# Need Help With Folding Canadian Flag into Triangle for Shadow Box



## misratah500 (24 Feb 2016)

My buddies retirement is in a few days and I'm doing his shadow box on leave. Last step is getting the flag folded into the triangle for the top of the box. Do you guys know the procedure?


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## Oldgateboatdriver (25 Feb 2016)

Why? Are you planning on treating his retirement like a funeral .... "A Grateful Nation blah, blah, blah ..."   [lol:

Look: I think we use the same procedure as the US military.

Here's the site I always referred to: http://www.legion.org/flag/folding


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## ModlrMike (25 Feb 2016)

The Manual of Drill and Ceremonial also covers this process.


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## Haggis (25 Feb 2016)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> The Manual of Drill and Ceremonial also covers this process.



Canadian practise is to do a square fold.  The triangle fold is American.  And the American method will not give you the Flag pattern you need to look good in a shadow box.


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## rmc_wannabe (25 Feb 2016)

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/pub/oth-aut/pcf-cpd/index-eng.asp

As per CFP 200 : Square Fold.

Our Flag doesn't fold nicely into a triangle.


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## Blackadder1916 (25 Feb 2016)

rmc_wannabe said:
			
		

> http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/pub/oth-aut/pcf-cpd/index-eng.asp
> 
> As per CFP 200 : Square Fold.
> 
> Our Flag doesn't fold nicely into a triangle.



And the process in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzTnGyhCP1g

. . . doesn't fold nicely . . .   It's a piece of cloth; it can be easily folded in any of numerous shapes.  Of course, I'm aware that you mean when the flag is folded as per protocol (or in the same manner as the US flag), it does not present the readily identified symbol of our flag i.e., the maple leaf.




			
				misratah500 said:
			
		

> My buddies retirement is in a few days and I'm doing his shadow box on leave. Last step is getting the flag folded into the triangle for the top of the box. Do you guys know the procedure?



As already posted the "official" method of folding the Canadian flag does not produce a triangle nor does it present the maple leaf if the "official" American method of folding their flag is used.  I assume that you want to provide a flag display similar to this:







If so, do you already have the triangular frame built?  Do you already have the flag?  If the answer is yes, then all you have to do is determine what portion of the flag you want to display.  Cut out a template (cardboard, paper, whatever) to the size of the frame.  Start folding.  Stop folding when the flag is the same size as the template.


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## rmc_wannabe (25 Feb 2016)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> . . . doesn't fold nicely . . .   It's a piece of cloth; it can be easily folded in any of numerous shapes.  Of course, I'm aware that you mean when the flag is folded as per protocol (or in the same manner as the US flag), it does not present the readily identified symbol of our flag i.e., the maple leaf.



It can also be folded into an origami swan, but the SSM gave me extras for that ;D


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## TwoTonShackle (25 Feb 2016)

Blackadder nailed it, use a template.  Display whatever part of the flag best fits the shadow box and fold the rest of it as best as possible in accordance with the template.  Also, iron the flag.  Once you get it in the shadow box last thing you want to see is creases.


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## ModlrMike (25 Feb 2016)

One of the better backing materials is foam core. You can make your template and then pin or otherwise affix the flag from the back reducing the chance of wrinkles. Put the flag into the frame and then drape the rest to fit. Seal it up and away you go. I did this with an oversized rectangular frame and it worked like a charm.


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## Journeyman (25 Feb 2016)

Either way (and I feel this is common sense), ensure your backing (foam core, Bristol board, plywood) is a neutral white, whether through paint or naturally.  Wood backing knots, for example, can bleed through in time.


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## Pusser (1 Mar 2016)

There is actually no "official" way to fold a Canadian flag.  The website quoted describes more of a drill movement to fold the flag from a coffin at a funeral.  I've done shaodow boxes in the past and I've always folded the flag to highlight whatever part of the flag I wanted to show.


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## misratah500 (4 Mar 2016)

I just used a triangle template from teh backing of the box to fold the flag around and after 3 tries managed to finangle something into it and lit looks good.


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