Union Jack Flag Curtains

In the midst of wanting to redecorate everything, we have decided to turn one of our bedrooms into a mini studio that Z, my husband, can work from home in from time to time. I really wanted to create an atmosphere that was cozy but something that would fit him... And then it hit me! He LOVES all things British so why not incorporate that into it. Easy peasy right!?  WRONG! I looked all over the internet for Union Jack Curtains or even Union Jack Decor that didn't belong in a children's room and had very little luck. 

Thats when I decided that I could make some! I started with a very large flag that I found on eBay at a great price - it was 5' x 8' and from the 1970's but came with its original box and was in great condition:

I decided that the white was a little too bright and wanted to give it a true vintage feel, so I stained it in our kitchen sink. Even though nylon is near impossible to stain I read that if you used really hot water it would help to open the fibers and let the stain sink in. The first round of tea had very little impact, the second round included: tea, coffee, coca-cola, red wine, and whiskey! The concoction did the trick even though it smelt terrible.

Then I hung it over our fence to dry in the sun and rubbed a bit of mud and sprayed coffee to help darken it:

Then ran it through the machine sans detergent and dried it on low. 

The next part was very easy: I simply cut the flag up the middle and finished the raw edged using a simple hem and used curtain clips and voila:

Z is VERY happy with the turn out - they give the room a unique vibe and suit him well :)