DIY Halloween Bunting
If you’re looking for a quick sewing project for Halloween, this simple Halloween bunting is it. I did the entire thing during nap time! It took about an hour to complete which is alright in my books. I already had the Halloween-themed fabric in my stash and decided this was the perfect way to use it. Having a 4-year old and 2-year old, I like to keep Halloween a little more cute and a little less scary. This bunting is a great way to decorate your home without creeping out the toddlers. My daughter is quite sensitive to the scarier things at Halloween but I don’t want her to fear the holiday. This project is a simple way for her to see that Halloween can be cute and fun without always being creepy. As for my son, he just wants to rip it off the wall and destroy it but that’s another story…
What You’ll Need
- Halloween-themed fabric of your choosing. Determine how many triangles you want and how many fabrics you’d like. I had 3 different styles so I opted for 6 triangles, 2 of each design. You can easily do this project with just a fat quarter of each.
- Coordinating thread. You can also opt for contrasting as I did for my bias tape. I used black for the triangles and orange on my bias tape.
- Extra wide double fold bias tape. I picked up this little 3-yard length from Walmart for cheap.
- Triangle ruler or template. I have a 60° triangle ruler but you can easily make a template from a piece of cardboard. The base of my triangle is 9 1/4″, 8″ from the centre of the base to the point of the triangle making the sides 9 14/” long.
- Fabric scissors or rotary cutter (this is easier to use with the ruler)
- Cutting mat
- Iron & board
How-To
First you’ll need to cut out all of your triangles. Using the clear ruler is helpful to line up your pattern to your liking on each triangle. This was important with my pumpkin fabric. You will need two triangles – front and back – for each pennant. If your fabric follows a certain direction such as my pumpkins, you cannot fold the fabric in half and cut two at once as one will be upside down. Should your fabric have a basic pattern like my polka-dot fabric, these can be cut at the same time. Do not allow the triangles to be attached on the base seam as you need the triangle open later on in the project.
Once your triangles are cut, pin them right-sides facing each other. Sew a straight seam down the two sides of the triangle. Do not sew the base of the triangle. Once you have finished sewing your triangles together, clip the fabric at the point close to the stitching (without cutting it). Also trim a little bit up the sides as you can see in the picture above. This will give you a nicer point once you flip the triangles around.
Flip your triangles right-side out and iron them nice and flat. Snip off the little corner pieces that stick out as you can see in the picture above. These will get in the way when you are inserting them into your binding.
Now it’s time to assemble the bunting. Lay out your bias tape nice and straight. You’ll want a large surface – I used the floor. Decide how far apart you want your triangles. I opted for 2″ so I cut myself a little marker 2″ wide out of corrugated cardboard. Decide on your layout and work from the centre of the bias tape. I used a pin through the centre and stuck it into the cardboard. You do not need to use the marker but it’s handy. You can see I also had the section I was working on laid on my cutting mat as an extra guide – this would have worked just as well on it’s own. Slide your triangles in between the layers of the bias tape and pin in place. You will need excess bias tape at each end so you have something to attach the bunting with but feel free to trim if there is way too much.
At this point you can decide to sew a simple straight seam down the bias tape or you can use a pattern in a contrasting thread. I have a Husqvarna Topaz 25 sewing machine with many different types of stitches. I used the swirling pattern in orange thread to add a bit more decoration. Start at one end and work your way to the other.
That’s it! You’re done! And now you have a beautiful halloween bunting to hang in your home.
Andrea can always be found with a new craft in front of her, a form of technology on her right and a coffee on her left. This is how she survives suburbia with her two crazy toddlers in tow.
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