American Flag

When Melanie Bleck decided to enter the Americana 2025 Contest, she knew she wanted to create something bold, patriotic, and unforgettable. But what she didn’t anticipate was that her American flag project would take her on an adventure filled with wood stain disasters, a near-sanding catastrophe, and one very opinionated cat.

It all started when Melanie proudly held up her freshly painted flag—only to realize she had accidentally switched the red and white stripes halfway through. After some creative problem-solving (and a quick history lesson to reassure herself that no, she hadn’t created a new country’s flag), she got back on track. Then, while applying a perfect rustic burn effect, her power sander decided to go rogue, nearly launching the flag into her neighbor’s yard. Thankfully, a heroic dive saved the day—and the project.

Despite all the unexpected twists, Melanie nailed it (literally and figuratively). Her stunningly handcrafted flag became a true testament to perseverance, patriotism, and just a little bit of chaos. By the time she submitted it to the contest, she knew one thing for sure—this was one flag with a battle story of its own! 🇺🇸😂