Showcase a colourful take on tradition with Lucinda Ganderton’s patriotic stamp makes

What you need...

• Frame
  
• Chest of drawers, small
  
• Card: blank; thick
  
• Sanding block, fine
  
• Paint, Farrow and Ball: James White
  
• Primer
  
• Paintbrush, 1cm
  
• Stamps: red, blue
  
• Scissors, small
  
• Adhesives

instructions

1. Union Jack - 1 Remove the glass and backing from a frame, then sand the wood until smooth. Apply three or more coats of paint, starting with a primer. When the final coat is dry, distress by lightly sanding
   the corners and edges.
   
   2 Lightly draw an upright and a vertical cross onto pre-cut card. Order the stamps from light to dark, then lay them out on the card. Create the crosses using red shades, then fill in the background with blues and purples.
   
   3 Fix the stamps onto the card, overlapping the edges to fill the space. The more colours there are the more interesting the final picture will be, but remember to keep the outline as defined as possible. To finish, secure the finished flag in the frame without the glass.

2. Desk Tidy - 1 Coat the back of each stamp with a light coat of PVA that has been diluted 50-50 with water, then stick them down one at a time. Add another light coat of glue to the front of the stamp when it is in place to protect the surface when dry.
   
   2 Take out the drawers, then cover the sides, back and top of the chest. Start on one side, overlapping the stamps and trimming them to fit around the angled corners. Cover the drawer fronts in the
   same way, checking that all the plastic has been hidden completely.

3. Card - Stick stamps to a card front in a checkerboard pattern or in coloured stripes, starting at the top-left corner and lining them up against the top and left edges. Trim so there is no blank space left.