How To Make a Bunting Flag

My bunting flags were made out of burlap, cotton, and paint. They can be made out of anything. Get creative with your own!

Step 1: Decide what fabric (or paper) you want to make them out of. I made mine out of burlap. I already have a lot of burlap fabric, so this part didn't cost me anything. I had planned to draw my letters and numbers on the burlap with a sharpie, but since I was using these for pictures, I decided it would show up better if I did it on white fabric. I ran to the local fabric store and found some very simple white cotton fabric on clearance. One yard is more than enough for a pretty large sign. The white fabric cost a whole $2.99.

Step 2: Get a triangle pattern. I printed one of the internet to use for my burlap triangles. Then, I printed the same pattern, but reduced the print size on the print screen to use for my cotton triangles. Cut the pattern out, or you can just make your own pattern directly onto the fabric.

Step 3: Trace the triangle pattern onto your fabric. Be sure to trace them with a pencil, so the lines do not show. (You can also cut on the inside of your lines). The trick with burlap is that pencil does not show up on it. After my patience ran out, I used a sharpie. I would not recommend this. You want to leave an extra inch (at least) of fabric above the top of your triangle. You will need this extra fabric to attach your flags to your rope or ribbon.

 

 

When determining the number of flags you want, keep in mind you may need "spacers." For example, mine said our wedding date on it, so I wanted to put hearts in between the parts of the dates, instead of dashes. You can also do blank flags or a fun pattern. Also, if you are doing a name or something very short, it looks cute to put a couple of extras on the end. Here are some examples of flags with spacers:

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Step 4: Cut out each flag, leaving extra fabric at the top to fold over your rope or ribbon (unless you are going to get creative or use clothespins).

Step 5: Sew or glue on the top layer of fabric. In my case, I sewed the white fabric onto the burlap. I chose grey thread so it would show up on the fabric, giving it a homemade look. I hand sewed each flag and made each stitch slightly off, instead of in a straight line, to make it look even more homemade.

Step 6: Paint or draw on your letters or numbers. I painted mine in a dark grey paint from Restoration Hardware, since I already had that paint. It's really a wall paint, but it worked just as well. Since I am not a big fan of pink, I had to go the Michael's to get some pink fabric paint for the hearts. If you download the Micheal's app, there is at least one coupon on there every day. It usually has a 40% or 50% off one item coupon. I got the paint for half off, so I think it ended up being under $2. If you are painting or tracing on your letters or numbers (for those of us who are challenged in the cute handwriting department), I recommend finding the font you like on a computer program, or google images, and printing those out. If you are tracing them, cut on the outside of each one. If you are painting them, cut out the inside, making a stencil. (Hint: it helps to use small scissors.)

Step 6: Pick out what you want to hang them on. I used rope because I wanted mine to have a subtle nautical look (and Dan wanted them to look a little more masculine). You can use ribbon, rope, string, or even sew on fabric. Here's another chance to get creative!

Step 7: Attach your flags! Make sure they have had plenty of time to dry. You can sew, pin, or glue on your flags. I used safety pins to attach mine since I wanted to be able to unattach them later and use them for another project.

And your done! It's a very easy project that can be really cute in pictures and at baby showers, weddings, parties, or anywhere! This whole project cost me about $7. For the really non-crafty people, you can also buy these on etsy. :)