Two words that definitely describe me are crafty and creative. I love thinking up new ideas and seeing my thoughts become a reality. My hubby on the other hand tends to roll his eyes when the wheels in my brain start turning because he knows I will be asking him to assist when it comes to using saws, drills, and other tools. But recently I had the opportunity to try out the new BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium 2-Speed Drill and decided this project was going to be completed entirely on my own. I envisioned an American Flag comprised of wood and rope that I could hang in my backyard. Today I’ll share how I made my vision become a reality.
I started with three 1×2 pine boards that were 6′ long. Using a table saw I cut them into 2′ sections until I had 7 pieces. I then used a tape measure to make a mark every inch along the board. To ensure my markings were perfectly straight across the width of the board I used a rafter square to mark my lines. I finished by locating the center of the width using a tape measure and marking them and then using another 2′ section of board to connect those marks.
Once I had finished marking all 7 sections of wood it was time to start drilling. I put a 1/4″ drill bit into my BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium 2-Speed Drill which was very simple due to the keyless chuck. Then I started drilling where the markings I had made intersected. 23 holes per board. 7 boards. For a grand total of 151 holes. The lightweight and compact design of this drill made the process a breeze while the two speed transmission allowed me to power through in no time at all. The mid-handle design also makes the drill comfortable to use… yes, even when drilling a crazy amount of holes!
Before long I had all 7 pieces drilled and then I spent some time sanding all of the rough edges.
Next it was time for paint! I threaded each piece onto a few wire hangers so that I could paint each piece without holding them. I did two coats of paint on each board and then finished with a clear coat. I then placed the boards in order and began weaving a 3/16″ all-purpose clothesline rope through the holes. On the outside edges I made two knots between each board to keep space between the red stripes.
Once I had all of the pieces weaved together my vision was complete.
My wooden American flag is now proudly hanging on our privacy fence in the backyard between two of my black raspberry bushes. Just in time for the fourth of July!
GIVEAWAY
If you would like to try your hand at recreating my wooden American flag then you are in luck because one lucky Happenings of the Harper Household reader is going to win their very own BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium Cordless Drill and 20V MAX* Circular Saw. To enter simply leave a comment telling me why/how you would use these two awesome BLACK+DECKER tools. This giveaway will end on July 2nd 2016 at 11:59PM EST and winner will be notified via e-mail. Good luck!