A DIY Bunting For Every Occasion: 30 Projects

Buntings make everything more festive!

No matter the special occasion (or even no occasion at all!), I guarantee that there is a perfect bunting for you to make for that event.

Maybe it’s a teeny-tiny bunting made of vintage sheet music for the top of a birthday cake or a denim and burlap Christmas bunting.

It could be vintage doilies for a wedding or fabric scraps for a reading nook. Honestly, it could be anything, as long as it makes you happy!

So check out my giant list of all my favorite bunting tutorials, below. Pick your favorite occasion, pick your favorite material, and start crafting your new favorite decoration!

1. Denim

This is my absolute favorite type of bunting to make and to own, and you’d know that if you’ve ever been to my house, because I have one for every single holiday. I really love how easy denim buntings are to applique–I’ve appliqued onto them with felt, fleece, and burlap, and I always love the way it looks.

2. Embellished Sewn Fabric Bunting

This bunting is made even more elaborate by sewing together two types of fabric AND a lace ribbon to make each pennant flag.

3. Swallowtail Bunting

Kick it up a notch from plain triangles!

4. Sewn Fabric Bunting

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6EadasgWlD/

I also have a lot of buntings made from quilting cotton; most of them were former party decorations that I can’t bear to part with, and I don’t have to, because quilting cotton is heirloom-quality. Here’s a tutorial for three different shapes of bunting, and the only thing that I would add is to always edge stitch the pennant flags to encourage them to lay flat.

5. Book Covers

The most eco-friendly way to do this project would be to use actual book covers from otherwise damaged books, but unless your child’s entire book collection was subject to an extreme scribbling event (it’s been known to happen…), the easier way is to use this book cover bunting tutorial, which calls for T-shirt transfer paper. It uses a lot of printer ink, but no books are harmed!

6. Book Page And Button Bunting

If you have a book that’s seen better days, upcycle it into this bunting, also embellished with cardstock and vintage buttons.

7. Burlap And Stamped Bunting

Burlap is a durable, eco-friendly fabric suitable for indoor and outdoor use. This Independence Day burlap bunting is even better, though–that star stamp? It’s made using a starfruit!

8. Cake Bunting

Here’s that teeny-tiny cake bunting! The bunting in this tutorial is made from the envelopes that bills come in, because security patterns are pretty. You, however, can substitute any pretty paper that you prefer.

9. Cornstarch Clay

Did you know that you can make pennant flags out of clay? They’re a bit delicate, but genuinely beautiful! I especially love this DIY cornstarch clay for a bunting, because it’s porcelain white and takes paint and marker like a dream.

10. Cinnamon Dough Bunting

Here’s another one of those DIY clay buntings for you. This one will make your house smell amazing!

11. Crochet Bunting

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkDRjPfAD4K/

I love the look of this crochet bunting, perfect for small amounts of yarn.

12. Fringed Crochet Bunting

For a more elaborate bunting, add fringe!

13. Crochet Heart Bunting

This is a sweet and festive crocheted bunting. Make it in pinks and purples for Valentine’s Day, or in rainbow for Pride!

14. Knit Sunflower Bunting

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0NptnYIAJV/

If you knit instead of crochet, make yourself a whole bunting full of sunflowers!

15. Candy Corn Bunting

If your favorite part of Halloween is the candy, then this is the bunting for you!

16. Faux Stained Glass Bunting

Kids will adore helping you use up old crayons by ironing them between sheets of waxed paper and sewing them into a beautiful bunting that has the look of stained glass.

17. Gingerbread Garland

While you’re making this bunting, make some extra gingerbread to eat. I mean, obviously!

18. Girl Scout Cookie Box Bunting

Help a kid market her little corner of the world’s largest girl-led business by buying one of every single type of cookie she has, then pass her the boxes so she can make this bunting!

19. Polaroid Pictures

The current crop of instant photos work perfectly for this project, but you can also DIY your photos into the Polaroid “look.”

20. Scrapbook Paper

If you’ve got some stash 12″x12″ scrapbook paper that wishes it was a bunting, here’s a template that lets you get the most pennant flags from each piece of paper.

21. Glue-Free Book Page Bunting

This is a great choice for a temporary bunting, because when the party is over, you can compost cotton yarn, compost or put wool yarn into your planters (did you know that wool will help your planters retain moisture?), and compost or recycle the book pages.

22. No-Sew Fabric Bunting

You can have a beautiful fabric bunting even if you don’t know how to sew. The secret–as always!–is hot glue.

23. Sewn Paper

Did you know that you can sew paper with your sewing machine? It’s true! The garland hanger for this bunting is nothing but thread, and it looks awesome!

24. Tree Bunting

Because even the Christmas season needs a bunting!

25. Crochet Christmas Bunting

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0eKzZSh1aN/

The tutorial teaches you how to crochet the bunting and the holly leaves and berries. To add letters, just cut them out of felt and stitch onto the pennants.

26. Lavender-Scented Heart Bunting

Use your favorite stuffing for these hearts, and add the dried herb of your choosing for a gentle scent.

27. Rag Bunting

This is the scrappiest of all scrappy buntings!

28. Strawberry Bunting

The applique strawberries make a bunting perfect for all of your spring celebrations!

29. Upcycled Playing Card And Upholstery Sample Bunting

This tutorial uses a partial deck of playing cards and some stash upholstery samples to create a fun bunting. I stenciled a message onto the upholstery fabric using fabric paint, but this type of bunting also lends itself to some really artistic effects. Go Google “altered playing cards” to see what I mean!

30. Wood

Get yourself a miter box and make a bunting that looks like anything made with paper or fabric, but is in fact super sturdy and heirloom-quality wood.

Do you have a favorite bunting project that you don’t see on my list? Tell me about it in the comments below!