DIY Easter Banner: Fabric Pennants with Simple Shapes

A DIY Easter banner made from fabric pennants has a weight and softness that paper cannot match, and it folds away into an envelope to be used again next spring. This version needs no sewing: the pennants are cut from a template, decorated with simple shapes and glued over a length of twine.

Seven pennants make a banner of about 5 ft (1.5 m), which suits most mantels, shelves and doorways. The method scales easily if you need more.

Choose the fabric

Pick a fabric with some body so the pennants hang flat instead of curling.

• Cotton canvas or duck cloth. Firm, smooth and easy to cut cleanly. It takes fabric paint well and frays only slightly.
• Quilting cotton. Lighter and available in many colors. Press it first, and expect soft edges unless you cut with pinking shears.
• Burlap. Rustic and textured, but it frays readily and sheds fibers. Felt shapes suit it better than paint, because the open weave lets paint seep through.

Two alternating colors, such as cream and sage, are enough. About half a yard (0.5 m) of fabric in total covers seven pennants with spare.

Make a pennant template

A cardboard template keeps every pennant identical. Draw a rectangle 6 in (15 cm) wide and 8 in (20 cm) tall on thin cardboard. The top 1 in (2.5 cm) is the fold-over allowance, so the finished pennant hangs about 7 in (18 cm) long.

• Triangle pennant. Mark the center of the bottom edge and draw a line from each top corner down to that point.
• Swallowtail flag. Mark the center of the bottom edge, measure 2 in (5 cm) straight up from it, and draw a line from each bottom corner to that mark to make a notch.

Cut the template out. Fold the fabric double, trace around the template with a pencil or chalk, and cut through both layers with fabric scissors to get two pennants per cut.

Plan the shapes

Three shapes repeated in order look calmer than seven different ones. An egg, a bunny head and a tulip work well: egg, bunny, tulip, egg, bunny, tulip, egg. Keep the bunny to a generic outline, a rounded head with two upright ears and no face.

Each shape should fit inside a space about 3 in (7.5 cm) wide and 3.5 in (9 cm) tall, positioned in the upper two thirds of the pennant, below the fold allowance. To draw shapes that are even on both sides, fold paper in half and cut half the outline against the fold, as shown in the guide to cutting symmetrical egg and bunny shapes.

Apply the shapes: felt or paint

Felt shapes

Trace each paper shape onto felt, cut it out and glue it to the pennant with fabric glue or tacky glue. Spread the glue thinly right to the edges so the corners do not lift, press flat and leave to dry. Felt gives a crisp edge and a slightly raised look, and it is the more forgiving method for a first banner.

Stenciled paint

For a flatter, printed look, cut each shape out of the middle of a piece of cardstock or stencil film so that the opening becomes the stencil. Then:

1. Slide scrap cardboard under the pennant to protect the table.
2. Hold or tape the stencil firmly in position.
3. Load a stencil brush or sponge with fabric paint, or acrylic craft paint mixed with textile medium, and dab most of it off on scrap paper.
4. Dab straight down from the edges of the stencil toward the middle. Do not brush sideways.
5. Lift the stencil straight up and wipe its underside before the next pennant.

Too much paint is the usual cause of blurred edges. Two thin layers are cleaner than one heavy one. Let the paint dry fully before folding; times vary, so check the label.

Attach the pennants to the twine

Cut a length of twine about 8 ft (2.4 m) long. That allows roughly 18 in (46 cm) free at each end for tying.

1. Lay the pennants face down in order, with even gaps between them. A gap of about 3 in (7.5 cm) brings seven pennants to roughly 5 ft (1.5 m); half that gives a fuller, shorter banner.
2. Lay the twine across the backs, about 1 in (2.5 cm) below the top edges.
3. Run a line of fabric glue along the top edge of the first pennant, above the twine.
4. Fold the top edge down over the twine and press it firmly. Keep glue off the twine itself if you want to slide the pennants later.
5. Repeat along the row, then weight the folds with a book while they dry.

Fabric glue is usually dry to the touch within an hour or so and reaches full strength overnight, but go by the instructions on the bottle. Burlap benefits from a slightly wider line of glue because of its open weave.

Spacing and hanging

Tie a small loop in each end of the twine and hang the banner from removable adhesive hooks, or tuck the ends under weighted objects on a shelf. Let it dip gently in the middle; a banner pulled tight looks stiff, and one that sags too far hides the outer pennants. A drop of about 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) at the center is a good starting point.

On a mantel, a fabric banner pairs well with a second, lighter strand hung slightly lower, such as the paper Easter egg garland. For how to balance a banner with the objects on the shelf, see these Easter mantel decor ideas. Keep fabric and twine well clear of a fireplace in use and of lit candles.

Storing the banner

Fold the banner pennant over pennant, like a paper fan, so the twine does not tangle, and slip it into a large envelope or a flat box. If the pennants crease, press them from the back on a low setting with a cloth over the fabric, avoiding the felt shapes and glued folds.