easy halloween banner and bunting {tutorial}

It's almost October--time to break out the spiders and skulls! This is definitely a favorite holiday around our house. This week I made a quick and easy Halloween banner and a couple of buntings to hang in my kitchen (I don't really hang it outside, I just can't get a good pictures of it because it hangs in front of a window, hence the outdoor arrangement). My boys came home from school, spotted it immediately and said, "Does this mean it's almost Halloween?!" followed by much hooping and hollering. I may have let out a little "hoop" and a "holler" myself. I'm not ashamed to say I'm looking forward to all those Almond Joys they're going to be handing over.

The only thing that could've made this banner (and the accompanying buntings) easier is if I had bought them ready-made! I made it all out of paper supplies I already had, so I saved money, too (all the patterned paper is by Making Memories). That's worth at least a few Almond Joys, right?

I started out by cutting letters to spell "Trick or Treat" on my Silhouette machine. I used the Rococo font found here (and on sale for $1 through today!). The black card stock I had on hand was not Stampin' Up!, which is what I usually buy, so it was a little thinner than I like. I solved the problem by cutting two of each letter and layering them to make them a little stiffer.

Next I sprayed them with spray adhesive (you could also use glittering glue or Mod Podge, but the spray is way faster and less messy--just make sure you work in a well-ventilated area!). I like to spray my things in a cardboard box to make sure the surrounding area doesn't end up sticky.

Then I set it on a paper plate and dumped Martha Stewart's fine glitter all over it. Tap it off and you have a sparkly, happy letter! Love it!

 

To string the letters, I punch two holes in the top of each letter with my Crop-A-Dile,

 and used a yarn needle threaded with sparkly glitter ribbon to pull the ribbon through the letters.

 

To make the paper pennant bunting, I cut strips of patterned paper into 2" x 1.25" pieces. Then I cut them into pennant shapes by hand (do it while watching TV and it will be done in no time).

Using my sewing machine, I stitched them all in a row, leaving 2-4 stitches between each pennant. If you haven't tried this before, don't be afraid to try it! Sewing on paper is one of my favorite things to do, and so far I haven't ruined my machine or any needles. I love how this bunting turned out. I wish I could have these hanging all over my house, all year long. . .they're so festive.

For the paper fan bunting, I used the leftovers from my Halloween bat mobile / chandelier and strung them on a piece of thread with a needle. (See our tutorial or video tutorial for the accordion circles for instructions). 

I love the layered look of the three buntings. They are the first thing actually making me excited about fall! Bring on the Almond Joys, baby.

 

Stay tuned for a fun Halloween countdown project and more glitter coming soon!