Happy Birthday Banner

So this is the project I was working on with all that gorgeous fabric! A child's birthday banner. More specifically, Stephen Small's birthday banner.


Honestly, I thought I had given up on sewing, but I decided that I (even I) could sew. I just needed to start with projects that are FUN and ones that the end goal was not to wear the item on my body. There is no need for me to sew my own clothes in a world with Target and Old Navy.

Besides, what I love about sewing is all the cool fabric. This project was perfect for me because I got to use 28 + different patterns! Just looking at all that fabric makes me high...like a shopper's kind of high. Do you know what I mean?

But wait...

The coolest thing about this banner is that it is reversible....

Happy Birthday to sister...

No, I'm not expecting, but I thought it would be fun to make a girl side in hopes of one day having a daughter. If not, then I'm just happy to loan it to Stephen Small's girl cousins and friends.

Closer look at the girl side...

While I was making this I kept jokingly saying to Stephen Grande "You didn't know you married a crafter did ya?"

His response..."No....no...I didn't."

I think the terms crafting and crafter are hysterical, but turns out I am one...HA HA.

I, Sarah Barry, am a crafter.

I enjoy crafting.

I own 2 glue guns.

Can we all laugh out loud about that?

If you are interested in making one here are the how to's....

*Note...I used a regular 8 x 11 sheet of paper as my scale for both letters and background fabric.

Step 1- Go buy a ton of cute boy and girl fabric. I bought 14 boy patterns and 14 girl. You could scale back if you don't feel so crazy. Make sure you get contrasting fabrics so the letters will show up.

Step 2- Cut out your letters on regular typing paper. I wanted mine to be uniform so I bought some sticker letters at Office Max and enlarged them on a copy machine on a plain piece of paper. I then cut out the letters.


Step 3- Place letters backwards on applique paper and trace. You will see the reason for this in a minute.

Step 4- After letter is cut out of applique paper (is that what you call it? i don't know the correct term for this sticky iron on paper, sorry.) Place letter backwards on the BACK SIDE of fabric. This B is a bad example, because I just flipped it UP to make it face the right way, but you want to cut the letter out backwards on the BACK of the fabric. Have I totally confused you yet?

Step 5- I hope this picture makes more sense of it all...see how letter faces right way...
Iron letter to background fabric. I only takes about 10 seconds.

Please ignore the dingy ironing board coverlet...it's my moms.

Step 6- Sew stitches along the boarders of the letters. This is to both reinforce that the letters will stick to the fabric and to give it a more handmade look.

Step 7-Once both girl and boy letters are complete. Cut out 14 8X11 rectangles of quilt backing (this will be used as the lining in between the girl and boy sides). Also, you want to pick a fabric to use for spacing b/t Happy and Birthday for both the girl and boy side.


Step 8-Putting it all together. I made a long ribbon out of scraps to sew all the rectangles to, sandwiching it (the ribbon) between the rectangle and the quilt lining...I then sewed all the letters on one by one. I also sewed loops on each end to hang the banner up with.

Step 9-HAVE FUN! Be creative. Use your crafty noggin.'

I think I confused myself writing this tutorial. Sorry if some steps are unclear. I'm so new to sewing I don't even have the vocabulary to describe some of this stuff, but hopefully the pictures helped. I think this would be a great gift for someone very special!