Oilcloth Bunting

I somehow hoodwinked Tiffanie Turner of Corner Blog into sharing one of her amazing projects with us today. This oilcloth bunting makes for a perfect Cinco de Mayo decoration, but I think I would be tempted to leave it up in the backyard all summer long. Check out more of her work here. xo, Heather

Hi there! Getting to know Heather is one of the best things I "took away" from our time at ALT this year, and I'm really happy to be sharing this post here today at beautiful Poppy Haus!

Here in San Francisco there are some great resources for Mexican oilcloth (this place especially). It comes in so many amazing colors and patterns, I often buy it before I even know how I'll use it. Suffice it to say I have a giant tablecloth stash now! The idea for oilcloth buntings came to me last May as I was cooking up some fun ideas for Cinco de Mayo. Here's a little tutorial, it's really a piece of cake.

You can chose whatever oilcloth and triangle proportion that appeals to you. For a nice long bunting like I made (about 18-20 feet long) you will need a yard of oilcloth. I bought four 1/4 yard pieces in a few different patterns, and some bonus pieces as well for other buntings. The person who cut the oilcloth gave me wide enough pieces that I was able to fit two 5" wide triangles across each strip, but check your oilcloth and adjust your triangle size accordingly. 

Along with the oilcloth, you will need some sort of twine (I used crochet twine) and hot glue.

Start by making a triangle-shaped template on some card stock or a file folder. Fold the paper over so the base of the triangle is along the fold, because eventually you want this to open up to a diamond shape. My triangle dimensions were 7 1/2" high by 5" wide at the base, but again, check your oilcloth to see what will fit most efficiently.

Next, fold each piece back into a triangle, creasing the base well with your finger or the edge of a ruler. With your twine at the ready, spread the entire inside of the crease with hot glue and then press the twine into the glue. I doubled up my twine to make it stronger, but that may not be necessary for you. Fold over quickly and carefully press closed along the twine to make sure glue affixes the two sides of the triangle together. Add a long dollop of glue at the inside tip of the triangle and affix to inside of other tip, sealing the flag closed. The edges will not be glued together, but that's okay. Doing that makes the flags really clunky and keeps them from sitting nicely. Keep stringing them with a 1 1/2" gap in between each flag until you get the length of bunting you want.

  

Now you're ready for a fiesta! That was fast, right? I made some smaller, more subdued buntings with 4" wide x 3 1/2" high triangles for my kitchen. Also fast! 

Have a happy Cinco de Mayo! xoxo