Paper bunting or paper garland is a simple and fun way to decorate your home, party, or event. If you have wondered, how to make a paper bunting that adds a touch of colour & charm in your home, then I have you covered. Paper bunting or paper garland is easy and inexpensive to make, and you can customize it with your own choice of paper, colours, shapes, and patterns.
Read on for ideas on how to make paper bunting or paper garland in three different ways: with triangles, circles, and letters. I will also give you some tips and ideas on how to make your paper bunting or paper garland more creative and unique.
And since Halloween is around the corner, I will also show you how to make some spooky and cute Halloween-themed paper bunting or paper garland.
How to make a paper bunting with triangles
One of the most common and classic ways to make paper bunting is with triangles. Triangles are easy to cut out and look great when hung up in a row. Here are the steps to make paper bunting with triangles:
Gather your materials
- You will need
- Paper or cardstock in your desired colours and patterns
- Scissors
- A ruler,
- A protractor (optional)
- Pen or pencils
- Glue or tape
- String or ribbon for the desired length of the bunting.
Make your triangle bunting
- Draw and cut out a triangle template on a piece of paper. You can make the triangle any size you want, but a good size is about 6 inches (15 cm) tall and 4 inches (10 cm) wide at the base. You can also use a protractor to measure the angles of the triangle if you want them to be equal.
- Trace the triangle template on your paper or cardstock and cut out as many triangles as you need for your bunting. You can use different colours and patterns of paper or cardstock to make your bunting more colourful and interesting.
- Fold the top edge of each triangle about half an inch (1 cm) down. This will create a flap that you can use to attach the triangles to the string or ribbon.
- Lay out your string or ribbon on a flat surface and arrange your triangles along it in the order you want them to be. Leave some space between each triangle and some extra string or ribbon at both ends for hanging.
- Glue or tape the flap of each triangle over the string or ribbon, making sure they are secure and aligned.
- Your paper bunting with triangles is ready!
- You can hang it up on a wall, a window, a door, a fireplace mantel, a fence, a tree, or anywhere else you like.
How to make a paper bunting with circles
Another way to make paper bunting is with circles. Circles are also easy to cut out and look cute and cheerful when hung up in a row. Here are the steps to make paper bunting with circles:
Gather your materials
- You will need
- Paper or cardstock in your desired colours and patterns
- Scissors
- A circular object to use as a template. You can use anything that has a circular shape, such as a cup, a lid, a coin, or a cookie cutter.
- Pen or pencils
- Glue or tape
- String or ribbon for the desired length of the bunting.
Make your circle bunting
- Trace the circular object on your paper or cardstock and cut out twice as many circles as you need for your bunting. You can use different colours and patterns of paper or cardstock to make your bunting more colourful and interesting.
- Let’s call one set of these cut card circles front circles and the other back circles
- Lay out the back circles on a flat surface equidistant from each other.
- Lay the string or ribbon on top of the back circles. Position it to be along the middle of each circle
- Apply glue along the edge of the first front circle and stick it to the back circle, sandwiching the string / ribbon.
- Make sure the string / ribbon is secure and aligned. Repeat for all remaining circles.
- Your paper bunting with circles is ready!
- You can hang it up on a wall, a window, a door, a fireplace mantel, a fence, a tree, or anywhere else you like.
How to Make Paper Bunting with Letters
A third way to make paper bunting is with letters. Letters are great for spelling out words, names, messages, or greetings that suit your occasion. Here are the steps to make paper bunting with letters:
Gather your materials
- You will need:
- some paper or cardstock in your desired colours and patterns
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
- Some string or ribbon
- Some letter templates or stencils that match the size and style of your bunting. You can print out letter templates from online sources or use stencils from craft stores or make your own by drawing or tracing letters on paper.
Make your alphabet bunting
- Cut out the letter templates or stencils and use them to trace and cut out the letters you need for your bunting on your paper or cardstock. You can use different colours and patterns of paper or cardstock to make your bunting more colourful and interesting.
- Glue or tape each letter to a piece of paper or cardstock that is slightly larger than the letter, leaving some margin around the edges. This will create a background for each letter and make them stand out more.
- Cut out each letter with its background, following the shape of the letter. You can also cut out the background in a different shape, such as a square, a rectangle, a circle, or a heart, to add some variety and contrast to your bunting.
- Punch two holes at the top corners of each letter with its background, using a hole puncher or a sharp object. This will create loops that you can use to attach the letters to the string or ribbon.
- Lay out your string or ribbon on a flat surface and arrange your letters along it in the order you want them to be. Leave some space between each letter and some extra string or ribbon at both ends for hanging.
- Thread the string or ribbon through the holes of each letter, making sure they are secure and aligned.
- Your paper bunting with letters is ready!
- You can hang it up on a wall, a window, a door, a fireplace mantel, a fence, a tree, or anywhere else you like.
How to Make Paper Bunting without Sewing
If you don’t have access to a sewing machine, these paper buntings will work beautifully. As suggested above, you can use paper or cardstock to cut out the shapes and string them into a garland.
Here are some tips and ideas on how to make paper bunting without sewing:
- Use glue or tape to attach your paper shapes to the string or ribbon. This is the easiest and most common way to make paper bunting without sewing. You can use any kind of glue or tape that works well with paper, such as white glue, hot glue, double-sided tape, washi tape, or duct tape. Just make sure that the glue or tape is strong enough to hold the paper shapes in place and that it doesn’t show too much on the front side of your bunting.
- Use staples to attach your paper shapes to the string or ribbon. This is another easy and quick way to make paper bunting without sewing. You can use a regular stapler or a mini stapler to staple your paper shapes to the string or ribbon. Just be careful not to staple too close to the edge of the paper shapes or too close to the string or ribbon, as this might cause them to tear or fray. Also, be aware that staples might rust over time if exposed to moisture or humidity.
- Use clips to attach your paper shapes to the string or ribbon. This is a fun and creative way to make paper bunting without sewing. You can use any kind of clips that can hold paper shapes securely, such as clothespins, binder clips, paper clips, hair clips, or decorative clips. You can also paint, decorate, or embellish your clips with stickers, glitter, pom poms, beads, ribbons, or anything else you like. Just clip your paper shapes to the string or ribbon and enjoy your unique and whimsical paper bunting.
There are many different ways you can answer the question how to make bunting without sewing and these are few ideas to get you started.
How to make paper bunting – Halloween themed
If you want to make some spooky and cute Halloween themed paper bunting for your home, party, or event, you can follow any of the methods above and just use Halloween-related colours, patterns, shapes, and words for your paper bunting. Here are some examples and ideas on how to make Halloween themed paper bunting:
- Use black, orange, purple, green, and white as your main colours for your paper bunting. You can also use metallic, glittery, or glow-in-the-dark paper or cardstock to add some sparkle and shine to your bunting.
- Use Halloween-themed patterns for your paper bunting, such as stripes, polka dots, chevrons, stars, or spider webs. You can also use Halloween-themed printed or scrapbook paper or cardstock that has images or designs of pumpkins, ghosts, witches, bats, spiders, skulls, or candy corns.
- Use Halloween-themed shapes for your paper bunting, such as pumpkins, ghosts, witches hats, bats, spiders, skulls, or candy corns. You can either cut out these shapes yourself or use cookie cutters, punches, or templates to help you. You can also add details and features to these shapes with pens, markers, stickers, googly eyes, or other embellishments.
- Use Halloween-themed words or phrases for your paper bunting, such as “Boo”, “Trick or Treat”, “Happy Halloween”, “Spooky”, “Beware”, or “Creepy”. You can either write these words or phrases yourself with pens, markers, stickers, or stamps, or use letter templates or stencils to cut them out from paper or cardstock. You can also mix and match different fonts, sizes, and styles to make your bunting more fun and varied.
Get crafty
Paper bunting or paper garland is a wonderful way to decorate your home, party, or event with your own personal touch. It is easy and cheap to make, and you can customize it with your own choice of paper, colours, shapes, and patterns.
How to make eco friendly party decorations?
Sure, I can generate some eco-friendly ways of making paper bunting. Paper bunting is a beautiful addition to any party, but it can also generate a lot of waste. If you choose bunting made from materials that are not biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable; your party ends up harming the environment. Here are some tips and ideas on how to make paper bunting more eco-friendly:
- Use recycled or scrap paper for your bunting. You can use old newspapers, magazines, books, envelopes, wrapping paper, or any other paper that you have lying around.
- If you insist on buying new paper, buy paper that has been made from recycled materials, such as recycled cardstock or kraft paper. This way, you can reduce the amount of paper that goes to landfill and save some trees.
- Use compostable or edible materials for your bunting. You can use materials that can be composted or eaten after you use them, such as leaves, flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, or popcorn. These materials are natural and biodegradable, and they can add some colour, texture, and aroma to your bunting. You can also use materials that are edible for humans or animals, such as cookies, crackers, candy, or birdseed. These materials are fun and tasty, and they can attract some wildlife to your bunting.
- If you are going to make fabric bunting, use natural or organic materials for your bunting. You can use materials that are derived from plants or animals, such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, hemp, or bamboo. These materials are biodegradable and renewable, and they often have less impact on the environment than synthetic materials. You can also use materials that are certified organic, which means they have been grown or produced without harmful chemicals or pesticides.
- Use reusable or repurposed materials for your bunting. You can use materials that you already have at home or that you can use again for other purposes, such as fabric scraps, ribbons, lace, buttons, beads, sequins, or pom poms. These materials are reusable and versatile, and they can add some sparkle and flair to your bunting. You can also use materials that have been repurposed from other items that you no longer need or want, such as old clothes, towels, sheets, curtains, tablecloths, or pillowcases. These materials are repurposed and creative, and they can add some personality and style to your bunting.
How to make Fabric bunting
If you want to learn how to make fabric bunting, join our next workshop and learn how to make bunting using the sewing machine. It’s fun, I promise.
Also check out other sewing workshops offered – Sewing & mending workshops
And if you wanted some news on famous bunting: Ashbourne’s ‘famous’ five miles of bunting needs to be replaced – BBC News
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned how to make a paper bunting or paper garland in different ways. If you did, please share it with your friends and family who might also be interested in making their own paper bunting or paper garland.
And if you have any questions or comments about this article – “How to make a paper bunting”, please feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear from you and see what you have made.
Thank you for reading this article and happy crafting! 🔻🔻🔻
