This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle which was published on Sep 8, 2013.
Well, I’ll bet you had a hard time sleeping last night as you eagerly anticipated this promised “how to make a pennant banner” article. Thank goodness your sleepless nights are over, ‘cause here it is.
I hope this is something you’re as interested in as, apparently, I am. I say “apparently,” because as I was pulling out some of my fall decorations for the house, I came across another pennant banner I made for my Thanksgiving mantel décor. I then I started mentally listing all of the banners I’ve made: “Grateful” for Thanksgiving; “Gloria” for Christmas; the banner of vintage photos of kids in their snow outfits for winter; “America” with crinkled crepe paper fans for the Fourth of July. It was there that I discontinued my mental list, but I think I’ve demonstrated my affinity for this quick-and-easy to make decorative accent.
If you think you’d like to make one as pictured here, the supplies you will need are:
Cardstock (color of your choice, I used parchment)
Burlap
Letter stencils
Acrylic paint
Sponge wedge or foam paint brush
Glue
Jute twine
Hole punch
Reinforcement stickers
Optional—trim materials, such as lace and accent materials, such as raffia
1. Cut your base triangles from the card stock. I use 11 x 8.5” cardstock and am able to get three pennants out of one sheet. (photo A)
2. Cut seven pennant triangles. Punch a hole in each of the top (short edge) corners.
3. Cut a template for a triangle about ½” smaller overall. (I cut one extra of my base triangles, folded it in half—lengthwise—and cut ½” from the short and long sides.)
4. Use this smaller template to trace seven triangles onto your burlap and cut them. (Let me say here and now—treat yourself to one good pair of fabric scissors. Do not allow anyone to use them on anything—even if they say they need it for fabric—they are lying to you and preparing to go cut a coaxial cable. I am sure of it. I have a pair at the shop and at home—both have “warning” tags on them assuring of a variety of pains that await the perpetrator if I catch them being used on anything other than fabric. So far, the threats have not had to be acted upon. So far.)
5. Back to our pennant banner.
6. Pour a little of your paint (I used Traditional Raw Umber acrylic) on a plate. Center your H stencil on the burlap triangle. Dip the sponge into the paint (do not overload paint), then holding the stencil in place, tamp the paint into the stencil and violá—only A-R-V-E-S and T to go!
7. While the paint dries, you can add trim to the outside edge of your base triangle. I like using cotton lace when I’m using burlap—kind of fancies it up, but not too much. I pre-cut all of the lengths I needed (I am not looking for precision here—just get it close). Use an old, small paint brush to “paint” a thin layer of glue around the perimeter of your base triangle and apply the trim. By the time you finish this, the paint on your burlap pennants should be dry.
8. Apply another thin layer of glue on the base triangle (inside of the trim) and stick the burlap to the base. Allow to dry completely.
9. Apply reinforcement stickers to the backside of each of the holes on the base pennant.
11. I added the raffia accents to give my banner a little more interest. You could also add a few pieces of mini-Indian corn between each triangle.
Have fun with this project, but be careful, the next thing you know you will be cutting more triangles and stringing pennants to welcome your friends to your guest bathroom.
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