DIY: Adjustable Bunting

You Will Need:

Hessian (Burlap)

Scissors

Ruler

Card

Pencil

Twine

Needle + Thread

Paint

Paintbrush

Bonus Items:

Sewing Machine

Glue

Stanley Knife

Iron

The beauty of this simple bunting is that the flags can be moved along the twine, allowing you to adjust the gaps in between. This works thanks to the rough nature of the hessian and the twine, meaning they won’t slip unless a little force is applied. A handmade bunting such as this can be used for any style of wedding, and the neutral colours mean it can be easily reused for friends and family!

To start, plan the size and shape of your bunting. Our individual flags are 12cm wide and 14.5cm high, plus an extra centimetre to allow for a fold later on. Use your ruler and pencil to draw out a template shape on the card, and cut it out. You can use scissors for this, but a ruler and stanley knife will give you a much cleaner cut! No matter the shape of your bunting, don’t forget to add an extra centimetre in length to fold.

Use your card template to trace your flags onto the material, using the pencil. If you’re using a darker hessian like us the pencil marks won’t be too obvious, but if your hessian is a light colour you can erase the marks after cutting them out.

We made thirty flags for our bunting, which gives a total length of around 3.5m.

After cutting out your flags it’s a good idea to iron out any creases, as well as folding down that extra centimetre at the top. After sewing this will create an open loop at the top of the bunting for the twine to pass through.

If you’re worried about the edges of the hessian fraying you can paint some PVA glue along the sides. 

It’ll dry clear and you won’t have to worry about loose ends!

Now comes the fun part!

You can decorate your bunting any way you like, even leaving it blank can be very effective. We created a stencil of a heart with our template card and painted using a white, water-based acrylic paint.

Don’t forget that hessian has an open weave, so anything you paint will come through the back. Make sure you put some newspaper or an old sheet down first!

When it comes time to sew your bunting a sewing machine will make a world of difference! If not, a simple needle and thread will do the trick. The cotton we used was a similar colour to the fabric, but for a busier bunting you could use a contrasting colour or an interesting stitch to add to your decoration.

Due to the open weave in hessian, a straight stitch won’t hold together very well. We recommend using a zigzag stitch or something similar for some extra strength and durability.

The easiest way to put your bunting together is to thread your twine through the flags before you sew each one. The loop will be open on either end for adjusting, so it is possible to thread the twine through after sewing, but depending on how tight you’ll be stitching your loop it can be easier to do these steps together—just make sure you don’t sew through the twine or you won’t be able to adjust!

Remember:

Paint glue along the edges if your hessian is fraying

Use a zigzag stitch or similar for extra strength

Don’t paint or glue without any protective material underneath

Have fun and be creative! x