Do you like a good old fashioned DIY that is not only practical but cost effective too? Has 2020 left you yearning for Christmases past when decorations were handmade? Then you will love today’s post! For years now, I’ve been seeing banners used for all manner of occasion. I find them festive, cute and a great way to spell out an appropriate message. Some of the ready-made banners can cost a pretty penny, so I decided to go all crafty and “get the look for less.”

First, I purchased 10 pieces of heavy duty scrap book paper at .89 each at the craft store. Because I wanted this banner to hang on our dining room mirror, I went with two shades of green paper to match the green scheme in that room.

The next step was to apply the gold decals to each triangle. Since I was using this banner for the upcoming Christmas holidays, I opted to use my blog tagline and spelled out Good Tidings, alternating the triangles between the light and darker green.

Next I found some cursive stick on letters that were the right size, in a pretty gold that picked up on the brass accents in the room. One of the nice discoveries I made was that when I pressed the gold lettering down, the texture of the paper came through, almost giving it a hammered look. It is a subtle effect, but actually makes the letters less like decals.

I cut out the triangles in a size that would be substantial enough to hold the mirror; in this case 6″ wide by 7″ long. The beauty of making your own banner is that you can customize the size of the triangles to fit your space and occasion. The size of triangles I used allowed for three per piece of 12×12″ scrapbook paper, which meant I used almost four pieces of paper for my message.

The eleven banner flags were then laid out to create proper spacing, and they were ready to be connected. I know the question you are asking yourself right now is “why do you use your cooktop for craft projects?” That is a good question! It is a flat surface on the island, and I use it for all manner of tasks besides cooking, like wrapping presents and now, making banners. Luckily, it has a control lock function, so I’ve never caught anything on fire!

For the connecting material, I chose a simple jute twine. Leaving about an 8″ tail at the end, the twine was run through the holes, in an over/under pattern. I decided to have the jute behind the triangle rather than having it lay across the top, but this is a personal preference and it can easily be done the opposite way. Once they were all connected, another 8″ tail and a knot was left at the other end. I followed the same steps for the second banner.

When both banners were finished, all that was left to do was hang them across the mirror. This is best done with the help of another person to keep everything properly spaced and level. Once hung, I stood back to admire my handiwork. Whenever I tackle a DIY project for the first time, I always wonder if the vision I had in my head will come to fruition. This finished banner truly exceeded my expectations (which may have been a little low) and has given me the confidence to make banners again and again! Just an aside…do you know how hard it is to photograph something in a mirror without ending up in the picture? Hence all of the angled shots:)

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to personalize your next special occasion, you may need look no further than the homemade banner. One of the great things about making your own banner is that you can choose the color, the size, and the sentiment to fit your personal needs. The choices for connecting materials are also limitless from fancy organza ribbon to humble jute twine, in any color of the rainbow. The total cost for this banner was between $5 and $6, and it took less than an hour. Stay tuned for my next post to see what I did with all of the leftover pieces of scrapbook paper!

Good tidings,

Diane