Upcycled Burlap Banner DIY

If you are looking for an easy, affordable craft project for yourself or your KIDS this is it! This reusable burlap banner uses only a few supplies that you may already have on hand. This project uses compostable and repurposed materials.

Today, I am going to share with you how we made this simple reusable burlap banner with hand-painted hearts for Valentine’s Day. It was actually a homeschool art project last year for our “eco-friendly” art unit.

Both the burlap & jute are compostable which makes them the perfect materials for this banner! We tied on pieces of a red t-shirt that we repurposed to add color. Use items that you have on hand for this project.

This easy-to-make banner can be hand-painted or fabric stamped for any holiday or season! Another option is to upcycle a pair of jeans or linens that have flaws and can’t be used for larger projects.

If you have fabric scraps on hand, making each flag on this banner a different pattern would be amazing as well. (I may have to add that to our project list this year).

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VALENTINE’S DAY HEART BANNER

I love Valentine’s Day after Easter is my favorite holiday! It is also my wedding anniversary so it’s twice the special day for me! Valentine’s Day also marks just over the halfway mark of winter here in the North Country, so it’s a great way to begin the long second half with some festive fun!

Helpful Tips for this Burlap Banner Project

We did mix our fabric paint with acrylic paint (50/50) for a thicker consistency and less chance of cracking or peeling when dried. If using just acrylic you could add a coat of Mod Podge after the final coat of paint has dried.
You will need to apply two coats of paint. Be sure before adding the second coat that your first coat has fully dried.
If using burlap, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the cut edges to prevent fraying. We did not do this step last year & our flags did fray from storage. We will add some to the edges now to prevent any more fraying.
If using other fabric for your flags you may want to cut with pinking shears to avoid fabric fraying.
You can either glue your flags OR sew them to stay on the jute twine ribbon.

Materials for this Burlap Banner

5″ wide Burlap
Jute twine string
Red Paint (we used half acrylic paint and half fabric paint)
Mod Podge
Sharpie marker

Tools

Scissors
Paintbrush
Silicone or rubber mat
Heart stencil (we hand made ours by folding cardstock in half cutting half a heart shape and unfolding)
Hot glue or sewing machine

Other Ideas to Decorate this Burlap Banner

Kids can use their fingerprints to make a heart shape
Use an ink stamp or cookie cutter in the shape of a heart
Sew or glue on cut out hearts made from fabric scraps
Use vinyl cutouts

Time to Create your Burlap Banner

Cut 5 flags (measuring 5 inches wide x 8 inches long)
Cut a V shape on the bottom of each flag (fold in half a inches from the bottom. Then cut down from the center to the corners)
Cut 13 strips of fabric (each 12″ long)
Cut one piece of jute twine string (6 feet long)
Use your stencil to trace out your heart on each flag.
Lay your flags on a silicone mat to avoid sticking when dry. Paint a heart in the center of each flag. Keep in mind the top of each flag will be folded over and glue to your string once they are dry. Apply a second paint coat if needed.
Apply a layer of mod podge around each cut end if using burlap to prevent fraying. Allow drying overnight.
Fold the top part of each flag over an inch, BE SURE your twine is tucked up to the top so you don’t sew or glue it to the flag. You want to be able to move your flag freely and position it evenly after the ribbons are added.
Take your red fabric and tie 3 of them using a slip knot, in between each flag.
Knot the ends of your twine once you have everything centered and lined up the way you want. Your project is ready to display!

Helpful Tips

We did mix our fabric paint with acrylic paint (50/50) for a thicker consistency and less chance of cracking or peeling when dried. If using just acrylic you could add a coat of Mod Podge after the final coat of paint has dried.
Depending on what type of fabric you choose, you may need two coats of paint. Be sure before adding the second coat that your first coat has fully dried.
If using burlap apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the cut edges to prevent fraying.
If using other fabric for your flags you may want to cut with pinking shears to avoid fabric fraying.
You can either glue your flags OR sew them to stay on the jute twine ribbon.

More Valentine’s Day Fun!

It’s a special day to show those around us, especially our kids, how loved they are! I want to share a post with you that offers “love note” ideas (positive praises) for Valentine’s Day or for everyday use. It comes with a free printable of 60 Thoughtful Lunchbox Notes For Kids – Printable List!

Some more Valentine’s Day fun

Kids Activity Pages for Valentine’s Day
Puzzle Craft DIY Heart for KIDS!
C ardboard Craft Heart DIY for KIDS!
Daily Devotional for Kids & Printable Cards

Pin now for later!

Shop Our Favorite CRAFT & DIY Supplies for KIDS!

Here are our FAVORITE art & craft supplies for KIDS! They have been KID tested & Mom approved! These items will be used in countless craft and DIY projects that we will be sharing with you! I have added the shopping links to the products below so you can have these items on hand as well!

Paint

Tulip Dimensional Fabric Paint (extra bottles of white for the look of icing)
Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint by Plaid (even though it’s very inexpensive we have never had a problem with coverage or paint drying out.
Kassa Watercolor Set – Painting Kit for Kids & Adults – Bundle Includes Water Brush Pen (3 Assorted Sizes), Water Color Paper (30 Sheets) & Watercolor Paint Set (21 Colors) – I can not say enough about the quality of this set – and it is mess-free!

Clay

4. Sculpey Polymer Clay – I could do an entire post just on the different things my kids create each week with this amazing clay!
5. Air Dry Clay by DAS– This is the easiest to work with brand that we have found. Both the kids & I use this brand in a variety of projects.

Markers & Pens

6. Permanent Sharpie Markers – Of course, for younger kids, these need supervision or you may find permanent artwork in places you’d prefer not to. There are some art projects that welcome a non-smearing or fading marker & these fit the bill! 30 colors of Sharpies
7. Chalk Markers by Kassa – The colors are vibrant & go on smooth! We love using these vs regular chalk, less dust & sticks to surfaces better.
8. Arteza Gel Pens (metallic) – Love this brand for all kinds of gel pens! They seem to not “smudge” like other brands. You can buy replacement cartridges so it is less waste & saves money!

Glue & Sealer

9. Mod Podge Water-based Sealer, Glue & Decoupage Finis (gloss version) & (matte version). They have a variety of different kinds of sealers depending on your project needs.
10. Gorilla Dual Temp Glue Gun – Parent supervision for younger kids. We like this brand for a smaller glue gun – this set even comes with the sticks!