DIY Vintage Flag Bunting

We’ve got an awesome treat for you today, friends! One of our new contributors, Cheyenne Bell from Sense & Serendipity is here to show us how she made this cute diy vintage flag bunting. See full tutorial below and stay tuned for more patriotic decor this week 🙂

I can’t believe summer is in full swing! Where did the year go? As crazy fast as this year is moving I want to make sure I take advantage of these summer days while I have the chance, and that includes getting out all my seasonal summer decor! One of my favorite ways to put a little summer into my home decor in the early summer months is by adding a bit of patriotic flair. While I was wandering around Target the other day, I happened to come upon a flag bunting that somehow ended up in my basket. And if you don’t want to make a trip to Target – you can find similar bunting on Amazon (affiliate link.)

I love the bunting style of it, but I wasn’t all that thrilled about the crisp new flag look. I wanted something a little more vintage-looking. So I decided to work some magic to this perfectly good, clean flag and make it look old!

This is literally one of the easiest DIY projects you will ever come across. Here are the supplies you’ll need to make your own diy vintage flag bunting:

• flag or bunting
• coffee
• large stock pot
• wooden spoon

First, brew yourself a pot or two of strong, black coffee. If your flag or bunting is really large (like mine) you may need two or three pots of coffee.

Once your coffee is ready, pour it into the large stock pot. I was lucky that my husband has a giant pot for brewing beer, otherwise, my bunting would not have fit in any of my kitchen pots!

Next, add your flag or bunting. Make sure it is submerged in the coffee by pressing it down with a wooden spoon.

Let your flag soak for at least a couple of hours. I soaked mine overnight for good measure.

Once your flag has achieved the stained look you’re going for, squeeze the excess coffee out of it and pop it in the dryer.

Once the bunting is dry, hang it up!

I love how my bunting turned out (but please excuse my mess of cords in the background; we’re still moving in)! It has a nice, rich, vintage-looking stain and the soaking and drying process really loosened up the stiff fabric.

I know it’s a little bit hard to see in photos, but the difference the staining makes to the look of the flag is pretty amazing. I love the look of old, well-loved flags and this staining method is a great way to get that look on a budget!

I have to give full disclosure: first, I tried staining my flag with a bunch of black tea but the stain really didn’t get dark enough. I ended up giving up on the tea and trying the coffee and it worked so much better!

What do you think of my diy vintage flag bunting? I think it adds just the right old-fashioned, patriotic touch that I love so much to my summer decor!