Creating a No-Sew Fabric Banner (tutorial)

Entertaining for parties and other special occasions is becoming quite the craze, with great sites like Hostess with the Mostess and Toast and Tables showing us how its done. As some of you might remember from this post, I made the fabric banner above for our wedding ceremony- but it would make a great addition to any celebration and can take as little as 30 minutes to make, depending on how long the banner is. Initially, it took me a while to figure out the best way to go about making one of these fabric banners, but now that I have it figured out- you don’t have to. Here’s what you will need:

Supplies:

1. Iron 2. Yarn, Jute, or String 3. Iron-on Adhesive (I used Heat n Bond) 4. Leftover Fabric Scraps 5. Scissors 6. Ruler

Step by Step:

1. Gather your fabric scraps and begin cutting them into equal size 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles (size may vary depending on preference). Once you have cut enough, get out your string. Leaving a good amount (2-3 feet) of extra string before starting, turn your first piece of fabric over, so that the “front” of the fabric is facing down. Then place your sting on top of the fabric towards the top of the rectangle, as shown below.

2. Cut a piece of iron-on adhesive that is slightly shorter than the width of the fabric and place below the string. Now fold the top half of the fabric over (should be about a 1/4 of an inch) the string, making sure to cover the iron-on adhesive fully.

3. Place iron on top of fabric for 4-8 seconds, and remember to use the correct fabric setting depending on what type of fabric you are using. Apply more heat if needed.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until desired length is reached, making sure to evenly space each fabric rectangle from the next (1-2 inches is perfect). Hang and enjoy!

What I love most about these banners is that you can use them for any celebration (or year-round for that matter) and you can easily personalize them by using specific color fabrics or even add vinyl-sticker lettering to spell out a message, like Welcome Home.

{top image c/o Jeanne Ciasullo}