BrittanyMakes

I swear to you, every year I promise myself, 'this is the year I'm going to buy a "Merry Christmas" banner'.  I typically catch myself thinking this while shopping at Anthropologie, gazing longingly at their adorable handmade bunting or banner.  But, the second I glance at the price tag, I walk away every time.  $98?!? WHY oh WHY!!  But not today!  Since I've tapped deep into my crafty superpowers, I've decided to make my own.

Although it seems like it, Christmas is not the next holiday.  Consider this post a toast to Thanksgiving.

HOW TO MAKE A GLITTERY HOLIDAY BANNER

Materials:

1. Alphabet stencil
2. 2 manila file folders
3. Elmer's spray adhesive
4. glitter of choice
5. scissors
6. hole punch
7. twine or ribbon of choice

STEP 1 – take the manila folders and stencils, and draw out your letters

STEP 2 – cut out your letters with scissors and an x-acto knife. Place some cardboard under using your letters when using x-acto knife.  The last thing you need is the letter A stenciled into your coffee or dining table.

STEP 3 – grab your Elmer's adhesive spray, and spray your first letter

STEP 4 – give it one light-medium coat

STEP 5 – quickly sprinkle glitter over the letter, straight from the container or with a spoon.  I used a standard fine glitter that I found at Michael's.  You can use whatever glitter you want. 

Since the glue dries rather quickly, I found it easier to work on one letter at a time.  Gently tap the letter on its side to shake off any excess glitter.  You may have to apply a second coat, just spray on top of the first coat and sprinkle more glitter

STEP 6 – let them dry for an hour or so

STEP 7 – punch out holes at the top of each letter, where you want to thread your garland.  I recommend 2 holes per letter, it allows the letters to hang evenly.

And, as promised, I made my own Christmas banner, in Italian of course.  "Buon Natale!"

We plan to hang this at my boyfriend's parents house.

I must say, I love me some German glass glitter!

German glass glitter is so fine and sparkly. It's less convenient to get a hold of, you have to order it from a specialty store.  I found a half-pound of it on Ebay for $12, and it comes in a variety of colors.  I bought the silver glitter.

I'm sure you've seen other versions of this holiday banner.  My favorite is Miss Mustard Seed's glittery Christmas banner.  Hers looks so elegant in her room at Luckett's, and she is even generous to have shared her HGTV tutorial on how she made her Christmas banner.  I will be the first to say, I definitely used Miss Mustard Seed's banner as inspiration, however I wanted mine to be economical.  I didn't want to buy pre-made cardboard Christmas banner like she did.  I wanted to make my own from household materials, which is why I chose to use the manila folders.  You can also a cereal box for some durable but thin cardboard, something you can easily run your scissors through.

A more durable alternative to using a manila folder for the letters is to order some chipboard.  I actually ordered some chipboard the other day off of amazon for less than $10.

See, there was a reason I held out on a holiday banner for so long!  Next, I'll be making a 'Merry Christmas' banner once the chipboard arrives.  Weee!