DIY Fall Banner/Pottery Barn Hack! {Special Guest Tutorial}

Ok, ladies (and our two male readers)... It's confession time!

Raise your hand if you've had a Pumpkin Spice Latte in the past week? It's ok... No one's keeping score...er, counting calories--except maybe your skinny jeans.

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You're not alone. Now that Fall is officially upon us, we're all itching to wear our favorite boots, taste all things pumpkin and  drooling over the abundance of fall decor, too. Have you seen the cute banners on Pinterest and Etsy? 

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Now you can have one of your very own. My sister, Kelley, is guest blogging with us today to tell us how she made her cute fall banner pictured below. Take it away, Kelley.

Hey there and thanks for having me!

A couple of years ago, I was cruising through Pottery Barn admiring all their festive decor. I particularly loved their Trick or Treat banner but really wanted something that would last throughout the fall season (I guess I'm kinda like my sis when it comes to seasonal decorating).

So, I went home and channeled my crafty side. When I made this sweet little banner I never thought I would love displaying it so much year after year. With this simple tutorial, even the least crafty nester (like myself) will be well on her way to a cute banner in minutes.

So, here's what you'll need:

• Microsoft Word, or similar word processing or design software
• Color printer
• Scissors
• White, 8.5 x 11 card stock
• Ribbon
• Exacto or craft knife or small hole punch

First, launch Microsoft Word and create a new document. Start by inserting a text box.



In the text box, enter the first letter for your banner. Next, highlight and format the letter. You may center it, change the font, the color, etc. {Note: If you want some cool free fonts, checkout this website.}

Next, right click on the text box border. Then, click on format shape and select the line style you would like to use for the border. You don’t have to have a border but it makes cutting a little easier.

When you have your first letter ready, print it. I like to print mine on white card stock so they are a little more durable. Once you print it, then cut it out and make sure it is the size you want. If it isn't the right size, just go back into Word and tweak it until you get the desired look.

Next, using an Exacto or craft knife, cut two small slits in the top for the ribbon to weave through. Be sure to cut these to the size of your ribbon. You may choose to use a small hole punch to make the holes instead. Just remember you only want the holes or slits large enough to accommodate your ribbon. 

To keep it simple, I like to get the first letter formatted and sized properly before creating the next letters. Once one letter is done, you can print, cut, create the holes and then repeat using the same text box and font with the new letter. That way your document is already formatted and you don’t have to recreate/format the text box, font, color, etc. You only have to change the letter each time.

The fun of this is in the creativity so feel free to freestyle it! Try some triangles. Or go without ribbon and just glue the overlapping triangles. Most importantly, have fun and make it yours.

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I hope you love your banner as much as I love mine! Happy Fall!