Safety Pin Flag

These are cute and fun to have your older kids do.  You have to help a bit so that they don't poke themselves. But they are so cute.  These were pearlized beads, but I think next time I would use more sparkly ones. :-)

First you pick whatever size safety pin you want.  These happen to be like the middle of the road size...not the itsy bitsies...Not the giant ones, but right in the middle...about an inch in length.




Now you start making your design.  I start with the blue and white to make the stars,  Then move on to the stripes.  On these pins you just thread the bead onto the pin.
(the pins I'm using to demonstrate with are the larger ones and gold)

Next you need to gently straighten the loop out some so that you can slip all the safety pins that you bead, onto the one you're going to pin on.
Remember the top of the flag will be the first bead you thread on.  The top will be the end closest to the loop.  I just found a mistake in the one I made above.... oops!!   For the red and white stripes you need to start with red and end with red and make sure that your star pins start with blue and end with a red one at the clasp end.

Remember to only pull it apart enough to slide your pins around the loop, or you will 
have trouble getting it closed again and in the right shape.

Remember when you are done threading all the pins around the loop to make the flag, close the loop by squeezing it back together.  Have fun and have a happy Independence Day!