How to Sew Bunting Letters for Beginners

Fancy making letter bunting?

I’ve made one that spells out SMILES as a gift to my sister-in-law.

You can choose whatever word you fancy, such as LOVE or WELCOME or even make a very long bunting to say CRAZY FOR YOU. Anyway, you get the idea…

It’s super easy so it’s perfect for beginners. Pro’s also will find this a fun project as it’s straight forward and fast to do. Read on to find out how I did mine.

What You Will Need

• 2 different materials (fat quarters should be enough but depends on your letters) – mine are from Prestigious Textiles
• Scissors, pen and ruler
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread
• Plain paper

Step 1

Print or draw your letters on any blank sheet of paper. Mine are about an inch thick with 2/3 inches wide, dependant on the letters. Feel free to choose any type of bubble writing but the thicker the letters the better they’re going to hang.

Cut them out once you’re happy with the way they look and fit them onto your material – make sure that the two different materials are lying on top of each other with the wrong sides together.

Step 2

Pin and tack your letters to your materials and then cut around them, leaving at least half an inch around all sides.

Step 3

Using a straight central line on the sewing machine, sew all around your letters so that both of your materials are sewn together in the shape of your letter. Try to sew as closely to the edge of the letters as possible and take care when doing the curved letters. A beginner may want to stop the machine and turn it slowly. When you’re turning for the edges of straight letters, make sure that the needle remains in the material, only then turn your material at a 90 degree angle.

Once done, remove the tacking and paper. Also, fasten and cut the loose ends.

Step 4

Now, cut around what you’ve just sewn leaving around 5mm. The next step is to make the bunting strip to secure them to our letters so that they hang nicely.

Step 5

The bunting strip should be double of your letter length so place your letters in a row and measure them out. Cut out that length plus 3 inches wide. Take the top and bottom of that material and bring the ends together in the centre. Now, fold that at the centre point. Using your sewing machine, sew a line at the very top of your strip, lengthways. Fasten your loose ends once that’s done.

Now, centralise your letters on the bunting, spacing them out how you’d like them to appear once hanging. Pin them into place and tack if need be. Sew a second line on the bottom of your strip now and as you do so continue on the letters so that they’re now part of the bunting strip. Once you get to the end, simply secure the threads and neaten the edges and there you have it.

If you learn faster by watching someone do it first then make sure to check my sewing video tutorial out below:

It’s seriously that simple. Have fun!