WHAT IS A BANNER?

A banner is a piece of cloth suspended between two poles and often bearing a design, symbol or slogan. Banners can celebrate the seasons, holidays or bear slogans. The designs in this series of Art Tutorials celebrate summer, spring, winter and fall.

(For the first tutorial, the Spring is Here! Banner, scroll down.)

MATERIALS

Here are some basic supplies that you will need on hand for all the banner designs:

Yardstick

Iron/ironing board (optional)

String

Ball point pen or marker

Scissors

Tacky glue

Dowel rods

Fun Foam

Pencil/eraser

*Unless indicated otherwise, all felt squares should measure 9” x 12” and all sheets of Fun Foam measure 12’ x 18”.

STUFF TO KNOW

How to copy a pattern:

Trace a pattern or object by placing tracing paper on its surface and tracing the design with a pencil. Turn the tracing paper over and blacken the reverse side. Then flip the tracing paper original side up again. Lay the tracing paper on the surface you want the design to transfer on to and trace the outline of the design.

Cutting a Square:

Technique #1: Measure with a ruler the desired size of the square. Draw the outline of the square.

Technique #2: Hold the paper flat and bring the top right corner down to the left edge. Then fold the paper and line up the edges on the left so that they are straight. Cut off the extra strip of paper and unfold the square.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holz, Loretta. Mobiles You Can Make. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Company, 1965

Zubrowski, Bernie. Mobiles: Building and Experimenting with Balancing Toys. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1993.

Constantinides, Marion. Banners! (Unpublished)

SPRING BANNER

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Time: ½ hour – 1 hour

MATERIALS:

White felt 36” x 36”

Green Fun Foam

Pink Fun Foam Pink Fun Foam

Blue Fun Foam

1. Measure and trim white felt to 14” x 20”. Place the piece vertically in front of you. Measure and fold a 1” seam at the top and iron. Fold another 1” seam. Iron and glue the second fold. The dowel rod will go through this loop.

2. Trace and cut the flower shapes using the patterns provided: yellow Fun Foam for one tulip and one daisy; pink for the second tulip and daisy; blue for the three morning glories; pink for the butterfly and green for the stems and leaves. (NOTE: The daisy and the tulip have different leaves.)

3. Cut one small yellow circle for the center of the pink daisy and one small pink circle for the yellow daisy.

4. Glue all the pieces, scattering the shapes randomly to create a cascading effect. Avoid placing two flowers of the same color next to each other.

5. Draw the centers of the morning glories with a black marker. Add antennae to the butterfly and dots in its center.

6. Cut the dowel rod like the other ones, insert, tie the string to the ends of the dowel rod and hang!