Homemade Pennant Bunting

Homemade pennant bunting is an easy and simple decorative accessory you can create and customize for your home, special event or as a gift.

Colorful bunting strung over a child’s headboard or window creates a fun and playful environment. Romantic bunting made from vintage fabrics hung in a guest bedroom creates a pleasant and inviting feel, while small multi-patterned paper bunting, as shown here in my studio, can be strung to inspire creativity. Choose as many patterns and colors as possible or design your bunting with only a few simple coordinating colors and textures from your décor palate.

An easy no-sew bunting can be made from same-size triangles cut from patterned paper swatches or scrapbook paper and glued to ribbon as shown in the photo. Triangles with two even sides and one slightly shorter side at the top look best. Another no-sew option is to cut triangles from non-fraying fabric, such as fleece and hot glue the pennant pieces to a length of ribbon.

For a more finished pennant bunting, sew pairs of same size multi-colored triangles together with printed patterns facing in, leaving the short side open. Once sewn, trim the extra fabric at the bottom corner just outside the seam to reduce folded bulk, turn the sewn shape right side out and press flat with an iron. Using pre-folded seam binding, tuck the raw edges of the triangles into the fold of the binding, spacing the triangles apart a few inches. Pin in place and sew along the length of the entire binding to secure the pennants. Bunting can be as long or short as you like, but longer bunting allows for more swags and longer draping.

You can use many different materials for your bunting. Repurposed old jeans cut and frayed at the edges and strung over twine make a cool bunting for a boy’s room. Accessorize a large mirror or framed picture with tiny, delicate bunting. Create colorful strings of bunting for birthday parties or pastel bunting for baby showers. Decorate your cubical at work! Add letters to some of the pennants to spell out a name or phrase or embellish your bunting by sewing a bead to the bottom of each triangle.

Finally, you can tack the drapes of your light-weight bunting to the wall with simple sewing straight pins. If using outdoors, basic clothespins work great.