Crafting with the US Flag: What You Need to Know

The Flag Code

All rules and regulations having to do with the United States flag are handled through the Flag Code which was adopted on June 14, 1923. The Flag Code lays out how to fly a flag, the design of the US flag, how to dispose of a worn out US flag, and much more. However, the Flag Code does not impose penalties for misuse of the flag. This is handled on a state to state basis.

Read the Flag Code.

Crafting with the US Flag: Design Specifics

• The US flag has 13 equal sized stripes. The top stripe should be red and alternate red and white.
• The United States flag has 50, five point stars that should be arranged in 9 rows staggered horizontally and 11 rows staggered vertically.
• The blue part of the flag is called the union. Whether you create your flag design vertically or horizontally, the union should always be in the top left corner. (The exception to this is when the flag is on the right side of a vehicle or a service person’s uniform. In these cases, the union appears on the right side.)
• The bottom of the union should line up with the bottom of a red stripe.
• The official hexadecimal colors for the US flag are: white: #FFFFFF, Old Glory Red: #B22234, and Old Glory Blue: #3C3B6E.
• It’s acceptable to craft with previous versions of the US flag.
• According to the Flag Code, the US flag should not be used on clothing, drapes, bedding, costumes, uniforms, and more. However, it’s become more popular in modern times to do this. Here’s a great discussion of flags on clothing.
• Government works (such as the US flag design) are public domain.
• It’s acceptable to make artistic renderings of the US flag.

US Flag Design Diagram

I found this great diagram of the exact dimensions of the flag. While these specifications are only for official governmental use flags, I thought it was fun to share.