Truck Load of American Pride!

Hey there! Are y’all ready to decorate for all the upcoming 4th of July Celebrations? I certainly am! Misty (@Mommyofkidz) here with you today sharing a truck load of American Pride and a quick tutorial on how to make it. Hopefully I’ve added a little inspiration for you all mixed in there, too!

Recently, I took a little trip over the local Dollar Tree looking for cheap prizes for a kid’s party. While I was unsuccessful with that mission, what I found was much more valuable! I stumbled upon the MOTHER LOAD of fun items to spruce up with a little bit of a DIY makeover! One of the fun finds was a little metal truck with three little stars shooting from the back. While it was nothing spectacular, my mind was already altering it before I ever picked it up! OHHHH the potential this little truck had! I snatched it up and brought it home, immediately sitting myself down to work! First, I began with pulling out some Red, White and Blue Cardstock from CutCardStock. I also tossed in some Silver Bright Foil Cardstock for good measure.

Make-Over Time!

The three puny stars in the back of this truck did not scream American Pride to me. It did not sing “Let Freedom Ring”. No. It barely whispered God Bless America. Needless to say, I used all my handy-dandy CutCardStock supplies to help make that happen. Beginning with the Silver Bright Foil Cardstock, I used my Cricut to cut out several stars ranging from 1 inch up to 3 inches. I used my Score Pal to score each one in order to make it “pop” and have that 3-D effect that the original 3 metal stars had in the back of the truck. These will be put aside and mounted on wooden skewers later, using hot glue.

Next, using Stardream Metallic Mars, DCS Discount Cardstock Blast Off Blue, and Stardream Metallic Sparkly Bright White Pluto, I cut all the elements for the flag. Using wooden skewers, floral tape, and a few florals from my stash, I made several other DIY elements to load up into the truck. Alas, after putting all of the DIY elements beside one another, I felt like it needed more sparkle. Therefore, I tossed in a few more elements using red, white, and blue Glitter Cardstock.

The DCS Red Glitter Heavyweight Cardstock along with the Silk Glitter Regal Royal Blue Card stock 12×12 and Silk GLITTER Opulent Opal 12×12 Card Stock were exactly what this assortment of American Pride pieces needed!
For the next step, I cut a floral foam block apart in order to make it fit into the back of the truck. I hot glued the pieces to the base of the truck bed, making sure to fill as many of the gaps as possible. Hindsight, I would have tried keeping all the pieces larger and thicker. The thin pieces did not want to hold the skewers very well once I started adding them in. I did end up replacing a few pieces with larger ones, but overall it was perfect!

Assembly Time!

Finally, it was time to put it all together. I began inserting the DIY patriotic skewers one by one. Little by little, I saw the truck load of American Pride begin to take shape. Taller pieces in the back, shorter ones in the front, and stars scattered all around. It wasn’t long and there just wasn’t any more room for the skewers to go. When that happened, I stepped back from my creation and smiled. That mediocre dollar store truck with three puny stars had disappeared. No longer was this truck whispering God Bless America. Nooooo. It was now screaming it to rooftops…” GOD BLESS AMERICA and LET FREEDOM RING!”

I am super PROUD to be an American, and I am super proud of how this makeover turned out. Do you have anything sitting around your house that could use a makeover? Anything that just doesn’t make your heart smile anymore? Well, scoop it up and make a plan! It doesn’t have to be 4th of July, but IF IT IS what you decide to do, then you’re in luck! This month just happens to be the one where all the Red White and Blue Cardstock is ON SALE! Go to CutCardStock and grab your own truckload and make your makeover vision a reality!

Thank you all so much for stopping by today. Have a wonderful and crafty weekend!