starfish in place.

coastal themed beach flag with starfish

All done and ready to hang!

beach flag made from painted paint stir sticks

Paint Stick Beach Flag by CraftsbyAmanda.com @amandaformaro
Print Project

Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag

This Weathered Paint Stick Beach Flag is the perfect coastal home decor! Grab some paint, paint sticks, and mini starfish and you can easily make your own!
Course: Adult Crafts

Supplies

  • 7 Paint sticks
  • Starfish in varying sizes
  • Paintbrushes
  • Hot glue gun

DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint

  • Cool white
  • Sea glass
  • Whispering turquoise
  • Oyster beige

Instructions

  • I started by lining up seven paint sticks. Some of them were a little warped, but gently bending them with my hands helped bring them back to shape. I laid out the starfish to help me decide which ones to use.
  • I painted the sticks, alternating colors as I went. The end result was 2 green, 2 blue and 3 white. After they had dried, I dry brushed white over the blue and green sticks. I used a sponge applicator to paint the starfish white, and once they were dry I added a layer of Oyster Beige.
  • Sanding all the edges and corners came next. I also sanded the face of the sticks and the starfish.
  • I hot glued the sticks together, one by one, gluing from the backside so that the glue wouldn't show.
  • Next, I tied a hanger out of twine and glued that to the back, then turned the whole thing over and glued the starfish in place.

I am a DecoArt Core Blogger. I was compensated for this post, but have always loved DecoArt products! Therefore, all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

This post originally appeared here on May 28, 2013.

Amanda Formaro

Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also the editor for the Home & Garden channel at Craft Gossip and owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com.

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Comments

  1. Maureen Steele says

    My friend and I are making these for a school bazaar but we are having trouble getting the sticks to stayed glued together. The hot glue works but looks gappy and tried gorilla wood glue (not hot) and they didn’t seem to be staying glued. any suggestions?

    Reply

  2. Barbara Henderson Bishop says

    I just got most of my stuff together for my beachie flags except I didn’t get my star fish yet do u think I be able to get them at Hobby Lobby?

    Reply

  4. Page says

    Cute! Can I ask what wood glue you recommend? I’m having a hard time with glues being very messy when I put wood or items onto wood. Any brand you like using? Thanks.

    Reply

  5. Debie Woodbeck says

    I love this but we are “mountain lake people” not beachy. What would you use instead of starfish?

    Reply

  7. Lindsey says

    Can you explain the dry-brush of white over the blue and green sticks? I’ve never done that. I LOVE this project and can’t wait to do it.

    Reply

    • Amanda Formaro says

      Hi Lindsey :) Dry brush basically is what it sounds like. You dip your paintbrush into the paint, then use painting strokes on a paper towel or cloth to remove the excess paint. The paintbrush should be pretty dry but still hold paint. When you apply the dry brush to your surface, it should leave kind of a “scratchy” look.

      Reply

  9. Meg Mayo says

    I’d like to have my Girl Scouts make this. But, we don’t use hot glue. What would be your suggestion for a glue to glue the sticks together, and add the starfish? We’d let it dry till our next meeting (2 weeks!)

    Reply

  10. afc350 says

    I fell for this project the minute I saw it. Have all the supplies and going to make it this weekend. My question is, did you give the paint sticks a heavy coat of paint, or a thin coat where the grain of the paint sticks showed? I so love your creativity. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  13. Liz says

    Amanda, I just wanted to tell you how much I like this project. I am redoing a bedroom in a coastal theme. This is the first project for my room. I am just finishing it and I love it. Thank for posting it. Liz.

    Reply

    • Amanda Formaro says

      Hi Kristeen! I got them from Michaels over by the floral and all the vases and marbles. They had bags of various sized starfish. I had used the bigger ones on another project, and these little ones were what was left in the bag. :)

      Reply

  15. Henri says

    this is so neat and easy to do with grandkids as is. I took it a step farther and painted a sail boat &small waves and a lighthouse. I finished it and a visiting neighbor took it for a church sale. BOO HOO, never got a pic. But thatnks for the inspiration. YOU are a gem.

    Reply

  17. Miranda @ Someday Crafts says

    These are beautiful! I love the pastel, beachy theme. Thanks for linking up at Whatever Goes Wednesday last week. This was the most viewed link, so we’ll be highlighting this at tomorrow’s party. We hope you’ll come take a look and join in the party fun again!

    Reply

  20. Atta Girl Amy says

    I love this, Amanda. So cute. I’ve just called my dad who was on the way to Lowe’s for a project he’s working on at my house and asked him to grab me 7 paint sticks. (They tend to hid them at my local store, so I hope he is successful.)

    Reply

    • Amanda Formaro says

      Aww thanks Lana! I was inspired by another project when I made this, but couldn’t find it when I posted. I saw it last year :) Theirs was different and only blue and white, but it inspired me just the same!

      Reply

  27. Terri Betz says

    Wowed! Beauty! Amanda you’ve done it again! Can’t wait to make this sign! Thanks so much! I just love your stuff! :)

    Reply

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