AMERICAN FLAG LAPEL PIN
Celebrate our country and read books for
National Children’s Book Week, November 12 - 18

Materials needed:
  • Seed Beads
    • 16 blue
    • 36 red (if beads are extra small use 47 beads, and put in an extra row of red along bottom of flag)
    • 36 white
  • Safety Pins
    • One 1 ½" pin for top
    • 11 - 1" pins for flag
  • Pliers 
  • Metal nail file
American Flag Lapel Pin bead placement graph
BlueBlue BlueBlueRedRedRedRedRed RedRed
BlueBlueBlueBlueWhiteWhiteWhiteWhite WhiteWhiteWhite
BlueBlueBlueBlueRedRedRedRedRed RedRed
BlueBlueBlueBlueWhiteWhiteWhiteWhite WhiteWhiteWhite
RedRedRedRedRedRedRedRedRed RedRed
WhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhite WhiteWhiteWhite
RedRedRedRedRedRedRedRedRed RedRed
WhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhiteWhite WhiteWhiteWhite
1. Use the bead color placement graph to see where the appropriate colors will go. Larger beads take only eight rows to complete a pin. Smaller beads may use 9 rows or more.

2. Open up a 1" pin and place the beads on the front shank of the safety pin. The head of the safety pin is the bottom of the picture when it is hanging. The top of the picture is the round loop of the safety pin. Remember that seed beads are naturally different sizes, so choose ones that are similar in size. This will make the design come out more evenly. If the pin won’t close up, choose beads that are smaller in size.

3. When you have put all 8 beads on one safety pin make sure you have closed it up securely. You may want to squeeze the head of the safety pin with pliers so that it will now not open up easily.

4. After you have beaded all 11 pins for the picture take the larger pin for the top that will hold the smaller pins together for the picture. You are going to loosen the round loop of the pin in order to string the 11 other smaller pins onto it. Take the metal nail file and slip it into this loop and pry it slightly open.

5. To thread your picture on, you need to hold the larger pin in your right hand with the point away from your body. Hold the pin with the finished beads on it in your left hand with beads facing away from you. Thread the base of the beaded pin onto the front shank of the largest, "larger" pin and force it around the loop, forcing it onto the back shank of the large pin. Follow the pattern from right to left.

6. Follow these steps for all the rows of the pattern. When you are finished, take your pliers and squeeze the round loop so that the pins will stay on the shank side where the head of the safety pin is. Then you may open and close it back up without the pins falling off. Make several pins and give to friends and relatives.

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Last updated October 28, 2001
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