Easy DIY: honouring the Brits

06 Jun 2017

We've just celebrated Queen's Birthday and the Lions rugby team are touring. What better way to show your allegiance than with a Union Jack, cleverly painted on to an old wooden pallet. 

You will need an old timber pallet, a testpot of Resene Lonestar and Resene Bunting, masking tape and a paint brush. These colours are darker than the normal primary flag colours, to give the finished piece a more aged, rustic look. 

Step 1: Depending on the pallet you are using and the end result you want (if you are hanging it or propping it against the wall), you may need to partly disassemble the pallet. Make sure that the width is twice that of the height.  
Step 2: Using a ruler, a long straight edge and a pencil, measure and draw lines to form the pattern of the Union Jack. See here for how to draw a Union Jack.   

Step 3: Place the masking tape along the pencil lines, making sure to cover up the areas that would be white on the flag. Sometimes the tape doesn’t stick particularly well to the rough wood, but don't worry - if the paint bleeds underneath, it just adds to the rustic charm of the piece. 

Step 4: Paint the red and blue areas of the flag using Resene Lonestar and Resene Bunting.
Step 5: Remove the tape and once the paint is dry, give the flag a light sand with a medium grit sandpaper to give it a weathered, aged look.

Photographs and styling by Fleur Thorpe.

Published: 06 Jun 2017