CL teen creates, donates custom wood flags

BY Ariana Shah

Canyon Lake teenager Ellary Fraley has spent the month of January gifting custom-made American flags to local businesses. With the help of her father, Ellary transforms strips of plywood into a symbol of hope.

“The process of creating the flags isn’t too difficult,” Ellary said. “But the meaning is much more. My father had a UFC gym, but due to COVID-19, it has been shut down permanently. I chose to create and donate these flags to small businesses because they are going through a lot right now. I want to give them a symbol of hope and to remind them to hold on a little longer.”

Ellary, 15, is homeschooled and dances at JDI Dance Studio in Canyon Lake.

“I would really like to become an actress in the near future,” she said. “But in the meantime, I want to inspire local businesses. We live in the best country in the world.”

Ellary and Jeremy Fraley hold up a completed wood flag they created from strips of plywood. Ellary, 15, has completed a few of the flags and has donated them to area businesses impacted by the pandemic.

She has currently donated flags to Hell’s Kitchen Motorsports Bar & Grill, Pure Pilates, Fight Syndicate, The Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce and plans to donate to one more business.

“She is incredibly awesome, and she has a true entrepreneurial spirit,” her father Jeremy Fraley said. “Everything she creates is to benefit everyone else. It has been a great way to help the community out.”

The process of creating these flags requires skill and a lot of hard work.

“Originally, one of my friends had made an American flag design like this, and I felt inspired to recreate it and add my own special twist,” Ellary said. “My father and I buy the plywood, and then we stain the strips red, white and blue. I then carve the stars out by hand. For the finishing touch, I use a fire torch to give it a rustic aesthetic.”

These flags are also available for purchase. The cost for the 36-inch flag is $400.

“We hope these businesses and our customers will love the flags and purchase more,” Ellary said. “$100 of the proceeds will be donated to my favorite charities that support pro-life foundations. The extra that I make will go towards materials for the next flag.”

Those interested in buying a custom-made flag may contact Ellary at (987) 498-5215.