Let's Party: DIY Flag Bunting (and a Giveaway!)

Ok, I was going to include this in the earlier "details" post, but it got so lengthy, I decided it was easier to just give it it's own space.

I planned on making this bunting months ago - probably the minute after Betsy told me she was pregnant. I had seen the whimsical detail popping up everywhere; online, at weddings, and on Sarah 101. :) I found several tutorials on how to make it - all seemed easy enough - but you know me, easy isn't how I operate - so I decided to just make up my own method and see how it worked out.

Many of the tutorials were more geared toward quick & easy because the bunting was being used for just one event and didn't need to hold up more than a few hours. But I had planned that this bunting would be just perfect to hang over Ryan's crib, so I wanted it to be substantial enough to last for a couple years. Once my cousin and her husband finally decided on a name, I gave myself the green light to go ahead with the project.

Here's what you'll need:
- Various printed fabrics, see my list below
- 1-3 Sheets of craft felt (if you want to add a name)
- Pinking shears
- A triangle template (Look, I made one for you!)
- A spool of ribbon
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Pins

Step 1: Fabrics

All of the fabrics I used are by Premier Prints, and I purchased all of them online at Fabric.com. Now, you don't need a lot of fabric for this, I probably only used about a quarter yard of each, but I'm really picky, and wanted specific fabrics I couldn't find at Joann's, so I bought the 1/2 yard minimum at Fabric.com. I figure I'll make little Ryan a play quilt with the leftovers eventually. Here is a list of all the fabrics I purchased, if you're interested:

Fabrics
- Elephant Village, in Brown
- Topeka Solid, in Mist
- Gisella, in Mist/Putty
- Unprinted Cotton, in Natural
- Topeka Solid, in Chocolate
- Dottie, in Chocolate
- Zig Zag, in Brown/Natural
- Morgan Stripe, in Mist/Putty
- Fancy Dot, in Mist/Putty

Felt
- Rainbow Classic Felt, in Cocoa Brown
- Rainbow Classic Felt, in Cashmere
- Rainbow Classic Felt, in Baby Blue

Ribbon
- 5/8 Grosgrain ribbon in beige from Joann's

Step 2: Cut out your triangles

Cut out your triangle template. Then fold a section of fabric, the height of your triangle, over on itself and iron. Put the top of the triangle at the ironed seam and pin in place.

Take your pinking shears, and cut along the long edges of the triangle. You can also use a rotary cutter for this, which is helpful if you are doing a long length of bunting.

Unpin the template, and you will have a double-sided triangle (more like a diamond when laid flat), like below:

Repeat pinning and cutting until you have the desired amount of flags cut from each fabric pattern.

Step 3: Arrange your bunting

I cut out 3 flags from each piece of fabric, even though I needed less, so that I could play around with the arrangement and add or subtract flags as necessary:

Once I was happy with the order, I secured each flag to the ribbon by lining up the ribbon in the folded crease at the top of each flag, then I pinned the sides so the flags wouldn't fall off or shift while I sewed. I kept the flags around an inch apart, and I started around 12 inches in from the beginning of the ribbon so I would have plenty of extra to tie the bunting around hooks at each end.

Step 4: Sew the flags

I selected a chocolate brown thread, and used it to stitch all of the flags together. I liked the contrast it created on some of the lighter flags, and I was just too darn lazy to keep switching my machine over to a different thread (boy do I miss having a second machine set up for these kinds of things - but my other sewing machine is missing a treadle). I stitched about 1/4 inch in from the pinked edge:

Trim up your loose threads, make sure the end ribbons are even. If you aren't personalizing the banner, you can stop here - but if you want to add a custom touch, read on!

Step 5: Cut out the letters

I opened up an empty word document, and simply typed R Y A N J A M E S and a star shape. Since the baby's name has an uneven amount of letters, I threw in the star so that the bunting can be hung in the middle and not break up the name.

Then I cut each letter out so it was in it's own square. I divided up the letters between the 3 colors of craft felt I had, and pinned the letter to the felt.

With a pair of small, sharp scissors, I cut out every letter. It was tedious, but not difficult - I sat on the couch and watched HGTV while I did it so it was bearable.

Step 6: Glue the letters down

Once I had all the letters cut out, I used a glue gun to stick them to each flag. You can also use some fabric or Sobo glue for this step too, which might be smarter (although you have to be patient while the glue dries) - because I burnt the crap out of my hand with the hot glue trying to position these tiny little letters.

Step 7: Hang it up!

To hang the bunting on the wall, I used 3 tiny, clear removable hangers from 3M. I think they are for key chains or something - I got the smallest ones I could find at Target. Place them on the wall in even intervals, then tie the longer ends to each hook with a simple knot. Viola! Cute baby decor!

But wait, didn't I say something about a giveaway....?

GIVEAWAY

That's right! My first ever giveaway! You see I made so many flags for Ryan's bunting, I didn't want to toss out all the extras. Instead, I made another little bunting and thought I would give it away to a lucky reader who wanted it!

To Win: Comment on this post - you can say anything, I don't care! Well, try to keep it pleasant, deal?

Odds of Winning: Depend on how many people comment on this post! Which, if you're a regular reader, you know your odds are pretty good because no one ever comments ;)

Who Can't Win: Family. Sorry! I know my family are big readers of this blog (and usually the only people who comment), but let's let someone else have a chance, ok?

The Drawing: The winner will be selected at random (I'm putting your name in a hat and making Mike pick it out) on Friday, November 11th and announced on this blog - so check back next week to see if you've won!

What You'll Win: A mini flag bunting with 8 flags and 3 pieces of colored craft felt in case you want to personalize it with a name!

Here's a pic of the bunting you'll win:

Good luck!