Apr02 Bunny Burlap Banner: Tutorial 2013

Hello readers!

Can you believe it’s April and Easter is just around the corner??? It’s one of my favorite holidays {Who am I kidding?…they’re all my favorite.}

The thing about Easter is that it’s not all fun and games. There’s the sober part: His death. And then the joyful part: His resurrection. His death is one of the most sobering to commemorate, but also so so important in grasping the gospel {even if you’ve been a Christian for years}. It brings us back time and time again to His immense love for His sinners…and the reason for His resurrection.

This season makes me grateful. Grateful for a God who saw my need, my inadequacy, my worthlessness, my selfishness. But loved me anyway.

Easter also makes me want to celebrate. He loves us. He cares for us. He has made the sacrifice for us. Can it get any better than that?!

I try to make some time to have conversations with the girls about each holiday and why we celebrate. They’re only 3 and 2, but I’m a firm believer that children are never too young to learn, and need to hear about their Savior. They might forget, but by golly I want to do my part. We’ve found that this children’s Bible is perfect for our girls’ comprehension level. They absolutely love it! And…they remind me that we should read it when I’ve been slack about getting it out. Are your kids good at that too? :-) The other day, Emma Claire walked into the kitchen with bare feet and stopped dead in her tracks.

“Mommy, are you going to clean this floor anytime soon?”

Gee. Thanks.

I’ve got some fun stuff planned for the girls, {and I can’t wait to share here} but for now let’s talk some decorating.

Pottery Barn was my inspiration for this Bunny Burlap Banner. I’ve hung mine on my china cabinet – as seen above – but you could hang it so many places. This would look beautiful hung on your fireplace mantle or just the wall to dress up an Easter party or dining room for Easter dinner. Lots and lots of possibilities!

Wanna make one too??? Let’s get started.

You’ll need:

:: Off-white paint

:: Glue gun & glue sticks

:: Burlap fabric

:: Off-white fabric {I used a canvas kind}

:: Pen

:: Ruler

:: Paint Brush

:: Scissors

:: Bunny template {download HERE or freehand your own}

Step one: Cut out triangles of burlap for your banner. I used my ruler to measure 9 inches across the top and then about 12 inches long. Use this triangle as a guide to cut out the rest…make as many as you want! The more triangles, the longer your banner. {I made 6.}

Step two: Cut out bunny template and center in the middle of your triangle.

Step three: Trace around the bunny with a pen.

You can see the outline is subtle, but the pen shows up enough to give me a guide for the next step.

Step four: Paint off-white paint inside of bunny outline. Be sure to paint on a surface where you don’t mind the paint seeping on to it. I used a paper bag from the grocery store and tore it so I could lay it out flat on my table.

When the bunny outline is all filled in, it’ll look like that. While this one is drying completely, repeat this same process with the rest of your triangles.

Step five: Tear a skinny strip of your off-white fabric about 1 inch wide and and 80 inches long. I like to begin by snipping a small snip with my scissors and then just tearing with my hands. It gives the edges a worn, frayed, edge that I really like…

You can make your fabric strip longer – for more than 6 triangles – by just tearing more fabric and hot gluing the two pieces together.

Step six: Hot glue along the top edge of your triangle on the right side.

Step seven: Leaving some extra fabric at the end, begin pressing your fabric strip down onto the hot glue. You want the strip half way on the banner and half way sticking up past the banner…as seen in the above photo.

Glue the fabric all the way across the top of the triangle. {I worked in small sections so my hot glue wouldn’t harden before I was ready.} Flip over and it’ll look like this…