Let’s rewind to about eight or nine months ago. Baby Elliot was still in my belly, and I wanted to decorate the nursery a bit more before he arrived. This was the catch…we didn’t know if our little blessing was a girl or a boy until the birth, so I had to stick with decor that worked for both nursery themes.
I was on the look-out for decor to purchase, and always drawn to cloth banners, but I never found any with phrases I liked. I knew that I didn’t want to fill Elliot’s nursery with “fluffy” words. Not that those are bad because most of them aren’t! My desire was to display intentional phrases rooted in truth. So I decided to make a small banner for the wall and fill it with meaningful words for our baby.
Learn everything you need to know about sewing a banner. This is a simple sewing tutorial that lists the materials needed, steps to follow (with pictures), and offers helpful tips and tricks along the way. This banner is for my son’s nursery, but it can be made for any space or occasion! A very useful lettering printout is also available if you decide this is the exact thing you’d like your banner to say. Find even more sewing tutorials at the very end!
How to Make a DIY Banner
Keep in Mind: This specific banner is for my baby’s nursery, but the pattern can also be for other rooms too. Follow the tutorial and add whatever words you’d like.
What You Need
- A sewing machine
- Fabric (I used canvas drop cloth)
- Coordinating thread
- Scissors
- Paint (Fabric paint, acrylic paint, or a paint pen will work)
- Measuring tape
- Ruler
- String or yarn for hanging
- Stick or dowel rod
Step 1. Iron
Be sure to iron out any wrinkles in your fabric. Those can alter your measurements!
Step 2. Measure
Keep in Mind: your banner can be any size that you would like it to be, so feel free to adjust the measurements according to your preference.
- Measure out the length you want your banner to be. I made mine 14 inches long.
- Measure out the width for your banner. I wanted mine to be 11 inches wide.
- Use the ruler to mark these dimensions with a straight line.
- Cut the fabric along the straight lines.
- Fold the fabric in half length wise. Make sure to line up the edges.
- Use the ruler to make a line from the center point at the bottom of the fabric to a few inches higher to create a triangle.
- Cut along this line.
You should have a banner shape once you unfold the fabric.
Step 4. Sew
- Fold the edges of the banner over 1/2 inch to create a raw hem.
- Fold the edges over another 1/2 inch to hide the raw hem. You can either pin this clean hem in place or use an iron to create a crease in the fabric.
- Sew around all the edges of the banner.
Step 5. Add the Stick and Yarn for Hanging
- Place the dowel or stick 1 or 2 inches from the top of the banner.
- Fold the top of the banner over the dowel.
- Sew the fabric together underneath of the dowel. I left about 1/2 inch of space so the dowel can slide out if needed.
- Tie a piece of yarn or string to both ends of the dowel or stick. I made my string 20 inches long. This is what your banner will hang from.
Step 6. Lettering
- If you want to use the same lettering that I did you can download the template here and print it out. It will fit a 9 inch banner quite nicely. I created this lettering template completely by hand!
- Flip the template over and completely cover the back of the letters with pencil marks.
- Place the paper on your banner and trace the letters with your pencil.
- The pencil that you added to the back of the letters will transfer to the banner, so you can trace those marks with paint!
- Carefully fill in the letters with the paint color of your choice. I used this paint pen for my banner.
Keep in mind:
- Press firmly while tracing over the letters because shifting the paper can ruin the positioning on the fabric!
- The paint may bleed through the fabric, so add something underneath that can get messy.
Step 7. Hang
Hang on the wall with a nail, hook, or command strip!
Our Baby Elliot is so loved. I want him to know that deep within himself. He’s loved by his Mama, Papa, friends, extended family, and most importantly, Jesus.
I have this banner hanging by the rocking chair in his room, and I noticed him looking at it the other day. I had to take it down for a few minutes because it was distracting him from eating!
That’s what I want to happen though. I want him to see those words, hear them spoken, eventually read them for himself, and feel the truth behind them in his heart.
I hope this encourages you to think about what kinds of words you’d like to sow into the garden of your child’s soul. They will take root, grow, and eventually produce fruit. Be mindful of that, friend!
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:5-9
If you make this project and love how it turned out, feel free to come back and comment about your experience. I’d love to see your creation and how you used it!