Melanie Sabol – Copy Editor
With the white walls that Southern offers in the dorm rooms it’s fairly easy to dress them up for the holidays. Whether that is through cut outs, window stickers, or your own design – making your room your own is the most important. Since Halloween is tomorrow – and if you’re looking for a last minute decoration for your room, common room, or even your door – check this out! This Halloween burlap banner can be put anywhere and looks great! All you need is just a few simple items. Check it out!
What you’ll need:
· Iron
· Heat-n-Bond no-sew iron-on adhesive or another brand of fusible web
· Black felt or cotton fabric, approximately 2 – 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets
· Pen Letter stencils, store bought or handmade
· Scissors
· 1 piece of cardstock
· 1/2 yard of burlap
· Hot glue
· Jute or hemp string
· Rickrack
How to make it:
Step 1: Iron on a piece of Heat-n-Bond to the black felt. You might need more or less felt, depending on how large your letters are.
Step 2: Trace the letters H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N onto the Heat-n-Bond that is now adhered to the felt. Make sure to trace the letters backwards so they will face the right direction when you flip them over, felt-side up. I found the letter stencils, which were originally part of a Halloween banner, in the holiday section of my local craft store. You could easily make your own stencils by searching online for a free Halloween font, printing out H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N on cardstock, and cutting out each letter.
Step 3: Carefully cut out the felt letters.
Step 4: Make a flag template out of cardstock, draw your flag shape of choice on cardstock and cut it out. You could make traditional triangular bunting flags or circles. I chose a rectangular shape that comes to a point at one end. Make sure the flag template will be large enough for the felt letters.
Step 5: Fold the burlap in half and trace the template onto the burlap, with the fold at the top. Cut out the burlap flags using scissors or a rotary cutter. After cutting the flags, there should be a mirror image of the shape when you unfold it. Repeat eight more times.
Step 6: Iron on the felt letters to the burlap flags.
Tip: Iron the burlap first, ironing over the fold to flatten the flag.
Step 7: Unfold the burlap flag and add a line of hot glue down the center of the fold. Place the jute or hemp string in the glue and fold back up the burlap flag, sandwiching the string inside.
Step 8: Attach rickrack to the top of every burlap flag using hot glue.
Step 9: Hang anywhere you find desirable and admire.
This banner can also be used for Thanksgiving. All you would have to do is simply reverse the sign and make letters that say T-H-A-N-K-S-G-I-V-I-N-G on them. You can also get prepared for the holidays or even birthdays with this banner by just changing the letters to whatever works best for you! It’s easy and fun to make – and it’s a great project to work on with your roommates on a Saturday to escape from the homework and never ending school projects. Have fun with a fun project this Halloween!
