I’m excited to share a no-sew denim bunting banner with you today.
Honestly, it took me longer to decide what to call this creation than it did to make it.
According to the internet, which never gives false information, flag banner, flag bunting, pennant bunting, pennant banner, and 4 million other iterations of those words were also acceptable names.
Thanks, internet. Super helpful.
I made these denim bunting banners to hang over my son’s bed.
They replaced the crepe paper streamers that had been hanging there for 11 months. ELEVEN!
I hung the streamers up for his birthday and never intended them to be up for more than a day. A week at most.
But my son loved them for some reason and never wanted me to take them down. It reminded me of all the mylar birthday balloons he never wanted to part with either even when they had lost all of their air and were just resting, all crumpled up and sad-like, on the floor.
I kept hoping the streamers would fall down, but for once in my life that fragile crepe paper was determined to outlast me.
The moral of this story is to be careful what you make your kids. They just might like it.
I finally convinced my son that I could make something even better to hang over his bed. With his agreement, I promptly took down the crepe paper birthday streamers, threw them in the trash, and took the trash out to the curb. I wasn’t risking those things coming back in.
I decided to make two bunting banners to hang over his bed using old jeans that were too tattered to stay in the mending pile.
Unlike kids today who buy their jeans pre-ripped, my husband rips his jeans the natural way by wearing them. I try my best to mend the jeans, but there comes a time when those jeans are no longer wearable…at least not in polite company.
Instead of trashing the jeans, I try to find ways to repurpose them because there’s still a lot of good fabric left even if they aren’t wearable.
For this no-sew denim bunting banner, I cut up a pair of regular blue jeans and a pair of brown jeans. For a bit of color, I also used a bit of red felt too.
Here’s how I did it without using a sewing machine. Yes, I go out of my way to not learn how to properly sew with a sewing machine. We all have our quirks. This is mine. One of mine.
Materials Needed To Make A No-Sew Denim Bunting Banner
Twine or ribbon (I used this natural jute twine.)
Denim or other fabric scraps (I used a bit of felt in this project too.)
Liquid Stitch (unless you want to use your sewing machine)
Scissors
Marker
Graph Paper (or another way to make your triangle guide)
How To Make A No-Sew Denim Bunting Banner
Step 1: Determine the size of your flags or triangles.
There’s no right or wrong here. It depends on the look you’re going for and the space where the bunting banner will be hung.
I used graph paper to sketch a triangle and then cut out the paper triangle to use as a template.
Step 2: Determine how long you want your banner to be.
Cut your twine, ribbon, or whatever you’re using for the banner to size. I tied loops at the end of each banner so that I would eventually be able to hang the bunting banner on the wall.
Step 3: Cut your flags or triangles out.
If you’re using an old pair of jeans for this craft, then cut the legs off your denim jeans so they look like shorts. Then, cut along one leg seam so that your fabric lies flat. Using your paper template and a pen or marker, trace the triangle shapes onto the back side of your denim.
Cut out the triangles along the traced line on two sides. Cut 1/3 – 1/2 inches above the traced line on the top of your triangle. (See below for an example.) This will leave the marker line at the top of the triangle visible and allow you to create a tab or flap that will fold over the banner.
You may want to temporarily place your triangles along your string line as you go to make sure you have enough and that you like the spacing and pattern. I used fabric from a pair of blue jeans, a pair of brown jeans, and a sheet of red felt to create my bunting banners.
Step 4: Iron your triangles.
The marker line that you left visible on the denim triangles is now your ironing guide. You’ll iron on that line to create a clean edge that will fold over your banner twine.
Step 5: Glue the triangles to the banner.
Use Liquid Stitch to glue the triangles to the banner twine. Liquid Stitch is a permanent fabric glue.
Let dry. You may need to place a book or something heavy on the triangles to make sure the folded flap stays secure while the fabric glue is drying.
Step 6: Hang your bunting banner and enjoy!
My banner is hanging from pushpins in the picture rail. That’s why I made the loops at each end of the twine to go around the pushpin.
My son and I are both happy with how his room looks now with the new bunting banners hanging above his bed.
He did say that the denim flags don’t rustle in the air when his ceiling fan is on like the crepe paper streamers did. I guess he liked that rustling sound. Next time I’ll try my best to make noisier bunting banners.
What do you think of my no-sew denim bunting banner? Do you think this was a good way to repurpose an old pair of jeans? I’d love to know. You can always comment below, email me here, or reach out via Instagram or Facebook.
Items Featured In These Pictures:
Magnetic Map Art (DIY – tutorial here)
Dresser – thrifted
Headboard – DIY (info here)
Wall Sconce
Blue Pom Pom Throw
Buffalo Plaid Duvet Cover
Blue Kids Guitar (similar)
Faux Leather Pillow Cover
Striped Indoor Outdoor Rug (great for kid’s room because you can hose it down)
*affiliate links in this blog post*
Thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with me. Here are some other blog posts you might enjoy.
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