This DIY Watercolor Bunting Banner is the perfect way to decorate for a baby shower, birthday party, or just because!
Hello! This is Kelly from City Supper Club with a cute and easy DIY that works for any occasion! Bunting is a cute and fun decorating trend, showing up for parties, holidays and even on cakes! Here’s how you can make your own in your choice of color scheme with a custom message!
Originally, I made one for my son’s 2nd birthday party and it was so cute and easy I made another for a friend’s baby shower. I used a heavy, toothy watercolor paper to create the background with an easy watercolor technique and hand-lettered each one to spell out my message. If you’re not a painter or don’t want to invest in the materials, you can always create this with colored card stock or a beautiful patterned paper as an alternative. Or print your own watercolor paper from a downloadable background. But I do recommend getting into these watercolors– painting is so mindless and relaxing after a long day, and this is an easy project to set up and walk away from if you have a busy home! This is a really fun project for parties, holidays, weddings, showers, kids rooms and more! A personalized banner is a great way to add a special touch
Materials:
- 8.5 x 11″ watercolor paper
- watercolors
- brushes (thicker, 1 or 2″ wide)
- water
- straight edge/ruler
- scissors
- ribbon or pretty string
- hole punch
- gold or black marker
Tip: Give yourself a few days to complete this project. While it’s fast and easy, you’ll want the paper to dry between coats. This will allow you to layer your paint, giving you a very pretty background with a lot of texture and depth. Also, your paper may tend to curl as it dries. Once fully dry, you can press the paper under something heavy like a book for a day or two to flatten it out.
To start: If you’re not familiar with watercolors, fear not. They are very easy and incredibly forgiving. I have a tutorial for this tequnique here, on my site. Paint in layers, choosing similar hues or layering multiple colors. Splatter some paint on to create texture, drop some water on to wash away color in some areas. Let each layer dry thoroughly, repeat the layering process until you’re happy with the result. Each sheet will make 2 triangles (and 4 small triangles if you wish to use them), create as many sheets as you need for your message.
On the back of your sheet with a straight edge, draw an X corner to corner. This is where you will cut to create your 2 large triangles. You can save the 2 smaller triangles if you wish to make additional bunting. Add each letter of your message to the painted side, making sure to center. I recommend, of course, starting in pencil and tracing with marker once you’re happy with each letter.
Once you have each triangle, it’s time to assemble. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top right and left corners. String a pretty piece of ribbon though, threading toward the back so it’s hidden. Leave at least a foot or more extra on each side to hang.
Below is the final product, on the display at the gift table. We used safety pins to attach it to the table cloth. It was a windy but beautiful day!
