Tag Archives: felt banner

Feb4

VALENTINE’S DAY BANNER

Posted on February 4, 2019 by marion

ST. VALENTINE’S DAY

Lupercalia was a Roman holiday held in honor of Lupercus, the god of the pasture and fertility. The event was held on February 5th in a cave on Palatine Hill in Rome. The priests who were known as the Luperci, conducted the rituals associated with the Lupercalia festival. These rituals included sacrificing animals like goats and dogs; feasting followed. The celebrations continued when the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the sacrificed animals. The priests divided into two groups and ran around the city swatting people with the thongs. The festival participants believed that a blow from one of the thongs encouraged fertility.

The early Christian Church tried to convert unbelievers such as the followers of the Luperci, by combining pagan customs with their own beliefs. The feast day of two Roman martyrs (both named Valentine) had its origins in the Lupercalia festival. The one saint had been a priest and the other had been the Bishop of Terni, and both died in the same day in the third century A. D.

QUILTED HEART BANNER

QUILTED HEART

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Time: one hour

MATERIALS:

Yellow felt square 16” x 14”

Dowel rod 18”

Red, pink, yellow, and white craft foam cut into 2″ x 2″ squares

¼” ribbon in red, yellow, pink and white.

String – double the length of the dowel rod

poster board or single sheet of craft foam of any color

Using a template or a stencil or drawing by hand, trace the heart on to poster board or a single sheet of craft foam of any color and cut. The heart should measure about 13 3/4″ x 10.”

Cut 8 yellow, 11 red, 10 white and 10 pink squares from the craft foam sheets. The squares should measure 2″ x 2.” Divide the heart in half vertically and in half again horizontally. (Refer to the photo of the banner.)

Lay the squares down along the horizontal fold in the following pattern: white, yellow, pink and red. Place the next row of squares below the first row. Stagger the colored squares so that the second row is not directly beneath the first row. Repeat the pattern until the squares cover the heart. Glue. Allow the pieces to dry.

Fill in the odd-shaped areas with the appropriately colored squares and glue. When those pieces are dry, turn the heart around and trim along the outline of the heart. Measure and cut the felt to 16” x 14”. Place it horizontally. Make a loop by measuring and folding a 1” seam. Iron. Measure and fold a second 1” seam. Iron and glue the second fold. You will be inserting the dowel rod through this loop. (The length of the banner will be about 16” x 12.” This does not include the ribbons.)

Measure and cut two 18” lengths of each color of ribbon. Poke a hole every two inches along the bottom of the felt with a sharp tool. Alternate the colors, pull the ribbon through and tie a knot in the back so that the ribbon is held in place. (Small children should let adults do this for them.) Glue the heart on the felt. Cut the dowel rod to 18” and insert through the loop at the top. Cut the string to a length suitable for hanging. Tie the string to each end of the dowel rod.

VARIATION: Use other shapes to decorate your heart banner: circles/dots, flowers, squiggle lines, triangles, etc. Today, Valentine’s Day honors lovers. We celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th by sending gifts like candy and cards.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Dec11

JOY TO THE WORLD BANNER

Posted on December 11, 2018 by marion

JOY TO THE WORLD BANNER

CHRISTMAS

As Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, Christian holidays were held alongside pagan holidays and celebrations.

Christmas has its roots in Yule, the pagan celebration of the winter solstice held in Northern Europe. The ancient Romans also held a winter festival by commemorating the temple of the god Saturn on December 17th. They called it Saturnalia and later extended the holiday festivities from December 17th to December 23rd.

Christmas, celebrated on December 25th, closes the Advent season and begins the twelve days of Christmastide celebrations.

Early Christians adopted pagan customs as well as pagan festivals and celebrations. For example, the Christmas tree is based on the pagan custom of bringing greenery into the house during the winter.

Christians began celebrating Christmas in the 4th century copying the pagans who celebrated the harvest by feasting during the winter solstice. It was a way of livening up the shortest day of the year.

As Christmas became commercialized, various symbols became identified with the holiday: Santa Claus, snow people, angels, pine wreaths, reindeer, stars, horns, the manger, and more.

JOY TO THE WORLD BANNER

JOY BANNER

Ages: 5 – 12 years Time: one hour

MATERIALS:

Gold glitter pen white felt square 14” x 20”

Beige pompom Kelly green craft foam sheet.

Beige felt square dark green craft foam sheet.

Gold felt square red craft foam sheet.

Red felt square String – double the length of the dowel rod

Dowel rod Pattern (optional)

Measure and trim the white square to 14” x 20”. Place the piece vertically. Make a loop by measuring and folding and ironing a 1” seam. Measure and fold a second 1” seam. Iron and glue the second fold. You will be inserting the dowel rod through this loop.

Trace and cut the shapes using templates or stencils or use the patterns provided below. To create the wreath, cut 21 – 22 holly leaves from the Kelly green craft foam sheet and 9 – 10 holly leaves from dark green craft foam sheet. Glue the leaves in a circular arrangement using the top ¾ of the white felt background. Overlap the leaves as you form the design of the wreath.

Trace and cut the bow and letters from the red craft foam sheet. Glue the letters and the bow to the bottom of the wreath.

Trace and cut the angel’s dress out of the red felt, the horn from the gold felt, the wings and face from the beige felt. Glue these pieces in the center of the wreath.

Glue a little moss to form the angel’s hair just below the halo. Glue pompom to show hands and feet. Using the glitter pen, define the angel’s wings and bow.

Cut the dowel rod to about 16”. Insert through the top loop. Cut string to a suitable length. Tie strings to each end of the dowel rod and hang.

Happy Holidays!

Making banners is fun for the family. You can use the banner ideas described here or you can use them as a springboard for your own ideas and designs.

All you need are some basic supplies and a love of making crafts!

Oct22

HALLOWEEN BANNER

Posted on October 22, 2018 by marion

HALLOWEEN BANNER

HALLOWEEN: A BRIEF HISTORY

Halloween began as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts lived in western and central Europe as early as 800 B.C. They followed a religion called Druidism, named after their priests who were known as the Druids. The Druids celebrated Samhain, the festival of the harvest, because it marked the end of one year and the beginning of the next. The Druids also used Samhain to predict important events of the coming year.

The Druids believed that the spirits of the dead visited their families before the first day of winter. They taught their followers to light bonfires on sacred hilltops so that these spirits could find their way to their former homes on earth.

By the end of the first century A.D. the Romans had conquered the lands of the Celts. They mixed the Celts’ traditions and early Christian customs with their own.

Later on, most of the inhabitants of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Britain converted to Christianity and no longer celebrated Samhain. These converts used the old Celtic rituals and traditions as part of their Christian worship but cleansed them of their pagan meaning.

However, not everyone changed their religion. During the Middle Ages, pagan priests and their followers turned to the practice of witchcraft. Witches flew to their Sabbaths, or meetings, on broomsticks with their black cats as companions. One of their most important Sabbaths was held on October 31^st, which is celebrated today as Halloween.

In Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Britain, local inhabitants continued to light bonfires as they did in the past. Pranks and tricks became common. In Ireland, groups of people would go door-to-door demanding food and other gifts in preparation for Halloween. If the visitors were refused a treat, the party-goers would play a trick on the residents of the house.

Halloween did not become a popular secular holiday in the U. S. until the 1880’s. Black cats, carved pumpkins, witches, candles, and masks became popular symbols of the holiday. By then, most Americans considered Halloween a holiday for children.

HALLOWEEN BANNER

Ages: 5 – 12 years Time: ½ hour – one hour

MATERIALS:

Black craft foam (2) 10 mm wiggle eyes

White craft foam excelsior (or moss or raffia)

Yellow craft foam Dark blue felt 36”x 36”

Green craft foam (3) ½” green or dark blue pompom

Orange craft foam white glue

Patterns provided below

Measure and trim dark blue felt to 14” x 20”. Place felt piece vertically. Measure and fold a 1” seam at the top. Iron. Fold a second 1” seam.

Iron and glue the second fold. (You will be inserting the dowel rod through this.)

As this is drying, trace and cut the patterns provided (enlarge patterns as needed):

Cut the pumpkin out of the orange craft foam

Cut the pumpkin stem out of the green craft foam

Cut the witch out of the black craft foam

Cut the moon out of the white craft foam

Cut the scarecrow’s face out of orange craft foam

Cut the scarecrow’s jacket and hat out of yellow craft foam

Cut the scarecrow’s nose and mouth out of white craft foam

Cut the stars out of white craft foam

Apply tacky glue to craft foam pieces with a Popsicle stick and adhere them to dark blue felt background. Use the photo of the completed banner above as a guide.

Place a small amount of glue around the scarecrow’s neck. Add excelsior. Press and let dry.

Glue wiggle eyes to the scarecrow’s face. Glue pompom to the jacket.

Or using the patterns provided, cut eyes out of black craft foam and buttons out of green craft foam. Glue nose and mouth to scarecrow’s face. Let all the pieces dry.

Glue the pumpkin pieces to the pumpkin’s face. Glue the green stem.

Insert dowel rod through the loop at the top of the dark blue felt background. Measure and cut a piece of string 22” x 36”. Tie the string to each end of the dowel rod.

Enjoy your Halloween Banner!

VARIATION: The Halloween Banner design was inspired by these traditional symbols. However, you can substitute your own Frankenstein, Dracula, witch or ghost design.

Patterns for Halloween Banner

Marion Constantinides

ART AND WRITING

Tag Archives: felt banner

VALENTINE’S DAY BANNER

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HALLOWEEN BANNER

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