4 Easy Patriotic Shim Crafts for Summer Decorating
If you’ve been following along for the shim project series, you know shims are one of those budget-friendly craft supplies that can turn into all kinds of beautiful things. These last few projects have all had that same simple, rustic, patriotic feel I’ve been loving.
Today I thought it would be fun to round up four of the patriotic shim crafts I’ve made together recently. If you’re in the mood to add a few easy Americana touches to your home, these are all simple projects you can make! Just a pack of shims, a little fabric, some Mod Podge, and whatever embellishments make you happy.
#1 Fabric-Covered Patriotic Shim Star
Let’s kick things off with a sweet little patriotic shim star made with five shims and strips of fabric. If you’ve never crafted with shims before, this is such a fun place to start.
Supplies:
• Hot Glue Gun
• Five 14 in Long Shims (find at Home Depot or Lowes)
• Blue Floral Fabric (Hobby Lobby SKU: 540666)
• Navy Blue Fabric (Hobby Lobby)
• Heritage Red Stripe Fabric (Jubilee Fabric)
• Other Red Fabric (Hobby Lobby SKU: 838607)
• Cream Fabric by Waverly (Walmart)
• Raffia
• Rusty Star (Factory Direct Craft)
• Patriotic Tag (Printable Nest library)
For this one, I used five 14-inch shims and covered each shim with fabric instead of paint or stain. I used the same fabrics from the fabric flag frame project we had made the week before so everything would coordinate — two reds, a creamy neutral, and two blues. Once each shim was covered, I laid them out into a star shape and hot glued the touch points together.
What I love about this project is how simple it is. You’re basically just making a little star the way you might have in grade school, but with pretty rustic fabric and a little bit of country charm.
To finish it off, I added a simple raffia bow, a little printable patriotic tag, and a rusty star in the center. It ended up being one of those projects that just makes you smile because it’s so simple, but so sweet.
A few ideas for finishing a shim star:
- Cover the shims with fabric, like I did
- Paint or stain them for a more traditional rustic look
- Decoupage with scrapbook paper or napkins
- Add a bow, tag, rusty star, or leave it plain
One last tip – you can use this design to make a Christmas Star too!
#2 Rustic Uncle Sam Hat Made from Shims
The next patriotic project was one that had been on my “I really want to try that” list for a while: a little Uncle Sam hat made from shims.
This one was inspired by Andreina over at LeeLexie Creations. TAP HERE to see how Andreina made hers..it’s SO CUTE! So I knew right away I wanted to make a version that would coordinate with the patriotic shim star and the big fabric flag I already had hanging in my home.
Supplies:
• Six 12 inch Long Shims (find at Home Depot or Lowes)
• Blue Floral Fabric (Hobby Lobby SKU: 540666)
• Heritage Red Stripe Fabric (Jubilee Fabric)
• Cream Fabric by Waverly (Walmart)
• Unbleached Tobacco Cloth for bow (Jubilee Fabric)
• Rusty Star (Factory Direct Craft)
• Rusty Safety Pin (Factory Direct Craft)
• Green Berry Sprigs (Hobby Lobby but discontinued, look at Factory Direct Craft for their sedum bush that is similar)
• Patriotic Tag from my Printable Nest
• Hot Glue Gun
• Miter Shears for cutting shims (referral)
For this hat, I used four 12-inch shims for the top of the hat and two shorter shims for the brim. Mine ended up around 9 1/2 – 10 inches. I covered the top four shims with alternating red and cream fabric. Then I used two shorter shims across the bottom to create the brim of the hat. I added a little brace to the back to keep everything nice and sturdy. And then I covered the middle section with a strip of blue floral fabric.
After that came the fun part: embellishing. I made a messy little bow with scraps of tobacco cloth, tucked in a few little sprigs of greenery, added a rusty star, and pinned on a printable patriotic eagle tag with a rusty safety pin. It turned out so cute and has that same soft, rustic Americana feel as the star.
I love that this one feels like a little leaner or shelf sitter. It would be adorable tucked into a dough bowl, propped on a shelf, or layered into a grapevine wreath.
A God Bless America Shim Sign with Napkins
This one has a sweet little story behind it because I originally made it with some of the ladies at our local senior home, and that alone made me love it even more.
I head over there seasonally to craft with them, and this time we made a simple God Bless America shim sign using napkins from Bealls. It was one of those projects that was easy enough to walk through step by step, but still turned out really cute and special.
Supplies:
• Shims
• God Bless America Napkin (TJ Maxx, Bealls, HomeGoods)
• Mod Podge
• Hot Glue Gun
• Distressing Inks (referral)
• Miter Shears for cutting shims (referral)
For this project, I cut:
- Three shim pieces at 4½ inches wide
- One small back brace piece to hold them together
I used a patriotic napkin that said God Bless America. I simply separated the plies, and cut the words apart so each one would fit on its own shim plank. Then it was just a matter of brushing on Mod Podge, pressing the napkin in place, and sanding off the excess around the edges once it dried. An alternative to this concept would be to mod podge any material you’d like & use rubber stamps for letters instead
One little thing I pointed out in the video that’s worth mentioning here too: if you’re decoupaging a napkin with a white background, painting the shim white first will give you a brighter, truer look to the original napkin. If you skip that step and put the napkin straight on the wood, it’ll still be beautiful, but it’ll just have a softer, more natural, aged look.
Once the words were on and sealed, I added a stained back brace, glued the sign together, and styled it with a little greenery ring, a bird, and some coordinating fabric scraps tied together for texture
It’s one of those tiny projects that could be styled so many ways—tucked into a dough bowl, added to a wreath, used as a mini leaner, or propped up in a shelf display.
And honestly, I love projects like this because they’re simple enough to make in a group setting, with kids, with grandkids, or with friends around the table. Here are some memories from when I went to make these with our sweet friends at the local senior home! What a lovely afternoon of crafting with these beautiful ladies.
A Jumbo Red Shim Star for a Bigger Patriotic Statement
Just when I thought I had probably made enough patriotic shim crafts for one season… I had one more idea.
Could I make a jumbo shim star even though the shims themselves weren’t long enough? And thankfully, the answer was YES!
Supplies:
• Ten 11.5in Long Shims (find at Home Depot or Lowes)
• DecoArt Red Paints Mixed 1:1 (Country Red & Deep Burgundy)
• Navy/Red Plaid Fabric (Jubilee Fabric)
• Tobacco Cloth (Jubilee Fabric)
• Rusty Star (Factory Direct Craft)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Micro Sander (referral)
Other items mentioned from styling:
• 5 piece Blue Faux Hydrangeas (referral)
• Copper Pitcher (thrifted)
• USA rustic flag (TJ Maxx)
• Eagle Bell (thrifted)
• Statue of Liberty Decor – This was made with a printable from The Printable Nest, decoupaged onto Dollar General arched frame
I painted all ten shims and distressed the edges a bit. Then I glued them together in pairs to create five extra-long pieces. Once those were dry, I laid them out just like the smaller star and glued the touch points together.
The result was a big, bold, red country star that still had that handmade, rustic charm, but with more impact.
To finish it off, I tied on a simple fabric bow using a navy homespun plaid and tobacco cloth. I then added a rusty star right in the center of the bow. I kept this one simple because I really wanted the size and shape to be the star of the show. (Pun intended!)
Why I Keep Coming Back to Shim Crafts
If you’ve watched these projects come together, then you already know this: I really do love crafting with shims.
They’re inexpensive. They’re easy to cut. They’re easy to paint, stain, cover with fabric, or decoupage. And with just a little creativity, you can turn them into stars, signs, hats and so much more!
More than anything, I love that they don’t feel intimidating. You don’t have to pull out a giant supply list or commit to a huge complicated project. You can grab a pack of shims, pull out a few fabrics or napkins, and make something for your home.
I hope one of these ideas inspires you to create something red, white, and blue. If you make one of these, I would absolutely love to see it. Be sure to tag me @hammonsnests on Facebook & Instagram so I can cheer you on and see your take on it.
And if you love these ideas, check out the shim craft playlist over on YouTube!
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