Introduction: Make a Name Banner

About: Hi. I'm Ellen, PhD student by day and sewer/crafter/maker by night. I believe anyone can be a maker, so I post videos on YouTube about what I make and how I make it to offer some help. I believe that if you m…

I really enjoy making personalized gifts for special occasions. And the birth of a baby is definitely special. So when some close friends had their first baby, I surprised them with a handmade banner with his name on it. They loved it, so of course I made another one when they recently had their second baby.

These banners make great gifts and can be used for years to come. Read the instructions below to see how I made it, or watch the video :)

What you'll need:

- Woven fabric for the flags in one or more colors. The amount depends on how long the name is that you will be putting on, but in general 1,5 meters of fabric should be plenty.

- Woven fabric for the letters in a contrasting color. You only need a little bit.

- Bias tape. I used 5 meters.

- Fusible interfacing

- Fusible webbing

- Matching thread

- Sewing machine

- Iron

Step 1: Cut the Pieces

I started by cutting the flag pieces, using the pattern I drew up when they had their first kid. Use any shape you like, just make sure to add seam allowance all around. Each flag needs two pieces, so I’m cutting double the amount of flags I want to end up with, evenly dividing them across the fabric colours.

Step 2: Prepare the Letters

Next up, I printed out the baby name letters. I picked a simple font, so that the cutting and sewing will be easier. I cut the letters out and grabbed some fusible webbing. This is similar to fusible interfacing, as you can iron it onto your fabric. However, fusible webbing uses paper instead of fabric, and this paper can be peeled off later. It’s basically double sided tape for fabric.

I traced the letters onto the paper side of the fusible webbing, making sure to do so in reverse! I then roughly cut around the letters and ironed them onto the fabric for the letters. After letting it cool down a bit, I could now cut the letters out of the fabric.

Step 3: Attach the Letters

I ironed some fusible interfacing onto the back of the pieces that will receive the letters. This reinforces the fabric and prevents it from bunching up when you sew the letters on.

I peeled off the paper backing and ironed the letters onto the flags. Then I sewed a tight zigzag stitch all the way around the letters to attach them permanently.

Step 4: Sew Up the Flags

Now that all the prep was done, I could start sewing up the flags. I placed two flags of the same colour right sides together and sewed around the sides. I then trimmed down the seam allowance with pinking shears to keep the fabric from fraying. Around the point, I cut away as much fabric as I could.

I turned all the flags right side out and ironed them flat. Then, I trimmed all the tops down a bit, so that both layers are the same length.

Step 5: Add the Flagline

I used bias tape for the line. I simply placed each flag in between the folded bias tape, using clips to hold them in place. I then sewed all along the bias tape, closing it and permanently attaching the flags.

And that’s it.