Bunting!

Those of you who stalk follow people on Pinterest have seen dozens of fabric bunting ideas, if not more. One of my summer projects was to make one of these for my classroom. Here are some of my "Pinspirations":

See this one {here}

The first pic is pretty ordinary, but I absolutely L.O.V.E. the second one! This person made it from scrap fabric. How cool is that?! My favorite part is that none of the fabrics match, which oddly enough make it all go together. Or is that just me? Anyway, back on track...

I decided to go ahead and make mine today since it was pretty gloomy outside {what else is new}. To start, cut a triangle from a piece of cardstock. Ready for a brief math lesson? This is an isosceles triangle because two of the sides are the exact same length. The shorter side measures 6 1/3" while the longer sides both measure 8 2/3". It really doesn't matter how big/small you make the triangles, as long as it is isosceles. Make sense?

Then get your fabric situated. Lay the fabric on a table with "ugly sides" touching. The "pretty sides" should be showing on the top and bottom. Then lightly trace your triangle template.

Cut the triangles with regular fabric scissors first. {I will explain why as we go through the steps}. Continue cutting out triangles until you have your desired amount. I decided to cut 2 triangles for each print, but the cool part about this project is that the design and pattern are completely up to you! 

Pin your triangles like so to hold them into place.

Ok, so here's when I explain the purpose of cutting with regular scissors first, rather than your pinking sheers. Prior to doing this I practiced on some scrap fabric from my black hole storage box. I cut my triangles with pinking sheers first, like most tutorials say to do, but when it came time to sew, the zig-zag edges looked a little...funky. The edges weren't lined up and it didn't look polished. That's when the idea hit me. {Cue inner dialogue} If I cut with regular scissors first, and then sew a straight stitch, the fabric will be secured in place. Then I can trim the edges with my pinking sheers!

I highly recommend doing it this way. It was so much easier! 

Get out your sewing machine and sew a straight stitch about 1/3" from the 2 long edges. Don't worry about sewing the short end closed. You will do this at the very end with bias tape. Now take your pinking sheers and trim the edges! Here's a close-up:

Look at those edges...mmm mmm!

Arrange your finished triangles in the order you want them sewn.

Unravel your bias tape. I accidentally bought the wrong width, so pay attention to that when you're shopping! I got 7/8", which was waaay to thick for my size triangles. But no worries! I simply folded it in half once and it worked perfect. And I apologize for not having any pictures of this step, but I couldn't hold down the fabric and snap a pic at the same time ;)

In other words, make sure your bias tape is an appropriate width for your size triangles.

Before you start sewing, decide how you want to hang the bunting. I've seen people tie it to things by making a bow/knot, pin it in place, or loop it onto something. Whatever method you decide will determine how much tape to leave at each end. For example, you will need to leave more tape if you're planning on tying it rather than looping it. 

I am planning on looping mine above my blackboard, so I sandwiched the first triangle between the folded bias tape, about 6" from the end. The edge of the fabric should line up with the crease in the fold. Straight stitch across. I left about a 2" gap between each triangle. Continue sewing your triangles, sandwiching them between the fold. When you're done, cut the tape 6" from the last triangle {or whatever length you used on the other end}.

Here's a close-up of my color palate.

And here it is hanging up! Pardon the not-so-pretty background. I will be getting better pictures tomorrow. 

 

 

If you would like a custom set for yourself, a friend, or your classroom, visit my Etsy shop for purchasing information! My button is also on the sidebar.

**{posting will be available by tomorrow}