I saw these adorable Kata Golda Winter Holiday Banners on Gilt the other day, for $100, discounted from the original $140. First I thought "Cute!", followed by "$100 for $10 of felt?!?". But... but... this thing is a perfect match for my Holiday decor! It would look so cute in my house!!! However, while very cute, it's worth nowhere near $100. So, I tried to make something similar myself.
This is what I came up with.
DIY Project: Winter Holiday Banner Tutorial (Retail Knockoff)
I used the original specifications as a guide. Pennants are 7"x7", spelling the words "Merry Christmas" with one blank pennant included to create a space between words. Length is 86" plus an extra 32" of twill tape for hanging on each end.
What you will need:
White felt
Red felt
Light green felt
150" 0.75" twill tape, natural (I used red because I had some, but if I did another banner, I would make sure it was natural, or white instead)
Sewing machine with matching thread OR hot glue gun
apple green embroidery thread and needle (optional)
What to do:
1. Cut 8 red 7"x7" felt pennants, 7 white 7"x7" pennants, and 14 3"x3" squares of the apple green felt.
2. Cut out your letters from the light green felt squares, freehand or use a pencil to trace them first. Also cut out 6 green holly leaves, and 4 copies of the three red berries (or however many you would like, I made a few less than the original).
3. Attach letters to the pennants. The original banner have the letters attached by hand stitching, using a matching green thread, and they may or may not have been glued on first. You can either hot glue the letters in place, or attach them using a sewing machine, and then adding the green stitching afterwards, alternatively, just doing the hand stitching. I felt a bit iffy about the quality & longevity of my hand stitches, so I machine-stitched mine first. Remember to leave one blank pennant to create a space between the words.
4. To attach the pennants to the twill tape, lay your tape out on a large work surface, and measure 33" from one end. Place your pennants in the proper order, overlapping slightly (around 1") with each one. Don't forget the blank pennant between the words. For the original look, fold the pennants over the twill tape and zigzag over the fold. If you're using bias cut tape in place of twill tape, like I am, instead fold the double folded tape over the edge of the pennants, and attach either by matching stitching across each pennant on the twill tape (like the original), or, by using a hot glue gun.
5. Assemble your leaves and berry pieces for the decor, and lay them back to back, with the tape in the middle, on either side of the letters. Hand, machine-stitch or hot glue the berry decor onto the twill tape, one on each side of the pennants. I machine-stitched the berry pieces together over the tape, with the leaves in between.
6. If you want the same finish as the original, hand-stitch the light green embroidery thread around all the letters. This step isn't necessary, obviously, and it takes this project from a quick 30 minute project to a rather time consuming endeavor. In this case, the extra work is actually worth it, and the hand stitches add a really nice touch. While my banner looked fine before the stitches, it looks fantastic with them!
7. Voila! While my banner has slight differences from the original, and my photo isn't quite as fancy, in person they are actually very similar, and I'm very happy with my little holiday banner. It's very festive!
Image source: katagolda.com
This is what I came up with.
DIY Project: Winter Holiday Banner Tutorial (Retail Knockoff)
I used the original specifications as a guide. Pennants are 7"x7", spelling the words "Merry Christmas" with one blank pennant included to create a space between words. Length is 86" plus an extra 32" of twill tape for hanging on each end.
What you will need:
Red felt
Light green felt
150" 0.75" twill tape, natural (I used red because I had some, but if I did another banner, I would make sure it was natural, or white instead)
Sewing machine with matching thread OR hot glue gun
apple green embroidery thread and needle (optional)
What to do:
1. Cut 8 red 7"x7" felt pennants, 7 white 7"x7" pennants, and 14 3"x3" squares of the apple green felt.
2. Cut out your letters from the light green felt squares, freehand or use a pencil to trace them first. Also cut out 6 green holly leaves, and 4 copies of the three red berries (or however many you would like, I made a few less than the original).
4. To attach the pennants to the twill tape, lay your tape out on a large work surface, and measure 33" from one end. Place your pennants in the proper order, overlapping slightly (around 1") with each one. Don't forget the blank pennant between the words. For the original look, fold the pennants over the twill tape and zigzag over the fold. If you're using bias cut tape in place of twill tape, like I am, instead fold the double folded tape over the edge of the pennants, and attach either by matching stitching across each pennant on the twill tape (like the original), or, by using a hot glue gun.
5. Assemble your leaves and berry pieces for the decor, and lay them back to back, with the tape in the middle, on either side of the letters. Hand, machine-stitch or hot glue the berry decor onto the twill tape, one on each side of the pennants. I machine-stitched the berry pieces together over the tape, with the leaves in between.
6. If you want the same finish as the original, hand-stitch the light green embroidery thread around all the letters. This step isn't necessary, obviously, and it takes this project from a quick 30 minute project to a rather time consuming endeavor. In this case, the extra work is actually worth it, and the hand stitches add a really nice touch. While my banner looked fine before the stitches, it looks fantastic with them!
7. Voila! While my banner has slight differences from the original, and my photo isn't quite as fancy, in person they are actually very similar, and I'm very happy with my little holiday banner. It's very festive!
Cost Comparison:
Original:
$140, through Kata Golda website, or $100 at Gilt
$140, through Kata Golda website, or $100 at Gilt
DIY Retail Knockoff (generous approximation, since I had the supplies left over from previously projects):
Felt: $5
Twill tape: $5
Embroidery thread & needle: $5
Total: $15
$15 compared to the original $140! Not a bad "retail knockoff". This project can be altered to fit any occasion, and I'm making a 'Happy Birthday!" one next. Of course, I'll post photos when it is finished.
Total: $15
$15 compared to the original $140! Not a bad "retail knockoff". This project can be altered to fit any occasion, and I'm making a 'Happy Birthday!" one next. Of course, I'll post photos when it is finished.
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Perfect example of a simple project that can save you a small fortune and look amazing. I have some felt. Hmm...
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