Today is Flag Day! It’s the perfect time to make miniature paper flags for Hitty and other small dolls. You can see how our flag has evolved over time: 1776: American Revolution (13 stars), 1828: Hitty’s First Year (24 stars), 1928: Hitty’s 100th Year (48 stars) and the current U.S. flag (50 stars) in 2026 to celebrate our Semiquincentennial. I also created American Flag Pillows for Hitty using the same designs.
Click here to download printable flags
Print the .pdf file on an inkjet or laser printer using standard 8.5” x 11” paper. If you don’t own a printer, you can email the file to a copy or printing center, and they will print it for you. You are welcome to print as many flags as you like for personal and educational use.
MATERIALS:
Printed flags
Scrap paper
Rubber cement
Four 10” bamboo skewers
Pencil
Sandpaper (220 grit)
Small craft knife
Cutting mat
Metal ruler
Scissors
Cut out all four flags along the light gray outlines. You can use scissors for this, but I prefer a cutting mat and craft knife. Use a metal ruler as a guide to make nice, straight lines. A paper cutter works, too, if you have one.
Make sure to leave each flag attached to the white areas in the middle.
You can find bamboo skewers in the grocery store. The ones I used were 10” long, which is a bit too big for Hitty. I cut off the top three inches and left the pointed end.
Start measuring at the pointed end of the skewer with the ruler. Draw around skewer with a pencil at the 7” long mark.
Carefully score all around the skewer with the craft knife. You don’t need to cut all the way through. Once you have a nice deep score, you can snap off the end. Sand the rough edge to make it smooth.
Repeat for the other three skewers.
Place a piece of scrap paper on the table. Put one flag printed side down on the paper. Rubber cement works well for this project, because it will not warp or wrinkle the paper.
Cover the entire flag with rubber cement.
Quickly, while the glue is still wet, pick up the flag and begin folding it in half, matching outside edges carefully.
Place the folded flag on a clean piece of scrap paper and smooth it flat, working from the outside edges toward the white section.
Before you flatten it completely, insert the bamboo skewer into the white area. Leave a bit of the skewer sticking out above the top edge of the flag. Make sure to check that your flag on the skewer is right side up!
Score a crease with your fingernail as close to the skewer as possible.
Flip flag over, flatten and score the other side. If any rubber cement oozes out around the edges, you can easily rub it off after it dries. Wait about 15 minutes for the glue to dry completely.
Check both sides of your flag. It might need some trimming if the flag wasn’t folded exactly in half. You can trim off the extra paper with the scissors.
You finished one flag! Repeat the procedure to make the other three flags.
These flags are a lot of fun to display: you can stick them in cupcakes, flowerpots, styrofoam, etc. Want a simple flag holder? Use an empty spool of thread.
Here is Clara, a paper mache Hitty with her tiny tuck comb doll named Sadie, made by Elaine McNally. She is all ready to celebrate Flag Day. Now your own dolls can celebrate, too!
