Prayer Flag Two

Good morning!  :)  I made my second prayer flag yesterday and I am here to share the tutorial with you.  If you remember last week's focus was on gratitude.  This week we are focusing on family.

The method I'm using is from a Cloth Paper Scissors magazine from 2007.  Kelly Rae Roberts wrote the article and I basically tried what she shows in the magazine.  So, let's get started!

Step 1: 

Using canvas paper as a your base, collage some scrapbooking or any other decorative papers on.  I cut out squares and rectangles and laid them out.  Use gel medium to glue them on, and then paint a layer of gel medium over the whole thing when you are done.  Let it dry.

(Just in case you love it, my scrapbooking papers are from an Amy Butler set that I bought at Michaels two years ago)

Step 2:

Pour two different colors of craft paint on a tray.  Using a brayer, roll it through and saturate the roller with your paint.

Step 3:

Roll your brayer all over the papers, spreading the paint around.  While it is still wet, use a paper towel to pick up some of the paint.  There is no exact science to this.  Just play around until you like what you see:)

Let it dry.

Step 4:

Kelly Rae uses a charcoal pencil, but I didn't have one.  I just used a regular pencil to draw a shape of a house.  When I think of my family, I think of "home", so that is the image I chose to convey.  Paint it in with gesso, or I just used white craft paint.  Use a paper towel to wipe off paint to let some of the papers show through.  Let it dry completely.  You can't see it here, but I also glued a heart on top of the roof.

Step 5:

I played around with different decorative stitches on my sewing machine to outline the house.

Step 8:

Cut out a door from a magazine or draw your own.  When I went to sew my on, I thought it would be clever to leave it open so I could leave a message behind the door.  In that case, sew just down the left side of the door.

Step 9:

Using a permanent marker, I wrote the words to a song that I really love (The Words I Would Say, by Sidewalk Prophets).  When I hear it, I always think of my children.

Step 10: 

 Using instructions from Week One, make the back of your flag and your pocket.  My pocket turned out a little wonky, but that's ok

Step 11: 

After sewing the front and back of the flag together, I added these little wooden discs to spell out family.

Step 12:

Add your little message behind the secret door :)

Now you can write your prayer to slip in your pocket. 
I wrote prayers for everyone in my immediate family.  Prayers for my husband, prayers for each of my children, and prayers to keep our family strong in Christ.  This was so enjoyable.  Every child had very unique prayers from me.

Please remember this:  If you are playing along, please don't get too caught up in the instructions.  Feel free to follow your artistic instinct.  You don't have to create exactly what I'm doing.  My instructions are just a guide and to act as a sort of inspiration. 

Have fun!  If you have any questions at all, leave a comment and I will answer them there.
xo,
Chrissie