(Every Day is) Halloween Banner

Halloween is six months away. I'm not the kind of person who decorates their house for every holiday, but I do love decorating for Christmas and Halloween. Especially Halloween.  

I have a growing collection of glass pumpkins that I add to every year, and a Halloween tree. But of course there's room for more.

I have been diligently working on my Fox needlepoint -- honest. But a few nights back I had the house to myself for an evening and I felt like getting out my sewing machine and making a small project. But what to make?!?

At some point last fall I picked up some random stuff in the post-Halloween clearance at my local Jo-Ann. I couldn't resist the skull-patterned burlap, even if I had NO IDEA what people do with the rolls of burlap that appear for every holiday. Turns out, most people make wreaths. Really lovely wreaths. Who knew?

image from burlap wreath tutorial on Little Lovely Leaders

But I already have a Halloween wreath for my door, and I wanted something to dress up the mantel... so I decided to make a banner. 

When I found the pre-cut letters spelling out "TRICK OR TREAT" and "HAPPY HALLOWEEN', I couldn't decide which to make... so I bought both sets. Hey, they were 75% off ...

Because the letters were purple, orange, and black sequin fabric, I wanted something to set it off from the black-and-white burlap. Enter lime green tulle on a roll ... another one of those products I always see at the fabric store but have never bought. I'm told people use this tulle for wedding decorations, party decorations, and making tutus. But I figured a few layers of it on top of the burlap would add a hint of color.

So I started by sewing 4 layers of the tulle on top of the burlap -- using the entire roll of burlap and most of the roll of tulle. Four layers was enough to add a definite green tint, while still being able to see the skulls.

Then I took the big combined roll and cut it vertically into segments. Originally I had thought I would make triangle sections, but that didn't really work with the letters and the size of the burlap. So I made little rectangles, and then cut little ^ shapes in the bottom.

I thought I might sew the letters on ... but then decided that tacky glue would work just fine!

I arranged the letters on some ribbon I had in the basement. True confession: I have had this ribbon for well over a decade. I think I bought this ribbon after my Mom and I went to the lavender festival in Sequim and learned how to make lavender wands. And it's just sat in my craft supplies ever since. Using it felt like a tiny win.

Sewing the "flags" onto the ribbon was simple; I didn't need it to be perfect, just to be together.

happy accident when the O lined up perfectly with the skull!

And voila! Halloween banners!

An amusing aside: you will no doubt note that I'm missing the initial H on my "HAPPY HALLOWEEN" banner. I have NO IDEA where it went. It was there, and then, poof. I decided to to ahead and "finish" the banner for now and I'll add the H later. After all, I've got a few months... And, no, I won't be leaving the banner in place until then. Honest.

"Making a Halloween Banner" is also part of my #101in1001 project, which is moving along... slowly.