Summer Dreams DIY Banner with 2 Bonus Projects

You will learn how to make all the components for the 6 ft. banner. It can be used for parties or home décor inside and out of doors. Even on a camping trip!

Once you learn how to make the basic components you will be able to make a banner, a wall hanging or a mobile using an embroidery hoop or small hula hoop.

Please watch our YouTube video for additional instructions on all 3 projects!

Supplies for 6 ft. banner:

½ yard for main flag fabric

½ yard for flag lining

12 ft cotton cording, clothesline or heavy jute or yarn (longer if going to hang outside)

Assorted fat quarters or 8” square scarps for yo yo’s

Assorted yarn for pom poms and tassels (a great way to use up your leftovers and If you don’t knit or crochet maybe a friend does)

Basic sewing supplies:

Darning needle

Sewing machine

Rotary cutter and cutting mat

Clover pom pom maker and yo yo maker (optional) or a 3” piece of cardboard.

Pattiwack tassel maker (optional) or 4” by 4” piece of cardboard

Bells and wooden beads for embellishments

Instructions:

Flag:

1. Cut 4 pieces of the front flag fabric and 4 pieces of the lining fabric 6” W by 18” L. 

2. With right sides together sew around 3 sides leaving one of the 6” sides open. Clip corners and turn right side out. Press.

3. Turn open side in ½” and pin. 

4. Top stitch around the entire flag ¼” from the edge.

5. Fold over (lining sides together) leaving 1 ½” of the lining fabric showing. Pin at top and sew ½” from the folded edge to form the casing. 

6. Make 4 small yo-yos with 3” circles and sew a bell onto each (use the same method you use to make the large yo-yos below. 

7. Sew the 4 yo-yos with bells onto the bottom of the front of the flag. 

Tassel/yo-yo/pom droplet and fabric strips:

1. Cut ten, 6” circles of assorted solid fabrics. Fold and press ¼” onto the wrong side of the fabric. With the needle and thread sew a running stitch around the edge. Start to gently pull the thread and gather. Sew in and out of the folds from the front to the back and whip stitch to secure, clip the thread tails.

2. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to make 5 poms with the Clover pom-pom maker (or you can use a 3” piece of stiff cardboard. Fold the cardboard in half and wind yarn around. Slip an 18” piece of yarn inside the cardboard. Pull tight and tie a double knot, slip off cut loops and trim. 

3. For the tassel wrap the yarn several times around the 4” cardboard, slip an 18” length of yarn through the top and tie a double knot. Slip off and wrap and tie a 12” piece of yarn and tie in a double knot. Trim off the bottom. Make 5 tassels. You can also use the Pattiwack tassel maker.

4. Thread the tassel tails through the darning needle, thread the bead, and pom-pom onto the yarn tails. Lay the yarn tails on the wrong side of one yo-yo about 1” above the pom-pom. and place the 2nd yo-yo on top with the wrong sides together. You can either stitch together or use fabric glue to secure. (a circle of fusible webbing can also work).

5. Slit and tear 8 strips of fabric about 1 to 1 ½” wide and cut into 24” lengths.

Assemble the banner:

1. Wrap one end of the cording with tape and put a safety pin through the end. Feed all 5 flags onto the cording, leaving a 10” space between each flag.

 

2. Tie a yo-yo tassel droplet in the center space. Fold strips of fabric in half and loop under cording. Slip tails through the loop and pull tight.

3. Knot each end of the cording to prevent it from unwinding.

Birch Branch Wall Hanging:

 

1. Using the directions above make 2 tassels and 4 pom-poms leaving 12” tails. The Flag is made the same way with fabric and lining cut 18” L and 8 “ W.
2. Cut five, 3” circles for the yo-yos. Assemble flag as in the banner and feed cording through the casing and tie onto the birch branch. Leave 10” tails on cording. Untwist if desired.
3. Tie 36” hanger cord on to each end of the branch. 

Hoop Mobile (not meant for baby or toddlers)

1. Make four flags with fabric and lining 6” L by 4” W. This is a single layer flag. Sew right sides together around 3 sides. Turn right side out and fold under open-end ½” and press flag. Fold over the open end a ½” sew across to make the casing. 
2. We used strips of torn fabric to wrap the hoop  (in peach) and make the 4 ties 12” long (with our striped white and black fabric) to hang the mobile. Tie each length onto the hoop and all four together at the top.
3. The tassel/yo-yo/pom-pom droplets are made the same as in the banner  (make 4) Make sixteen 1” yo-yos (cut circle 2 ½ “ to make the yo-yos) 
4. Assemble the flags and droplets as you did in the banner instructions. 
5. Slip a double length of yarn through the cording and tie flag onto the hoop. Tie tassel yo-yo pom droplets in between each flag.