DIY Pride Crafts: Make Your Own Flags, Banners, and Accessories

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Let’s be real: corporate rainbow-washing is everywhere. Every June, big-box stores suddenly remember we exist and slap a rainbow on a mediocre t-shirt. But at Read with Pride, we’re all about authenticity. There is something profoundly queer about making your own gear. It’s about reclaiming our symbols, celebrating our specific identities, whether you’re looking for the classic six colors or a very specific niche like the Achillean or Neptunian flags, and doing it with a little bit of glitter and a lot of heart.

Whether you’re prepping for the 2026 Pride season or just want to spruce up your reading nook where you devour your favorite MM romance books, DIYing your pride accessories is the way to go. It’s cheaper, it’s more personal, and honestly, it’s a great way to decompress after finishing a particularly emotional gay love story.

In this guide, we’re diving into some fun, accessible DIY projects that range from "I have five minutes and a glue gun" to "I’m ready to become a textile artist." Let’s get crafty!

1. The "Quick & Dirty" Felt Pride Flag

If you’ve spent your budget on the latest 2026 gay books and don't want to spend $30 on a polyester flag, this one's for you. Felt is the MVP of queer crafting. It doesn’t fray, it’s cheap, and it comes in every color of the literal rainbow.

What you’ll need:

• Felt sheets in your pride colors.
• A larger piece of felt or canvas for the base.
• Hot glue gun (the queer crafter’s best friend).
• A wooden dowel.
• Scissors.

The Process:

1. Cut Your Strips: Measure your base fabric and cut strips of colored felt to fit. If you’re making a traditional rainbow flag, you’ll need red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. If you’re making a Progress Pride flag, don’t forget your white, pink, light blue, brown, and black chevrons!
2. Layout: Lay them out on your base fabric first. Do a dry run before you commit with the glue.
3. Glue Down: Apply a thin line of hot glue to the back of each strip and press it onto the base. Work quickly but carefully, hot glue is no joke!
4. The Dowel Sleeve: Leave about an inch of extra fabric on the left side (or the top if you’re making a vertical banner). Fold it over your wooden dowel and glue the edge down to create a sleeve.
5. Finish: Once it’s dry, you can add fringe, sequins, or even write your favorite quote from a queer fiction novel across the stripes.

2. Bookish Pride: DIY Book Sleeves and Tassels

Since you’re hanging out here at Readwithpride.com, we know you’ve got a massive TBR pile. Why not protect those precious M/M books with a custom pride book sleeve?

The DIY Book Sleeve (No-Sew Version):
You can use heavy-duty fabric glue or hem tape for this. Use a sturdy fabric like canvas or denim. Fold the fabric over your favorite gay novel to get the sizing right (leave about an inch of wiggle room on all sides). Glue the side seams, leave the top open, and decorate the front with iron-on pride patches or fabric markers.

The Pride Tassel Bookmark:
This is a great way to use up scrap yarn.

1. Wrap yarn (in your pride colors) around a piece of cardboard about 4 inches wide.
2. Tie a string tightly around the top of the loops.
3. Cut the bottom loops.
4. Tie another piece of yarn about an inch from the top to create the "head" of the tassel.
5. Attach it to a cardstock bookmark that features a quote from an enemies to lovers MM romance.

3. The Statement Protest Banner

Sometimes a small flag isn't enough. Sometimes you need to make a statement. Whether you’re heading to a march or just want a massive piece of art above your bookshelf filled with gay literature, a canvas banner is the way to go.

Pro-Tip: Use your banner to celebrate specific tropes! We’ve seen some hilarious banners like "I Love Forced Proximity (In Books, Not IRL)" or "Proud Reader of Steamy MM Romance."

How to make it:

1. The Base: Use a large piece of canvas or an old bedsheet.
2. The Text: Use stencils and acrylic paint or fabric markers. If you want a 3D effect, you can cut letters out of felt and glue them on.
3. The Hanging Mechanism: Glue or sew a channel at the top for a thick dowel or a sturdy branch for a more "cottagecore" queer vibe.
4. Embellishments: Add tassels, ribbons, or even small bells to the bottom edge.

4. Wearable Pride: DIY Patches and Pins

Want to turn every outfit into a pride outfit? Making your own patches and pins is a game-changer. This is where you can get really specific. Maybe you want a patch that specifically references a gay historical romance you just finished, or a pin that says "Ask me about my MM fiction obsession."

DIY Fabric Patches:

1. Take a scrap of white canvas.
2. Draw your design with permanent markers or fabric paint.
3. Turn the edges under and glue them to a piece of felt to give it structure.
4. Safety pin it to your denim jacket or backpack.

Bottle Cap Pins:

1. Save your bottle caps!
2. Paint the inside with your pride colors.
3. Once dry, use a strong adhesive (like E6000) to attach a safety pin to the back.
4. Seal the painted side with a bit of clear nail polish or resin for a shiny finish.

5. Level Up: Crochet and Embroidery

For those of you who find crafting as therapeutic as a slow burn MM romance, it’s time to break out the needles.

Embroidery:
Grab a 4-inch embroidery hoop, some cotton fabric, and embroidery floss. You can find simple patterns online for pride flags, or you can freehand a small rainbow heart. It’s the perfect portable craft to do while you’re listening to an audiobook of a gay thriller.

Crochet:
If you’re a hooker (the yarn kind!), you can whip up a "Pride Granny Square." These can be joined together to make a blanket, or used individually as coasters for your coffee while you read popular gay books.

Why DIY Matters in 2026

In an era where everything is mass-produced, taking the time to make something with your own hands is a radical act of self-love. It connects us to the history of the LGBTQ+ community, a community that has always had to build its own spaces, write its own stories, and craft its own joy.

When you make a banner or a flag, you aren’t just making a decoration. You’re signaling to the world, and to other queer folks, that you are here, you are creative, and you are proud. And hey, if your DIY project turns out a little "wonky," that’s just character! Just like the best heartfelt gay fiction, it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

Share Your Creations!

We want to see what you’re making! Did you make a flag inspired by your favorite MM historical romance? A banner for your local gay book club?

Tag us on social media so we can celebrate your creativity:

• Instagram: read.withpride
• X (Twitter): Read_With_Pride
• Facebook: Read With Pride

Don’t forget to check out our latest new gay releases for more inspiration. Whether you’re into gay fantasy romance, gay spy romance, or a gay psychological thriller, there’s a story waiting to spark your next craft project.

Happy crafting, and as always, read with pride!

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Looking for your next great read? Visit readwithpride.com to discover the best in LGBTQ+ publishing, from steamy MM romance to award-winning gay fiction.