Hello! It’s Gail from Boo and Lu Designs and The Simple Life Pattern Company. As a part of Thermoweb’s Birthday Week, I am sharing with you this quick and easy birthday banner with a customizable age applique!

Easy Birthday Banner with Age Applique

Supplies Needed

Sewing Instructions

  • Using the Birthday Banner Template and the measurements in the cut chart above, cut out all of your supplies.
  • You may wish to use pinking shears on your 20″ x 2″ strips of fabric, this will help prevent the fabric from fraying. I have chosen to leave mine straight because I like the “shabby” look of frayed edges on my banners.

  • Place your two rectangular flag pieces right sides together and pin/clip.
  • Sew using a 3/8″ seam allowance making sure to leave a 2″ opening to turn your flag right side out.

  • Trim your seam allowance with pinking shears if you have them. Clip a notch in each corner to ensure that your corners press out nicely.
  • Turn your flag right side out. Use a long blunt object to push out the corners. I like to use a turning tool, however, you may use a chopstick, the blunt end of a pen, anything that can get into the corners well and push them out without poking through your seam.
  • Press well with an iron.

  • Using a pen or marker, trace the numbers on the template provided onto the paper backing side of your HeatnBond.
  • If you are not using the numbers provided, be sure you are MIRRORING your numbers, ie: tracing them backwards. This will ensure that they are going in the right direction once you press it onto your banner.
  • Using your iron, press your HeatnBond onto your fabric.

  • After your fabric cools, cut around the traced number and peel off the paper backing.

  • Center your number applique on your flag, right side up. The bottom of your number will be approximately 1″ above the bottom middle point.
  • With the adhesive side facing the right side of the banner, press to adhere your applique to the flag.

  • If you wish, you can sew around the applique with your machine (or hand stitching if you prefer).
  • I’ve used a decorative quilting stitch that comes with my machine because I like the look it has on appliques.

  • Fold your flag in half so that the pointed edges are aligned.
  • Make sure that your number applique is on the outside.
  • Sew 1/2″ down from the folded edge to create a casing where your string/yarn/twine will be inserted. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end to secure your stitches.

  • Using a safety pin, insert your yarn/string/twine (whatever you’re using for your banner, I used a decorative pink/white swirl twine) through the casing that you created.
  • Center your flag on the string.

  • Now we will tie our fabric strips to the string. We will be making a simple knot. It  helps to tape your string to the table to keep it taught when tying your knots.
  • We will be tying 5 strips of each color on either side of the flag. Alternate the colors as you please.
  • To tie your knots, lay your fabric strip with the wrong side facing up on your table.
  • Place the string over the fabric strip, about halfway.

  • Bring the left side of the fabric over the string and to the right side.
  • Cross the right side of the fabric over the left as shown below.

  • Take the top piece of the strip and bring it up and under the loop you created when crossing the pieces in the previous step.

  • Pull the two ends of your fabric strip taught to create a knot.

  • Keep alternating your strips until all of them are tied onto your string.
  • You will likely need to do some tugging on the strips to adjust them exactly how you’d like. I find it quite poofy when it’s first tied, but with a good tug both ends of the strip hang down nicely.

  • Now hang up using tape or by tying the strings into loops at the ends.
  • This banner looks great hung on tables, walls, or even held up by the birthday boy/girl for birthday pictures.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this tutorial, happy sewing!

xoxo, Gail

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