Let the Fall DIY Decorating Begin!: Fall Banner DIY

Now that the Labor Day festivities have finished and we’ve officially settled into September. It’s time to think about FALL! At least for me it is. Fall is my favorite season. I love the bright colors, the crisp air, and warm bonfires. It’s such a cozy and beautiful time of year. 

I live in Virginia, which means that even though it's September it's still about 90 degrees during the day. But I am originally from PA where fall really did begin in September. I can remember going pumpkin picking in sweaters by mid-September when I was younger but that's no longer the case here in VA. 

Regardless of the temperature, in my world once we pass Labor Day it's time to break out the fall decorations and begin making fall festival plans! This year I finally have a mantle to decorate so I spent this weekend getting the decorations ready. 

The fireplace banner has become popular the last year or so and while you can buy gorgeous pre-made ones in the store, they are usually pricey and I get more satisfaction out of decorations that I can make myself or add my personal touch to. 

So here is how you can make your very own fall fireplace banner.

First you will need to gather your supplies. You will need:

• Burlap (I bought fall themed burlap at Michaels -- it was about $5 for 9 feet)
• Scissors
• Twine
• Stapler or craft glue (I prefer a stapler)
• Measuring Tape
• Fabric Marker or decorative paint

Next you will have to measure your fireplace and mantel and decide how many space you want your banner to take up. Once you have done that you then can decide on the size of your squares or rectangles.

I created rectangles because of the look I wanted. They are 6 inches high and 5 inches wide. I then proceeded to cut 4 rectangles that were the exact same size.

Once your squares or rectangles are cut, you want to lay them out flat on the counter. You want to measure out the length of your twine. I used about 3.5 feet of twine. I planned to have 2 inches of space in between my rectangles when  they were hanging. But the distance is completely up to you -- use your own digression. Now that you've gotten your twine ready, you want to grab your craft glue or stapler. 

You want to flip your burlap over so that the side you want facing out is facing down on the counter. My burlap has pumpkins and gourds printed on it but you can use any kind, including plain burlap. Once your squares or rectangles are flipped over you want to either glue or staple the flap down. If you're using glue you want to be careful to only put it at the bottom of the flap so that you can still thread your twine through the flap. If you're using a stapler then you can just thread the twine through or put the twine under the flap before stapling because it will still be able to slide through for space adjustments. Once all of your pieces have their flaps glued or stapled down it's time to thread the twine through if you haven't already. Don't worry about the length on either end of the banner, you can adjust that and cut off any extra after you hang it.

Now that your banner is assembled it's time to add your letters. I spelled out Fall but you could spell our autumn or leaves or whatever you may like, just make sure each letter has it's own square, I used a fabric marker that I got from Rite Aid to create my letters. I liked how thick it was and I had more control over it than a paint brush. But if you have a steadier hand than me go ahead and use the paint! I went over my letters a few times with the marker to get it as dark as I wanted. Burlap isn't easy to color on! Once your letters are on your squares let it dry a few minutes. Then you are ready to hang it!

Above is my mantle with my fall banner. I also used a leaf and acorn fall garland that I found for $10 at a local fabric store. The rest of my mantel is from Home Goods. I simply took a large clear jar and put fall pauperie in it. I placed a ceramic jar by it. And on the other side is an orange vase I also found at Home Goods with decorative sticks in, I use those sticks with my normal blue vases but they also fit this decor so I used them for my fall mantel as well. Feel free to mix and match your fall banner with any and all of your mantel decorations.

And as always ENJOY! :)