Free Pattern for Patriotic Bunting Decoration

Because many patriotic holidays take place during the warmer months, the summertime is the perfect time to celebrate American heritage. This patriotic bunting decoration will be appropriate to brighten your home from Memorial Day to Flag Day to The Fourth of July to Labor Day. Perfect for a party or a picnic, but just as nice as a touch of summer fun indoors, here is how you can make your very own patriotic banner decoration, made from felt.

You will need:

2/3 yards each white felt and red felt

½ yard of blue felt

25 white or pearl buttons

White thread or embroidery floss

Fabric glue or iron on fabric adhesive, if a no-sew project is desired

To make this swag, first you will make the pattern for your pieces. My finished patriotic banner measures 40 inches in diameter. If you would like a different size, adjust the following measurements as desired.

The pattern for this patriotic bunting is made with concentric half circles. To draw a circle, use a string, or tape measure of the correct length (the radius of the circle), and hold one end still in the center point. The other end is attached to the pencil, and by keeping the string taut, and swinging the pencil in an arc, a circle will be formed.

I folded my paper in half for ease of drawing. The first line I made was 20 inches from the center, and then each consecutive line was four inches closer (16, 12, 8, and 4). Cut the paper pattern out along each line while it is still folded and you'll have pattern for all the pieces of the patriotic banner decoration.

Use the biggest arc to mark the outer edge of the white felt piece, and cut it out as a solid half circle. Then use the same piece to mark the outer and inner edge of the red arc. Discard the next biggest piece and use the middle sized arc to cut a piece of blue felt. Discard the next smaller pattern piece and use the smallest piece to cut out a red half circle.

Mark the centers of each of your felt pieces, and using that as a guide, center the blue and red pieces on the large white half circle. Pin these in place, and the stitch them down however you would like. I used a running stitch with two strands of white cotton embroidery floss. Other options include blanket stitch embroidery, or machine stitching. Machine stitching can be decorative, straight or zigzagged. Another option is to make this a no-sew project by following the manufacturer's instructions on fabric glue or iron on fabric adhesive.

Arrange the buttons on the blue stripe in five groups of five, following a general star shape. Stitch them in place, and your patriotic banner decoration is ready to hang.