How to Make a Fabric Bunting Garland for Your Next Party

We'll show you how to make a fabric bunting in five easy steps. It requires only basic sewing skills, and it's so inexpensive.

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Skill Level: Beginner

Make a homemade fabric bunting to decorate your home for your next party. Create fabric party garland, or choose a sentimental material (like a T-shirt or onesie) to make a lasting decoration for a child's room. Because you don't need large pieces of fabric to make this sewing project, it's pretty inexpensive. Purchase precut fat quarters or spend even less by using sewing room scraps. It's time to grab your pinking shears and start sewing.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Straight pins
  • Printable template
  • Fabric scissors
  • Sewing needle or sewing machine
  • Pinking shears

Materials

  • 7 Cotton fabric
  • Interfacing
  • Chalk
  • Sewing thread
  • Bias tape

Instructions

  1. Gather and layer fabrics

    Choosing the fabrics will be the hardest part of this quick sewing project. Pick two—or three or four—fabrics to use for the front and back of each bunting piece. We started with cotton fat quarters. (We needed seven.) If you're not using fat quarters, you'll need approximately seven 18x21-inch pieces of fabric. Layer your fabrics with the wrong sides together with interfacing in between. Pin the layers together to keep them from moving.

  2. tracing triangle onto fabric for bunting
    Jay Wilde

    Cut bunting pieces

    When all of your fabric pieces are pinned, print our downloadable template and use it to mark shapes for the bunting. Use a fabric marker or chalk to trace the shape onto the fabric, then trim away the excess fabric around the shape. If you have large leftover scraps, save them for one of these craft projects that use leftover supplies.

  3. detail of pinking shears with fabric bunting
    Jay Wilde

    Stitch bunting pieces

    To finish the bunting pieces, use a sewing machine to stitch a 1/4-inch seam around the edge of each shape. Start in the top left corner, stitch to the bottom and back up to the top right corner, leaving the top edge of the shape open. Once you've finished stitching, use pinking shears to cut outside the stitching; do not cut along the open edge.

  4. fabric bunting detail with butterfly fabric
    Jay Wilde

    Stitch bunting together

    When you've finished stitching and cutting as many bunting pieces as you'd like to use, lay out the shapes in the order you want them to hang. To create a smooth, clean look, we used bifold bias tape to join the bunting pieces. Place the top edge of each shape into the bias tape fold and pin in place; the tape should be folded evenly over the front and back of each piece. Run the bias tape through your sewing machine, stitching the entire length to secure the fabric pieces.

  5. slatted headboard with diy fabric bunting
    Jay Wilde

    Finish and display

    Leave extra bias tape at each end of your bunting for hanging it. The extra tape will allow you to tie the fabric garland from a stair rail, window, or across a table at your next birthday party. You can also hang it as everyday decoration in a children's room.

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