Stars and Stripes and A Make-Do Chair

Betsy Ross might have been shocked that her flag has been reinterpreted in wood or that it has taken such a huge place in the folk art culture. I found this one at the St. Mary's Antique Mall, just eight miles from Ste. Genevieve. Yes, I counted the stars! There are thirteen of them! Eventually, with a support base, it will become a screen to hide our small TV in the living room, easily set aside when the TV is in use.

But for now, I'll enjoy  hanging it for us to see. It fits so well with this make-do chair I bought from White House Creations in Bernie, Mo. I was fairly new to make-do chairs like this a few years ago when we went to the Country Living Fair in Ohio. I was fascinated, since I hate to throw anything away. If you'll notice, the bottom of an old ladder back chair is the base. Then Dottie built a seat, back and arms from old wooden planks and attached it. She went one step further and painted the back with a primitive Americana scene. These make-do chairs are very much considered folk art.

As an added note, the nail keg with the top came from our Delta farm home in Arkansas, dating back to the 1940s. I have moved it with me all over the country ever since 1972, a part of the decor in every house that I rented or owned. It was only right that I bring it to our little 19th century home in Ste. Gen.

I couldn't decide if I should bring Americana into a Colonial French setting but then there were Americans who did come and settle here and probably mixed the items they brought with that of whatever was available, whether Colonial French or Spanish or make-your-own. Not unlike the chair, it was a era of "make-do," a tradition I seem to have inherited.