Beautiful Springtime Bunting

I've always loved bunting.  It's such a sweet and simple way to dress up a space, and it practically screams "Celebrate!"

When I put together an Easter/18 month photo shoot for my sweet Kayleigh Grace, I knew that I wanted to incorporate bunting as the backdrop.  I found her dress on clearance at Gymboree and fell in love with the rows of ribbons and colorful fabric.  I was so excited when I got home and found ribbon and fabric in my stash that perfectly matched her outfit!

What you will need:

• Fabric (I used white for the triangles, and two patterned fabrics for the yoyos)
• Sewing machine (or glue--it's up to you!)
• Ribbon
• Buttons, yoyos, any additional embellishments you would like to add
•  String (I used white yarn, but would have used twine if I could have found mine)
• Iron/ironing board (if you're a perfectionist like me!)

Bunting
Cut a triangle out of cardstock or cardboard.  I just played with the template until I got one I liked. My template measured 6 inches wide and and about 6.5 inches high.

Fold your fabric lengthwise so that the top layer is just a little longer than the triangle template and iron the fold so that it is stiff and smooth.  Place the top flat edge of the triangle template on the fold and trace as many triangles as you will need for your bunting.

Cut through both layers of fabric, being careful not to cut through the fold.  When you are finished, each triangle should be able to unfold into the shape of a diamond.
 



Embellishments
To add visual interest, I did an ABC pattern of ribbon, fabric, and plain.  I'm planning to create a yoyo tutorial soon, so check back for that :)

For the ribbon, I simply cut lengths of three coordinating ribbons and then placed them on the fabric until I found something I liked.  You can see some of my examples:

I used fabric glue to hold the ribbons in place, and then I sewed*** the "V" along the border of the triangle to really anchor the ribbons.  If you choose to glue the two layers of the triangle together, just make sure that you glue your ribbons down really securely.

***Make sure that you leave about a one inch gap from the fold towards the point (as pictured in the first triangle photo).  This will give you the ability to slip your string through the space and hang it--like a curtain rod goes through a curtain.

Once you have sewn/glued the triangle pieces, you can snip the ribbon lengths to the edge of the triangles.

Assembling your Bunting
Now it's time to string your triangles together and get ready to hang them.  To do this, I took a crochet hook and taped my string to it, then pushed the crochet hook through the spaces in each triangle.  For the photo shoot backdrop I made for my daughter, I did two lengths of 6 triangles each.  Figure out how you will hang your bunting before cutting your string.  The nice thing about this lacing method for the triangles is that it's not permanent--if you don't like the pattern you made, or want to change the triangles around to be more aesthetically pleasing, just unstring them and try again.

Whether you're making bunting as a photo backdrop, party decoration, or room decor, this simple project will brighten the space and add a personal touch that you can be proud of.