Choose the fabric you'll use for the flag and determine how much you will need. Pick a lightweight fabric such as crystal organza, silk or polyester. Be creative with your fabric choices. A preprinted design or picture on a fabric makes a beautiful flag if you are willing to pay for the artist's talent. Wave the material in the air before purchasing to determine how the material will flow. Remember that material can also be dyed, if you like the texture but not the color.
Decide what shape the flag will be: a rectangle, a circle, a half circle or in a symbolic shape signifying flames. Establish if you are making one flag, a pair of flags or a banner to be waved between two people. Research online for design ideas. A rectangular flag is the easiest to make.
Purchase dowel rods at a hardware store, calculating the width you will need based on the weight and length of the flag material; the dowel must be strong enough to support the flag as you wave it. Normally, a half-inch dowel will support a flag 36 inches long by 45 inches wide. Paint the dowel to match the color of the fabric.
Pin a hem around three sides of the material (the two longest ends and one of the shortest ends). Iron and sew the hem together using a sewing machine. Fold the material over the side that has not been hemmed, allowing enough room to insert the dowel through the fabric pocket. Pin the material and sew the hem on this side, verifying that the dowel will slide into the fabric. Iron on a small piece of interfacing near the top of this side to protect the fabric from being worn by the dowel. Machine stitch across this top piece to hold the flag in place on the pole. Insert the pole into the fabric and wave the flag by holding the bottom edge of the flag on the pole.