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*Halloween Bunting*

I’m a fan of celebrating Halloween all month long, and my favorite part is decorating my house with festive Halloween themed decor.

I made this half-circle bunting using leftover scraps from all the other projects I’d made last year; advent calendar, quilt, throw pillows, etc.

Supplies:

- festive fabric - sewing machine - bias tape or binding - fabric scissors and craft scissors - small plate or bowl - light cardboard (like a cereal box) or template plastic - pins or wonder clips - fabric marker or pen

1. Create template Trace half of the bowl or plate onto your thin cardboard or template plastic. I used a ruler to mark a 1/2″ seam allowance at the top to account for the top of the fabric piece that will be hidden inside the binding.

Tool tip: I like to use template plastic because I can center and fussy cut images in my fabric prints.

2. Trace template onto fabric and cut out your half-circles I made my bunting reversible, so I cut out a front and a back for each half circle.

3. Sew each half-circle

Place two pieces right sides together. Sew at a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Tool tip: use washi tape or masking tape to mark your seam allowance directly across from your needle to sew an even curved seam allowance.

4. Notch curves Using just the tip of your fabric scissors, cut out triangles around the curve to reduce bulk and allow the curved seam to lay flat. Turn right side out and press flat with your iron.

Optional: to keep the top edge in place, top stitch a basting stitch about 1/8″ from the top edge.

5. Sandwich half circles into binding Starting 4-5″ from the end, slide the top edge of the half circles between the binding layers. Pin into place about 1/2″ between half circles.

Tool tip: wonder clips work, well, wonders, keeping all the layers together, preventing them from shifting.

6. Stitch binding Top stitch close to the open edge of the binding, making sure to catch the under layer of the binding and the half circle. Stitch from beginning to end.

Hang up and enjoy!

xostitches

First project for Halloween month!

Halloween Advent Calendar Tutorial

Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love to celebrate all month long! You can find my other Halloween crafts on my Instagram : handle XoStitches.

Supplies:

assorted cotton prints

pocket lining fabric (if you use felt for your pockets, you won’t need a lining)

felt backing piece (mine was 21 x 36” but you can use a smaller piece if your pockets are smaller)

thread

dowel 3” longer than the width of your felt backing

ribbon or twine for hanging

Fabric Fusion or other craft glue

optional: embroidery floss, felt scraps for numbers, paint for dowel, fabric pen

1. Cut 31 squares of prints and 31 lining pieces. I cut mine 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ so they’d finish at 4 x 4″. I cut one pocket bigger for the 31st day, 5 x 7″.

2. Sew the pockets right sides together, leaving a turning hole at the bottom. I used a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Clip corners and turn pockets right side out, press flat with iron.

3. Pin pockets to the felt backing, making sure the opening is at the bottom. I positioned mine about 1/2″ apart, leaving about 4″ at the top for the casing and banner.

Edge stitch each column and then row. Start at the top of one pocket, stitching along the left edge, continuing onto the backing felt and onto the next pocket. Repeat for the right side of each pocket, and the bottom edge.

I used black thread so it would match the background felt, and because l didn’t want to change thread colors for each pocket. You could also use invisible thread for your top stitch.

4. Create casing at the top. Fold top edge down 1″ and press with iron. Pin and edge stitch in place.

5. Make numbers. I embroidered mine onto felt and then cut them out with a pinking or scallop scissor. You could draw numbers on with fabric paint or cut the shapes out of felt.

Glue numbers to the pockets.

6. Banner : if you would like to make a little banner for the top, you can embroider it on felt or draw it with fabric paint. Other possible titles: Happy Halloween, Halloween Countdown, A Haunting We Will Go, Spook Fest, etc.