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Ah, Christmas. One of the most joyous times of the year, if only because of the implied vacation time and understanding that little actual work will be accomplished following Thanksgiving. Something I particularly enjoy is decorating my home to reflect the seasons - Christmas is an opportunity to do that over-the-top holiday effect free of judgement.
In this post, another long one because I don't know why I keep doing this to myself, we'll go through not one, not two, but FOUR Tutorials for the season!
Important Note: This post was originally very long and came in the 4 parts described above. This makes it difficult to navigate, especially if you're looking for the project all the way at the bottom and extra especially if you're on a phone. Use the buttons below to go to the 4 posts, now separated for ease of reading.
Festive Holiday Bunting
Festive Holiday Bunting
Bunting isn't something we see a lot today, but it's been showing up more frequently. Personally, I like it because it's reusable year to year so I only have to put in the effort once. It can also be super customized, making it appropriate for any occasion. The one shown here is, of course, themed for Christmas, but I've also made bunting for Halloween and Thanksgiving/Autumn and will probably make a new one for Easter this Spring.
Materials
Materials
Ribbon or fabric tape (could be bias tape or a long strip of fabric)
How much? That's part of step 1. *Remember to buy a little extra so you have space to hang the bunting on either end.*
Triangle template (or shape of your choice - see step 2)
Fabric of choice
How much depends on how long your bunting will be - I've found that 1/2 yd in 3 cotton quilting fabrics is plenty for around 8 feet of bunting. Remember that you'll need TWO triangle pieces for each flag unless you're using a double-sided/solid fabric that will not fray
Sewing machine
Thread
Fabric scissors
Cutting mat & rotary cutter (if you have them)
Chalk or pencil or fabric pen (something to mark with)
Follow the steps below to make your own customized bunting!
Step 1 - Determine the Length of Your Bunting
Step 1 - Determine the Length of Your Bunting
The easiest way to do this is start with a long spool of ribbon or fabric or yarn that you already have. You could also tape together those flexible measuring tapes that you somehow have so many of.
Grab a friend or family member (household only during COVID please!) if you will hang the bunting somewhere high up.
Drape the fabric strip / ribbon / whatever so that it hangs with the right amount of swag you want to include in your final bunting and mark the length. Then, use a regular measuring tape to see how long it is. Now *add some length to that number* so you can actually hang the bunting up when it's finished. Now - *write it down.* Really, write it down. Somewhere where you'll be able to find it later when you decide to make more bunting for another holiday / birthday / festival.
Step 2 - Make Your Flag Template
Step 2 - Make Your Flag Template
I'm partial to triangles myself - they're a classic bunting shape. Of course, you can use any shape you want, it could even be 3D if you're feeling ambitious (and have somewhere to store it in the off season). If you're going off-book here, be sure that your shape will be easy to attach to the ribbon and will still look good if it rotates. If you choose a shape that will attach to the ribbon at a narrow point, remember to use a stiffener between your layers of fabric to prevent it from folding in on itself.
I strongly recommend using paperboard, cardboard, or something sturdy to make your template because you'll be tracing around it quite a lot.
To make the triangular flags shown in all of my photos:
Figure out how wide you want the flag to be. I went with a nice even 6 inches across the top. Draw a horizontal line of this length. Make sure you have some space around the sides so you can add seam allowance later!
Figure out how long you want the flag to be. I went with 8 inches.
Make a mark halfway across your horizontal line (3 inches if you're using my measurements) and draw a vertical line down, marking the length of the flag. Make sure you have a nice 90 degree angle here. If you don't have a quilters rule to help you, use a book cover or pull a box out of your recycling bin to get that nice crisp angle.
From each side of your horizontal line, draw a diagonal line connecting the end of your horizontal line to the mark on your vertical line. Repeat on the other side. This should give you a nice isosceles triangle.
Add seam allowance around the outside. I use 1/2 inch, but you can use 1/4 inch if you're a very precise sewer (I am not).
Step 3 - Calculate How Many Flags/Pieces You Need
Step 3 - Calculate How Many Flags/Pieces You Need
Here, we do a bit of math. First, let's define some variables:
Let L = the length of your desired swag (my measurement is 7 1/2 feet)
Let w = the width of your flag (if you're following my template, this is 6 inches)
Let x = the number of flags
We know L and w from measuring, but we need to find x. To do this:
x*w = L
then x = L / w
For my measurements, that would be 7.5 feet / 6 inches ➡ 90 inches / 6 inches = 15 flags (this is x).
That means I will need 15 flags total. *Double this number* to get the number of pieces you will need to cut out (remember that each flag takes 2!). For me, that means I need to cut a total of 30 triangles.
If you didn't get a whole number, round down and record the remainder. You'll need it later!
At this point, it's time to have some fun with colors and patterns - decide in what order you want your flags to be. If you're familiar with Google Drawings, you can take photos of your fabric, then crop the photos to be in the right shape and make copies to play with the order and decide what look you like best. For my Christmas bunting, I'm using 3 different pattern fabrics: red with bells, green plaid, and a red plaid. I decided to use the following order:
[Red with bells, green plaid, red with bells, red plaid] repeat to end, ending with a red with bells. This is honestly a lot easier to count if you just draw it out on paper. This gives me a total of 15 flags, where 8 are red with bells, 4 are green plaid, and 3 are the red plaid.
*Double those numbers* to figure out how many pieces to cut out of each fabric. For me, it's 16 red with bells, 8 green plaid, and 6 red plaid.
Step 4 - Cut Out Pieces & Pin Shapes Together
Step 4 - Cut Out Pieces & Pin Shapes Together
The best way to do this is to lay out your template and trace across a row, then fold the fabric right-sides-facing and pin in place so you're cutting out two rows-worth at once.
For triangles, I recommend using the cutting layout shown in the image to the left, where your triangles alternate right-side-up and upside-down to minimize the amount of scrap fabric. Of course, *this will not work with a one-directional pattern.* For example, if you're cutting out Frozen fabric for a child's party, you probably don't want an upside down Elsa.
As you cut your pieces, be sure to pin the shapes together, right sides facing, so the transition to the sewing machine will be quick.
*Remember to leave one side open so you can turn right sides out after sewing.*
Generally, that means NOT sewing the side that will sit inside the ribbons (because we'll secure that end when we sew on the ribbon).
Step 5 - Sew, Trim, Turn, Press
Step 5 - Sew, Trim, Turn, Press
Head over to your sewing machine and stitch around the edges of your flags, removing the pins as you go.
Again, *remember to leave the top of the flags open* - this is necessary to turn them right side out.
Also remember to follow the seam allowance you set when making your template. I used 1/2 inch.
Once all the flags have been stitched, go ahead and trim the seams down to 1/4 inch (unless you used 1/4 inch seam allowance, in which case leave it be).
I've used pinking shears to trim my seams to help with the fraying issue. Don't worry if you don't have pinking shears, regular scissors will do just fine.
Do remember to snip the tip of the flag as well so you get a decent turn.
Head over to the ironing board and start heating up your iron to the warmest temperature appropriate for your fabric. I used cotton, so the iron was set pretty high with medium steam.
Turn your flags right side out and press. You can use a turning tool or pencil to help get the points nice and clean when turning.
Step 6 - Pin Flags in Place & Stitch
Step 6 - Pin Flags in Place & Stitch
Remember that math we did at the beginning? If you got a whole number of flags, then your flags will butt up against one another. If you didn't get a whole number, you need to do a little bit more math to figure out the spacing.
Let w = width of one flag
Let R = remainder from the earlier math
Let x = number of flags
Let s = amount of space between flags
To solve for s: (R * w) / (x - 1) = s
For example, if I was making bunting to cover 9 feet 3 inches of space with flags that are 6 inches wide, I found my number of flags at the beginning by doing
x = L / w = 9 feet 3 inches / 6 inches = 111 inches / 6 inches = 18.5 flags
So I would have made a total of 18 flags and my remainder, R, is 0.5 of a flag. Since my flags are 6 inches wide, w, that amounts to 3 inches left over. This is the top of our equation to find s (AKA the numerator), R * w.
Next I'll do the denominator, x - 1. I have 18 flags total, x, and subtract 1, that's 17. I have 17 spaces between all of the flags.
Finally, I'll solve for s by taking the numerator and dividing by the denominator: 3/17ths or 0.18 inches between each flag. Were I actually making this example, I'd probably round to 3/16ths of an inch because that's actually marked on my ruler and it's close enough.
OK enough math! Pin your flags to the ribbon. If you're a beginner sewer, you'll probably want to do one ribbon at a time. If you're feeling confident, you can do both top and bottom ribbons. *Remember to leave that extra bit at the beginning and end of the ribbon so you can actually hang the bunting.*
A note on ribbon choice - here I've used two inch wide ribbons because that's what was on sale. You can also do a single 2 inch wide ribbon (or fabric strip or whatever), folding over in the center to wrap around the tops of the flags.
Remember to follow the order of fabrics and colors you set at the beginning and space as found above! If you had a perfect division at the beginning (no remainder), your flags will have no space between them.
Once your pins are all in place, sew along the top and bottom of the ribbon, as close to the edges as you can manage (topstitching). Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of your seams!
At the ends of the ribbon, use a match/lighter/candle to melt the ends together. If you used a natural fiber, just turn the edges in and topstitch to finish.
Done! Hang and enjoy all season long.
There you have it, friends! Four beginner projects to kick start your Christmas season.
This post and the last were pretty long, you can expect the next few to be a tad shorter.
Posts come every other Friday - You can follow me here on the blog by filling out the form at the bottom of the page and get lots of extra content between posts by following me on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook!
Now, go forth and bring some Christmas spirit to the world!
Originally published December 4, 2020.
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