I have been seeing more bunting around, lately, than ever before.  I find it so very festive. I am into festive, especially if I can make it myself.  Looking into bunting, I have discovered that I taught my Brownie Girl Scouts how to make bunting back in the 1980’s. I did not know it was called bunting.  I think bunting is more a British decoration, and folks in the U.S. just call them garlands or decorations.

I found out that bunting is a lightweight cloth used for flags and festive decorations. It usually has a shiny surface, which of course will catch the sun, as they were typically outdoor decorations.  The light weight makes them move in the wind better.

Today, "bunting" is a term for any festive decorations made of fabric, or of plastic, paper, or even cardboard as in imitation of fabric.  To see a couple more photos and more information on bunting, check out Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunting

Following are three easy ways to make your own bunting:

Easy:

I found this sweet fabric bunting in a book, Sew Charming, by Cath Derksema and Kirsten Junor.  I bought some fab summer fabrics and discovered I could get three flags out of a fat quarter. Then there is a little strip of fabric left, that can be used in the binding strip that holds them all together.  You connect all the strips, just like you would to make binding for a quilt.  So, my bunting has a colorful strip holding all the flag parts.   I made my own pattern using a scrap of peltex, but card stock, or cardboard will work fine. I just traced it onto the fabric with a sharpie marker. Once you cut out the shapes and sew them right sides together, you don’t see the sharpie marker.  Then you turn them right side out and press them.  The raw (open) edge just gets tucked into your binding strip, pin it in place, then sew along the binding strip until you have them all on there.  After I sewed mine up, I added a button and two button holes on each end, of the binding strip, so I have an adjustable way of fastening it to whatever hook or nail I decide to.

I hang mine on my patio, but Cath and Kirsten of Sew Charming, made theirs for a big beach umbrella, which looks so totally festive and breezy you want to make one!

Easier:

Follow the link, below,to a swell tutorial on how to make a holiday bunting.  The only sewing involved is when you attach the individual flags to the binding strip, which in this case is pre-made binding that you purchase at a fabric shop.  Thank you, Missouri Star Quilt Company, for having this wonderful tutorial!

1)      You use a charm pack, so there is hardly any cutting

2)      You learn about a new amazing product that you just press your fabric to, and it sticks!

3)      It does not have to be a Christmas charm pack, but any old one that suites your fancy

4)      Before you know it, you have it all done!  Done ……nice.

Missouri Star Tutorial

Easiest:

Quilters will probably like the easy and easier methods better, because they have an image they have to live up to.  However, everybody else and/or people helping/teaching children how to make awesome bunting for their special celebrations (such as Juliette Gordon Lowe’s birthday), will like this type of bunting.

Supply List:  poster board, scissors, curly ribbon, glue, hole-punch and markers, acrylic paint, rubber stamps, glitter (whatever the kids wish to decorate/color the poster board with)

1)      Obtain a piece of poster board and let the kids color it in whatever fashion is okay for you. Spray paint, permanent marker, acrylic paint; depending on the kind of mess you want to handle. OR get some colorful card stock (more pricey than poster board, but already colored to your taste).

2)      Make sure the poster board is thoroughly colored all over

3)      Cut the poster board into equal sized rectangles (or triangles if you must; rectangles are easier)

4)      Kids cut out letters to spell out whatever the happy celebration is about, that will fit on the rectangles.

5)      Paste onto rectangles

6)      Use a hole-punch to put a hole in the top two corners of the rectangles. 

7)      Use curly ribbon to attach each rectangle to the next (in the correct order so the words make sense)

8)      Have them curl the excess ribbon hanging down

9)      Make the end pieces of curly ribbon longer so it will reach the anchor points you have in mind for  hanging this beauty. 

10)   You can use this same bunting every year and remember the fun it was to make with the kids.

Warning: do not eat the glue, as there may be gluten in it, then there goes all the fun right down the toilet!

I looked and looked for a photo of the fine bunting my Brownies made, but, alas, it is not in the scrapbook! What is up with that?  I know I still posses this bunting, which is in a Rubbermaid container up on the shelf in my garage.  Today is not the day for climbing ladders in the garage.  When I locate it, I will photograph it and add it to this dear page, which is dedicated to the festiveness of bunting.