How to Make Patriotic Captain America Shield Tin Signs…and Bunting

It’s time to turn those hours spent doodling Captain America’s shield onto the toes of your Converse into All-American, patriotic Mom pleasin’ and apple pie-eatin’”, patriotic (and kid-friendly) holiday and summer craft with tin post signs and bunting.

Okay, yes, I draw X-wings too, but they’re not round or red, white and blue. So, moving on, here’s what you need:

For tin signs:
Empty pie tins
Craft paint (red, white and blue)
Wood dowel or cheap chopsticks
Duct tape

For bunting:
Coffee filters
Sharpies or other markers
Yarn or rope
School glue

The craft is as simple drawing a Captain America’s shield on a round surface, so here’s a couple of quick tips:

• If you can’t draw circles with a steady hand, use different sized bowls, cups or coasters and trace around.  Or, if you don’t already have one, buy a cheap artist compass. Big time saver.
• The hardest part is making an even five-point star. The trick here is to get a little…for lack of a better phrase…evil. Draw a “five line” star like the ones you learned as a kid inside a circle lightly and evenly so it is a good shape (this will look a little…okay, exactly…like a death-metal-ish pentagram, but lighten up…it’s just a star. Erase all the center lines…or paint over them, and its instant patriotism.
  

  Left: “Evil” Right: “Patriotic”

Okay, now for the easy part — the craft itself:

For the Tin Signs:

1. You’ll notice the pie tin has already done half the work for you, as its pattern is the same of the First Avenger’s shield….WOW, WHO KNEW? Gently cut the walls of the tin with scissor you don’t really care about (it can cut you, so be careful), and there’s your naked shield. If you’re working with young kids, you can line the edge with a thin strip of duct tape for safety purposes. Now, use the center as a “coloring page” to paint on the shield with craft paint.
2. Attach the chop stick to the back of the tin with duct tape and place in plants, gardens lawns, or anywhere you want your patriotic geek flag to fly. These do better indoors, but if you want to place them out in the elements, I suggest coat of clear spray paint to decoupage sealer to protect it.
3. Want to challenge yourself a little? Make Captain’s early shield by cutting out the shield examples (clip art of these is easy to find), and following Step 2 again.  Since the stars will be much smaller, it may be easier to cut out the stars on the pattern with an X-acto knife to use as a stencil.

Now, let’s make some matching bunting. I know the tin signs are more than enough for decoration, but I’m creating these on Fourth of July weekend, and I just want an excuse to use the word “bunting.”

For the Bunting:

1. Flatten out as many coffee filters as you need (about five or seven will span a window pretty well), and use Sharpies or similar fine-tipped markers to draw the basic shield pattern.
2. Depending on how many “shields” you made, cut the yarn or rope as long as needed and tie a loop at both ends for hanging.  If you’re not sure about the length, attach the filters before cutting the rope.
3. Use a small amount of glue alongside the rope and center the coffee filter exactly halfway over it, the fold the filter, using a small amount of glue to attach both halves together. Do this for all your filters, and it’s done! Already!

Now, go out and hang those buntings…you may be just a kid from Brooklyn, Cap, but you’re ready to salute you’re country! And eat more pie.

Lisa Kay TateStaff writer and your ihogeekmom