How to Make an Easy Paper Banner
Banners are an easy decoration to make. They work for so many occasions including birthdays and showers. They even make nice decorations. When on Pinterest, I see so many nicely made ones. They seem to consist of several layers. I get asked quite often “how to put together” all those layers. How many do you choose? How do you coordinate them all? So here I’ve put together an easy-to-follow formula for making an easy paper banner.
Supplies You’ll Need to Make an Easy Paper Banner
- Paper – yes this may seem obvious, but what kind and what types?
Typically you’ll want at least 1 layer to be somewhat substantial so you’ll need something like cardstock. I like to use cardstock for the base, since I’m putting a whole bunch of layers on top of it and I want the base to be able to handle that.
Also consider scrapbook paper for pretty patterns. You could even use wall paper as there are great patterns there as well.
You could also use construction paper.
I find that my local dollar store has a lot of selection for both cardstock and scrapbook paper. They selection is not always consistent, but I can usually find something. If I see a package of paper that I like, I’ll quite often grab it so that I always have some on hand. - Something to cut with. Scissors work perfectly fine for this craft. However I’m lucky to have the use of my Cricut Explore Air 2 to do all the cutting for me.
- Adhesives – there are so many different types of glue out there. When it comes to paper crafts, I like to use glue tape as I feel that I have more control over it. Sometimes I get over zealous with the liquid glue and it gets kind of goopy. Also, if the paper is thin, too much glue will soak through and result in a wrinkled look. A glue gun will also work, but I am typically too lazy to pull it out – I find that the glue tape is easier to grab.
- Optional extras – these things can make it fancier and add a nice touch.
Foam dots – these are used instead of glue as they are sticky on both sides. They give a raised effect to your paper craft.
Embosser – this adds a nice texture to plain cardstock. I don’t find that it shows up particularly well with patterned paper. When I can’t find any patterned paper to go with the project I’m doing, I will stick to solid cardstock and emboss it. I’m lucky to have the Big Kick which manually embosses paper - Something to hang your banner with – this can be string or ribbon. Again, you can get this at your local dollar store.
An Easy Formula to Make an Easy Paper Banner
All those fancy banners on Pinterest look so nice – how do you achieve the same effect? Here’s an easy-to-follow formula that will give you great results every time. The formula consists of 3 layers. Now you could certainly do more than this. You could also do less. There are countless variations on this you could do as well. Treat this as a base to get started and see where your creativity leads you.
Layer 1 – Base Layer
- I prefer to use cardstock for this as it creates a strong base for all the other layers.
- Typically I use a solid colour as this layer is the one least seen since you’ll be layering on top of it.
- I also choose a strong colour for – think of it as the main colour.
Layer 2 – Middle Layer
- You’ll notice that this is slightly smaller than the base layer. The base layer still shows but it acts like a border around this middle layer.
- I like to do something fancier for this layer – use patterned paper or emboss as it will stand out.
- Choose a nice contrasting colour or a pattern that coordinates with the base colour.
Layer 3 – Message Layer
- This is typically your letters or your message. It can say Happy Birthday, Congratulations or someone’s name – whatever the message you want to convey.
- This could be the same colour as the base layer, or another complimentary colour.
- Since this is the message – you’ll want some that stands out and therefore easy to read.
Steps to Making an Easy Paper Banner
There are many banner templates out there. They come in all shapes. I like to make the middle layer a similar shape to the banner or base shape. For the letters, I like to choose a fat font so that it stands out and is easy to read. Once you have that all organized, cut out all your pieces. This can be done with scissors or a cutting machine like a Cricut or Silhouette. I use my Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut mine out.
Since this was a banner for my son’s birthday, I let him pick the colours. We couldn’t immediately decide what we liked for the middle layer so I cut a couple of things so that we could see what it looked like together.
We chose to emboss the middle layer using my Sizzix Big Kick.
Once everything is cut out, you just need to assemble it. As mentioned, I like to use glue tape because it’s quick and easy and it doesn’t make a mess. But you could easily use a glue stick, liquid glue or a glue gun. In order to make the letters pop, I like to use those foam squares that lift the letter up a bit, giving it a bit of dimension.
Hang your banner using ribbon or string or twine. The banner template that I used had little slots to make it easy for weaving something through to hang it.
This is a quick and easy craft that can be worked up easily. Once you have this base formula down, you can add your own personal touch by varying it. If you use this easy paper banner formula, please tag me in your photos using #wcoastmom – I’d love to see how you put your own spin on it.
