I was inspired to make this Glittered Rustic Banner for our Bigfoot Party. There was already so much wood and burlap and other rustic elements that we needed to find a way to reflect the little girl’s feminine side and add a bit of sparkle to the party decorations. Glitter is always a great solution, right? Name banners can be used for just about any celebration or party and can be done in any color combination you choose. This banner uses the “ribbon” shape, which also adds a bit of feminine flair. For this party, we used the birthday girl’s favorite color, Carolina blue, as an accent color to soften the hard browns and greens.
Materials
- 3 Different Colors or Prints of 12 x 12 Paper
- Paper Trimmer
- Scissors
- Double Sided Tape
- Clear Tacky Glue
- Hole Punch
- Jute Twine (or Ribbon, Cord, String, etc.)
- Glitter
- Computer and Printer (or pre-cut letters if that’s how you roll)
Instructions
Step 1: Use the paper trimmer to cut 4″ off the 12 x 12 paper you selected for the ribbon-shaped part of the banner segments. You will now have 8 x 12-inch sheets. Repeat this for however many segments you need, two to a page.
Step 2: Use the paper trimmer to cut these sheets in half, so each piece measures 6″ x 8″. Each sheet will yield two segments.
Step 3: Place a 6″ x 8″ segment on the paper trimmer at the 3″ mark, so that it is centered on the blade line, with 3″ on each side. Slide the blade to the 6″ mark on the blade arm before you fold it down on the paper. Slide the blade towards the edge, cutting a 2″ line to the edge of the paper.
Step 4: Turn the paper and cut at an angle from the bottom corner to the starting point of that 2″ cut.
Step 5: Turn the paper again, and start from the other corner and cut at an angle to the starting point of that 2″ cut. You should now have a chevron or ribbon edge to the paper.
Step 6: Use a hole punch to punch holes in the top two corners of the segments. Don’t punch the holes too close to the edge so they won’t tear.
Step 7: Use one of your colored accent papers for the letters. You can freehand draw your own letters or print them from your computer. You can easily trim 12″ x 12″ paper to 8.5″ x 11″ so it will fit in your printer. If you’d like to use the FREE printable templates I have made (the bigfoot images, too), as well as loads of other free printables, just sign up at the end of my post.
Step 8: Cut out all the letters. One at a time, paint the clear glue on the letters, trying to get full coverage to the edges. (I didn’t.) Glue and glitter one letter at a time because the glue dries very fast.
Step 9: Sprinkle the glitter all over the sticky letter. Tap off excess glitter. Could you use glitter glue? Yep. Is there a better way to get the glitter to stick? Probably. Let me know how you do it.
Step 10: After the letters are 100% dry (not almost), use double sided tape to adhere them to the other accent paper.
Step 11: Cut around the edge of the letters, leaving about a 1/4″ edge of the accent color showing.
Step 12: Use double-sided tape to adhere the letters to the ribbon-shaped paper, centering them as much as possible.
Step 13: String the segments in the desired order, using the twine, ribbon, or cord. I recommend weaving into the left side and out of the right so that the long part of the twine is in the back.
That’s it! This Glittered Rustic Banner has a lot of steps and some tricky cutting, but I think it’s well worth it.
This project was a huge hit. In fact, the birthday girl liked it so much she hung it in her room. To be safe, I suggest testing out your cuts with some scrap paper first to make sure you have it down. This name banner can also be made in many different colors and styles. The possibilities are endless!
Be Inspired!