DIY Prop Tutorial: Pennant Banner

Pennant banners are all the rage right now for newborn and baby photography.  I really wanted a boy banner and a girl banner and there are so many cute ones out there, but they are a little on the spendy side.  After looking around and debating about purchasing one I realized I could probably just whip one up myself.  You may also want to check out arts and crafts classes at online accredited colleges that can teach you how to make different kinds of darling pennant banners using left-over fabrics.

Now here's the thing, this is a simple, no-sew banner.  I wanted it to be quick and easy.  It is not heirloom quality like the ones you can purchase on Etsy.  Those banners are spendy for a reason, they are double sided and stitched with love and care to make a very high quality product.  I may very well purchase one of those beauties in the future but for now, since I have to pick and choose which props to spend money on, I save where I can.   The banner I am going to show you how to make may fray over time or in the wash because that's what happens to fabric when you don't finish your seams (which includes lots of sewing time). 

However, if you take care of the banner it should last you quite awhile and make a great, affordable, and fun prop to add to your collection.

A couple notes before we get started:

1) After seeing the finished product used in my photography there are a couple things I would change If I were to do it over again.  I would choose only fabrics with small prints on them because the larger prints seem to be a little distracting.  I would probably also switch the brown fabric out with another shade of blue, or maybe a soft green.  The brown just seems to bold to me.  I would also choose a ribbon that had no gloss/shine to it. 

2) The adorable birthday outfit set was purchased from Fuzzy Cheeks Boutique.

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Okay let's get started.

Supplies:

- An assortment of fabrics.  I chose to do three flags of three different fabrics (total of 9 flags) but you could choose nine different fabrics if you wanted, or do something in between.  If you do three fabrics like I did, a half yard of each will be plenty.  If you do nine different fabrics the little pre-cut portions (I think they're called fabric quarters) would easily be enough for one or two flags.

- Fabric scissors

- A ruler

- Fabric chalk or normal chalk

- A piece of paper

- A roll of 1 inch wide ribbon (that coordinates with your fabric)

- A hot glue gun

Steps:

Well there you have it.  I hope some of you will have fun trying this out and making yourself an adorable pennant banner!  I would love to see any photos if you do try it out!  Let me know if there are any questions.