Banner Love by Connie K.

Banners seem to be everywhere these days...and I love making them...they are fun and easy to put together and so festive...they seem to shout celebration!
I put together this Valentine Banner to hang on my mantle for the next few weeks...I finally took down the Christmas stuff...I always wish it would magically just disappear...


I always try to re-purpose left over elements from other projects when I make banners...it is a good way to use small pieces of fabric or paper in your stash...I used fabric scraps from an apron project, some felt and a hand full of buttons. Use what you have! Paper would be fine...
The heart shapes are from a Maya Road mini album that I disassembled...I glued the fabric directly on these using a glue stick...once they dried I trimmed around the edges. I did all five pieces in different fabrics...I then top-stitched around the edges on all pieces, going around each one 3 or four times...I really love how stitching looks on this. It does not have to be perfect! *I use a long stitch and a heavy duty needle for stitching on chipboard...so, test out what works best with your machine...

Next...embellishing the hearts!
Here is what I did..but anything goes here...


#1 heart has a small pocket ( for a little love note) trimmed up with ribbon & mini ball fringe...& a glittered heart and butterfly glittered with ART GLITTER #164 Chrysalis Ultrafine Transparent using the ART GLITTER Designer Dries Clear Adhesive.


#2 heart is layers of scalloped circles & hearts with a button sewn in the center.



#3 heart is layered with hearts in fabric & a button sewn in the center.


#4 heart is layered with scalloped circles a button and piece of lace glued to the background.


# 5 chipboard word love, glittered with ART GLITTER #164 Chrysalis Ultrafine Transparent using the ART GLITTER Designer Dries Clear Adhesive.


I attached all pieces to the top of the banner using ric-rac and ribbons...sewn on with buttons.
I then die cut some flowers using two colors of felt and buttoned them over the buttons on the banner...it is about 4 feet long and each little heart banner is placed about 8.5 inches apart. In between the heart pieces I added some more die cuts, flowers, hearts and buttons...and glittered a few pieces up again using the ART GLITTER #164 Chrysalis and the ART GLITTER Designer Dries Clear Adhesive. Finally I used one of my favorite Martha's punches and added a few butterflies ...... tah dah you have yourself some banner love!