DIY Personalized Flags for a Backyard Playset

Just last weekend, my dad and husband assembled a playset in our backyard for my two boys…and it only took 20 hours and a 124-page instruction manual. :)

As soon as I saw that our playset model included two flags for the front of the clubhouse, I instantly knew I was going to personalize them with my boys’ names.

I mean, hello. It’s *their* playset after all.

Plus, Momma here is kinda obsessed with vinyling all the things and slapping a name or monogram on anything she can get her hands on.

Two Boys + Two Flags + A Crafty Personalization-Crazy Mom = It Was Meant To Be

Supplies

Here’s what I used to make these personalized flags for my boys’ playset:

• Two green pennant flags that came with our playset
  • You can find them separately here, and they also come in blue and yellow
• 12×24 sheet of yellow permanent outdoor vinyl
• Silhouette Cameo & cutting mat
• Craft tweezers
• Transfer tape
• Painter’s tape
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Scraper tool

Designing the Vinyl Decals

Since I’d be cutting out the vinyl decals of my boys’ names with my beloved Silhouette Cameo, I created my design in Silhouette Studio.

Here’s how I turned their names into pennant shapes and sized them to scale:

1. Used the Line Tool to draw four triangles (so each flag would have a front and back) in the flags’ dimensions, then welded the lines
2. Chose a fun font (it’s called Childwood Rough…I like the wood plank-look) and typed out both of my sons’ names
3. Duplicated each name twice (to save the original, unedited version, just in case) and positioned them over a triangle
4. Ungrouped one name at a time (to separate the individual letters), then resized and used the Point Editing Tool and adjusted the cut points/lines on each letter so the name would take on the pennant shape

That’s it! I know this may look a little complicated, but I promise it wasn’t hard. It just took a bit of time (maybe an hour or so) since I had to adjust every single letter. But, it was something to fill my time while the men were watching the NBA finals, so no biggie. :)

Cutting The Vinyl Decals

Once the names were ready to go, I positioned them onto the digital cutting mat so they’d all fit on a single 12×24 sheet of vinyl.

After my cut settings were finalized…

…it was time to cut! I applied my sheet of yellow permanent vinyl onto the cutting mat and then loaded it into my Silhouette Cameo.

And don’t mind those two random paint samples. I just use them to keep my cutting mat from moving around and getting all wonky when the Silhouette starts cutting at the far end.

Crazy, but it works! :)

A few moments later, the vinyl was cut, so I trimmed up the pieces, weeded (or removed) all the excess vinyl with my trusty craft tweezers, then applied some clear transfer tape over top of each.

Applying the Vinyl Decals

Using the hinge method (which you can read more about here), I applied each vinyl decal so both boys would have their names on both sides of their very own flag.

My Boys’ Personalized Flags on Their Backyard Playset!

As the finishing touch of Operation Backyard Playset, my husband attached both flagpoles to the front of the clubhouse…and now my boys officially have ownership of their new outdoor space!

The yellow names really POP off the dark green flags, and they also coordinate nicely with the tic-tac-toe game…it’s almost like I planned that or something. ;)

This was such a simple project that really adds so much.

And let me tell you, my five-year-old, Rowan, is SUPER excited to have his name proudly displayed for all to see (I’m sure one-year-old Brayden will also be just as enthusiastic as soon as he can recognize his own name).

When I was out back snapping photos for this post, Rowan zoomed up the ramp and exclaimed “Mom, take my picture with my flag!!”

Ok bub, no problem. :) Mom FTW!