DIY Decorations: Bunting!

TheSeventh

Hello!

We're getting married in a village hall which isn't a usual wedding venue, so it doesn't have all the usual 'weddingy' decoration. I wanted to put my own stamp on things, but our budget would never stretch to draping or even chair covers.

So while looking for inspiration at Martha Stewart Weddings I found a picture of some paper bunting in the background and lightbulbs lit up!

Adapting their design a bit, I bought some cheap rolls of wallpaper from a discount DIY store and some string and ribbons. Cut out rectangles of paper, fold in half and glue, leaving a gap at the fold for the string. I rounded off the corners because I thought it made it look a bit less formal (i like informal!)





Then I thought that maybe it's not quite festive enough, so I sent my OH to a market haberdashery to buy me lengths of ribbon. I just looped these around the string and cut a V into the ends to stop it fraying!





We're thinking that with a guillotine and a paper punch to round off the corners, we can make a lot of this bunting pretty quickly (the above length took me about 20-30 mins, but I didn't know what I was doing!).

We can also personalise squares, add buttons or sparkles and write messages on pieces if we want to. So much flexibility! The wallpaper is great as it's so much tougher than normal paper so it'll withstand a fair amount of fluttering in breezes, and of course, wallpaper comes in pretty much any colour you could ask for, so matching colour-schemes should be easy!

I'm really happy with it, am planning on doing some small squares like this for the front of the top table and serving tables, and bigger (A4, maybe?) ones for right up around the rafters.

Lots of cutting and sticking to be done, but so far, the whole lot has cost me £21!


Does anyone else have any DIY decoration ideas?

trying_2_b_good

Looks lovely - well done!!

I only wish I had the patience & creativity!!

lynnexxxo

http://imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-tissue-paper-pom-poms.html

I think these look great, and would be really cheap to make.

Curious_George_2

the bunting is lovely, well done

Mayflower10cat

Good idea, well done. I've got all sorts of oddments of nice, heavy quality wrapping paper - I also save decent size bits from presents received - that'd work just as well. I was also thinking that as so many shops let you take a chunk of wallpaper as a free sample....??!!!!!

Mayflower10cat

must be feeling a bit retro this afternoon - just remembered something we used to do at school which would make very pretty paper mats to decorate a table. Ideally you need a little guillotine and a cutting mat/craft knife. Take a piece of decorative paper about the size of a tablemat, and leaving a border of about an inch on one edge, use the craft knife and cutting mat (ruler as well if you like) to cut from this border down to the far edge. Cut strips like this all the way across so you end up with a sort of long fringe. You can vary the width between the cuts or not. With any other paper you like, using the guillotine, cut into strips of various widths. Then 'weave' the strips through the 'fringe' sheet. You end up with a pretty, random checked effect. Now, secure the last strip you threaded through with sticky tape and then carefully trim the edges. Stick tape around the edges as a border and to secure.

TheSeventh

lynnexxo: those pompoms look amazing! quite want to have a go at that!

Mayflower10cat: oooh, that could be fun! I remember making paper mats at school too!

This wallpaper is lovely. I'm hoping that I'll have enough left over to make matching placemats for the dinner tables!

White_Sapphire

I love the ribbons in between! I might steal that idea... I'm thinking of doing lace bunting for a vintage feel, using old net curtains, and hadn't thought of using ribbon as well - good one!

Scotsbride

They all look and sound lovely

MissPixie

Well done that looks fab. I am sewing fabric bunting for our wedding it is very tedious! Those paper pom poms look lovely

costcutterkaz

lynnexxxo wrote: »

http://imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-tissue-paper-pom-poms.html

I think these look great, and would be really cheap to make.

Loving these giant pom-poms!!! xx