One of the most joyful ways for children to participate in Simchat Torah is to wave flags in the synagogue. There are mass-produced flags you can purchase, but being a DIY guy, I find the act of making something also provides a valuable teaching moment.
For this project, I decided to make the flags out of duct tape. Duct tape works great because you can assemble the flag without having to glue or staple. It sticks so well to the stick, you don’t have to worry about the flag flying off. You can use contrasting colors of duct tape for decoration. And it’s so durable, you can reuse the flags next year.
What you’ll need:
Duct tape, various colors
Ruler
Scissors
Wax or parchment paper
Chopstick
1. Cut or tear five strips of duct tape that are about six inches long. Layer the strips, overlapping one on top of the other by about half an inch until you have one large piece of duct tape. It helps to work on a cutting mat or a piece of parchment paper so the tape doesn’t stick to the tape.
2. Fold the sheet of duct tape in half so the sticky side adheres to itself. Press down with your fingers to get out any air bubbles.
3. Cut the piece of duct tape to your desired flag size. I made my flag five inches wide by four inches high.
4. If you’d like, cut out a triangle on the right side of the duct tape for a more traditional “swallowtail” shape.
5. Cut shapes out of duct tape in contrasting colors to decorate the flag. My trick for cutting the shapes without getting the scissors stuck on the tape is to adhere the tape to wax or parchment paper first before cutting. You can also draw or write on the duct tape with a marker.
6. Use a strip of duct tape to adhere the flag to a chopstick. As I said, no glue is necessary. And remind the kids to be careful in waving the flags, as we don’t want anyone poking an eye out.
If you make this project, we’d love to see it! Post it on social media with #JJcrafts
Jonathan Fong is the author of “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.
