Instructions: Festive Mini Ribbon Bunting with FabMo Materials

For all of you who bought a FabMo Mini Ribbon Bunting Kit and can’t find your instructions (believe me, that happens to me all the time) or you collected all the materials you need at one of our events and now are wondering how to put it all together: here are the instructions again:

Make a Ribbon Mini-Bunting

Step 1: Select and cut ribbons

-       Select coordinating ribbons. Most ribbons are long enough to cut in half and use for two buntings

-       Decide on the length of your ribbons. You can either make them all the same length or vary the length.

-       Cut the desired length plus 1.5 inches. Mine are generally between two and three inches long finished, that means somewhere between 3.5 and 4.5 inches with the extra 1.5 inches you fold over.

-       Cut the bottom of your ribbons in the desired shape. Typical shapes are flat, V shaped and “negative V-shaped”. Feel free to experiment. To cut the wires of the ribbons sturdy house hold scissors work well. To cut the fabric switch to fabric scissors

-       Fold over the top 1.5 inches, pinch the wires on top so the flap stays folded over

Step 2: Assemble the bunting

-       Decide on the sequence of your ribbons

-       Take desired length of string (3 yards per bunting provided, if you want to make a longer one, use household string in a coordinating color)

-       Leave about 10” free, then start putting your ribbon pieces on the string with the ribbon inside the flap you created by folding a piece over

-       Space pieces ribbon equally leaving approx. 1“ between the ribbon pieces (decide for yourself, but leave enough space to add accent ribbon in Step 4)

Step 3: secure the ribbon pieces

Option 1

-       Use stapler to staple ribbon on the top near the string to keep it in place. Place the staple in the middle.

-       Place staple with the larger top side to the back

Option2:

-       Use a dollop of glue to secure ribbon to string. Place glue inside the flap near or on the string. To avoid the glue seeping through and sticking the bunting to the table, raise using a clothespin.

-       Let glue dry as per manufacturer’s instructions

Step 4: Decorate your bunting:

-       Use the provided narrow and decorative ribbon and/or other materials you have available to decorate the spaces between the ribbon pieces, e.g. cut different lengths of thin ribbon and tie it to the string.

-       Use buttons provided or other buttons you have at hand to decorate the front of the ribbons. If you used a stapler, place the buttons where to small metal pieces are to hide them.

Step 5: Find a place of honor to hang your bunting!

This is a fall-themed bunting made by Robyn Craven. Here ribbons are a bit shorter than mine and closer together - the great thing about making your own: you can do whatever you like best!

Notes:

-       The ribbons included are wired. Handle with care to avoid poking yourself.

-       The kit contains small parts and is not suitable for small children under the age of 5. Supervise children over 5 while handling wired ribbon, scissors and stapler.

I also took a video showing how to make the bunting. It’s ugly and amateurish (after all I propped the mobile phone on a 2 lb bag of flour and held it in place with a tall book) but it does the job. I will post it just as soon as my ever so busy teenage son can help me splice piece 1 and 2 together!