A banner is a perfect way to showcase your enthusiasm if you are celebrating something. Today, let me show you how to make a paper banner!
These DIY banner ideas can work for any occasion, big or small.
I promise you will enjoy creating this festive craft banner. Bonus, it is made with simple and inexpensive materials.
If you are a crafter, you may already have everything you need in your craft stash. If not, your total investment can be super reasonable.
DIY Thanksgiving Banner
Fall Garland Craft
The more you celebrate your life,
Oprah Winfrey
the more there is in life to celebrate.
Printable Cut Out Banner
While you can cut out the letters, such as “Merry Christmas,” you can also print out the letters in black with your laser printer on festive paper.
This process is easier and much faster! As in the photos above and below.
Making Banners with Groups
You don’t need to create the holiday banners by yourself. Invite friends or family to join you, or bring the project to a church or daycare setting, etc.
Adult Craft Project
This is an excellent craft for small groups, such as girlfriends or family. It is easy and cost-effective to share supplies.
The host can buy various items, or everyone can bring something to contribute to the banner project.
The participants can each make their own banner and take it home with them. Win-win!
Great for Kids
Kids will also enjoy this project. Your end result will most likely be a bit more fun and playful! How wonderful would that be?
A DIY banner is surprisingly straightforward. It involves mostly cutting paper. Gluing is the hardest part; even so, you can use a glue stick.
Organize with a class, group, friends with children, or family to create a banner together.
It will be a kid’s team-building experience or a keepsake to hang up in your home for years to come.
It’s been a banner year here. I have now invited friends and family on multiple occasions to make banners.
We enjoyed the whole process and made a total of 8.
Getting creative, sharing ideas, and enjoying a little wine as we worked was fun and therapeutic.
Handmade Gifts
If you are feeling ambitious, I absolutely love this craft for gift-giving! You can personalize every detail for the recipient.
Making multiple banners is easy when you have all your supplies out. Consider making one for yourself and one to give away simultaneously.
A party banner that reads CELEBRATE is generic enough to hang for any birthday party or anniversary celebration.
Bring one to the host of a gathering. It is a very personal gift that can be used over and over again.
Pick a decorative color scheme to match their home decor and use a design that fits their personality.
Budget Friendly Crafts
If you were looking for a low-cost craft project, you just found it.
Homemade paper banners are an inexpensive art project, especially if you already have some basic craft odds and ends in your collection.
The star of the show is scrapbooking paper. A glue stick, paper scissors, and a paper punch are all you need for essential tools.
And to round it out, old buttons, ribbons, trinkets, or trims work great to add some embellishments to the final product.
Supplies
Below are the craft materials needed for your DIY banner project.
Some of the supplies are optional, so read closely. Not all supplies are in the photo above. Affiliate links are included.
Scrapbook or Decorative Papers glitter cardstock & luxury papers
Paper Scissors not pictured
Glue Stick or Double Stick Tape not pictured glue stick & tape
Hole Punch
Embellishment buttons, ribbon or trim, etc.
Banner Template banner pattern
Straightedge optional
Xacto Knife optional
Cutting Mat & Tools optional mat
Brayer optional, not pictured
Where to Buy
Scrapbooking paper is widely available in most craft stores and online at Amazon.com.
It comes in many artistic colors, textures, and patterns.
Many styles are available, so look for what works best for you!
You can buy paper by the sheet or purchase a book. Purchasing paper by the sheet allows you to have complete control over each piece.
On the other hand, a paper book is full of abundant selections, perfect if you will use it more in the future.
Below are a few of the similar options that I found on Amazon.
Click photos or links to compare products. Affiliate links are included.
Planning your Banner
Below are the steps to decide on a banner design and choose your materials.
Pick a Word or Message
Firstly, you will need to choose a word or a message for your banner.
Wording Ideas
Banners are enjoyable for any season, party, celebration, or holiday.
Today, the banner design honors the Christmas season, but there are many other celebrations for which to use a banner.
Other banner themes to consider:
Your Word of the Year
Birthday Banners
Anniversary Tidings
Game Day Party Pennants
Welcoming Guests
New Years Day
Valentines Day Banner
St Patrick’s Day Sign
Easter Greetings
4th of July Banners
Happy Halloween Sign
Thanksgiving Expressions
Merry Christmas Banner
Hanukkah Messages
Now, you are ready to gather all of your supplies.
Design yourself or use a Banner Template
Create your banner design and shapes. You can draw your own, choosing pennant, crest, star, oval, or circle shapes. The options are endless!
Select a shape for the background and foreground.
They can be the same shape, with the one in the front smaller. Or they can also be totally different shapes.
You can also purchase one of the template designs from the shop. Digital downloads include background templates, letters, and SVG cut files.
TIP Make a cardboard version of your background shape template if you make more than one banner.
Choose your Materials
Next, select your papers.
Choose three coordinated papers for each letter in your banner: one for the front, one for the background, and one for the letter itself.
So many lovely scrapbooking papers, trims, and embellishments are available in stores to fit any occasion.
It is difficult to narrow down to just one selection!
For my banner, I purchased one large book for the background paper. It contained a beautiful assortment of colors and designs.
I also bought a smaller-sized variety book of glitter paper for the letters, plus a sheet music book at Goodwill for $5.
I love the music book so much you may see it again in future projects!
TIP Lay the paper pairs out across a table or the floor to decide if they work well as a set.
Adjust the placement of the colors and patterns if necessary so the whole banner is balanced.
How to Make a DIY Banner
Below are step-by-step instructions to create your paper banner.
Cut out your Shapes and Letters
Using paper scissors, a Xacto knife (with a straight edge), or a cutting machine …
1 Cut out the paper backgrounds.
2 Next, cut the front shapes.
3 Then, cut out your letters.
Assemble, Glue, and Decorate
4 Using a glue stick or double-stick tape, glue the front shapes onto the background shapes. Use a brayer if you have one to get a smooth finish.
CAUTION Be sure to test your paper glue with scrap paper scraps first! We found many types of glue that made the papers curl, including Elmer’s Paper Glue.
My favorite of 4 that I tried was Scotch Glue Stick HERE.
It laid flat, with good hold and NO curling! Yay! But test first anyway to be safe!
Do NOT put too much glue on because it can cause bumps.
The other product I found to work great was Scotch Double Stick Tape.
For the banner in this post, I ran out of the gluestick. Instead, I applied just one strip of double-stick tape across the top edge.
This adhered the front to the back pieces. It worked great. No bumps!
The bottom edges then float freely. It is smooth, and you cannot tell they are all loosey-goosey.
Now, glue your letters onto the foreground shapes.
5 The next step is my favorite! String together your banner and (optionally) decorate it!
Punch holes in the top or to the upper sides. Consider ribbon, raffia, burlap string, or roping to link the letters together.
Then, embellish with buttons, scrapbooking tapes, trinkets, flowers, or charms. You can also decorate by tying ribbons or bows to a letter or at each end of your banner.
But feel free to go clean and simple. You can skip all of the razzle-dazzle.☺️
6 Hang up your DIY Banner and Enjoy!
More DIY Banner Ideas
Thanksgiving Banner Project
Fall Leaf Garland DIY
Want more ideas? Browse all of the craft project ideas.
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DIY Decorative Frame
I can not wait to see what you create!
I hope you enjoy making a DIY banner. If you have any questions, just drop them in the comment box below.
Thank you for stopping by.
xo,
Cindy
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