How to Make Union Flag Bunting

Cut strips of Red, White and Blue ribbon 90cm long. To create a 3-metre length of bunting, you will require roughly 5/6 rolls of each ribbon colour.

Cut a smaller bit of ribbon of the same colour to wrap around the ribbon 2cm down from the fold.

Then glue gun this around your long ribbon strip.

Slide your long ribbon onto a 3-metre length ribbon which will be used to hang your ribbon strands.

Repeat all steps with all three colours. Alternating each colour in the order of Red, White, then Blue.

Gather your yarn balls in Red, White and Blue.

Then, using a rectangular piece of cardboard, roughly 12cm (it can be as long or short as you want it to be. The longer it is, the longer the tassel) wrap around the yarn until you have a bulky amount. The more you add the bulkier your tassel will become.

Top Tip: Play around with your yarn first to see how much yarn you need to wrap to get a happy consistency to make a nice tassel.

Folding the yarn ends in together, with another shorter piece of yarn tie around the yarn to keep all the yarn together. Do this a couple centimetres down from the top to create a cute little ball when you tighten the string of yarn.

Trim the bottom of your tassel to neaten off.

Using the templates provided near the top of the page, print off and cut out. For a bunting of 10 flags, you will need to use these templates 10 times. Following the templates, cut out your fabrics as follows:

You should have the following for 1 flag:

* 2x Flag template (Cut from Blue Fabric)

* 1x Longer Strip for Red Cross (Template labelled #1) (Cut from Red Fabric)

* 2x Longer Strip for White Cross (Template labelled #4) (Cut from White Fabric)

* 1x Medium Strip for Red Cross (Template labelled #2) (Cut from Red Fabric)

* 4x Shorter Strips for behind the Red Cross (Template labelled #3) (Cut from Red Fabric)

* 2x Medium Strip for White Cross (Cut from White Fabric)

Time to add your 4 tiny red strips. To ensure you are sewing the Union Flag correctly, when looking at the right-hand side of the flag straight on, the red strips will sit at the top of the white strips.

When looking at the left-hand side of the flag, the red strips will sit on the bottom of the white strips.

If it’s easier: remember it like the left side of road. From the centre of the flag to the end of the white strip, the smaller red strip will always sit on the left-hand side. Then work your way around and stitch them on.

Now stitch on the second white cross using the previously cut longer white strips, followed by the red cross, with the smaller and longer red strip (these should be your last remaining pieces).

Top Tip: Remember to switch out your thread to match with the strip you are sewing at the times!

Cut all the ends of the strips so that they sit flush against the flag sides.

Grab your second blue triangular fabric piece and place on top of the bunting flag front (right sides together) so that they edges align, then pin in place.

Stitch around the edges of the flag, using a seam allowance of 3/8”.

Once sewn, trim the pointy end off – careful not to cut any stitching.

Turn your flag outside in and iron flat.

Fold that stitched edge over again with a couple centimetres down to leave a gap for a bunting string to be pulled through. Stitch along the same stitching you’ve already created.

Avoid stitching over the red and white cross in blue thread otherwise you’ll see this on the front of your flag.

You’ve finished! Sew as many copies as you like, to create a bunting of Union Flags.