I’ve been working on a new craft project. One that I can use outdoors to decorate my garden for the season. I enjoy making banners, garlands, and bunting, but typically they don’t do well outdoors. So I decided to make this oilcloth bunting for my garden. Oilcloth is water-resistant and therefore can handle the moisture from the sprinklers. This fabric is actually made from vinyl with a cotton mesh backing.

You can purchase oilcloth at your local fabric stores such as JoAnn’s and Hobby Lobby. However, they don’t have much selection. So to get a variety of patterns to mix, I ordered my fabric online. Oilcloth comes in such bright, fun patterns. It’s frequently used for tablecloths but you can find many other uses for it.

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Supplies…

• Variety of colorful oilcloth (Less than 1/4 yard was used for each of my 5 patterns)
• Heavy twine
• Sharpie
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Template

How to Make Oilcloth Bunting…

Step 1

The first thing you will need to do is get the creases out of the fabric if it has been folded. Since oilcloth is made of plastic vinyl you do not want to iron it directly. Iron it at a low temperature with a thin towel between the fabric and the iron ( vinyl side down). Try a small sample first to make sure it doesn’t melt. Store your fabric on a roll rather than folded to reduce the risk of creases.

Step 2

Determine how long you want your bunting and cut a strand of heavy duty twine to that length plus 1 1/2 feet extra for tying loops in the ends. To make the loops take about 9 inches from the end and fold in half. Then tie this into a knot and you will end up with a 1 1/2″ loop for hanging.

Step 3

Using a template, measure and cut out your pendant shapes. I am using a simple triangle but you could try other shapes as well. Add an extra inch (rectangle) to the top of your shape for folding over.  My triangles were 7 1/2″ wide at the top and 9″ long. I added an extra inch to the top for folding the fabric over to make 10″ total. To make the template I used a cardboard cereal box. Cut the shape from a variety of oilcloth fabrics. How many triangles you need will depend on the length of your bunting. Mine was about 12 feet long and I used 20 triangles. I found using a black sharpie on the backside of the fabric worked well, however it can show through on light-colored oilcloth. This is not a problem in the garden but if you were making a tablecloth you would need to be careful with the marker.

Step 4

I used a hot glue gun to glue the twine to the oilcloth. First, fold over the top edge 1/2″ and crease it. Then spread a layer of hot glue along the inside of the crease. Lay your twine across the banner in the hot glue. I used chopsticks to press down so as not to burn my fingers. Fold the fabric over the twine and tack it down with a second row of glue. Press down using the chopstick or carefully use your fingers. Add a second triangle getting it close to the first one. You could leave space in-between the pendants, but I chose to put them back to back. Continue until you reach the end of your twine.  Readjust your loop if necessary.

Now that you have a lovely oilcloth bunting, where can you hang it in your yard and garden?

Places to Hang Your Oilcloth Bunting…

1. Along the top of your fence
2. On your porch railing
3. Hang along your porch eves
4. Use to decorate your serving table
5. String from the edge of your porch to a tree
6. Inside your garden shed

Do you have leftover oilcloth? Here are some additional uses for it.

Other Ways to Use Oilcloth…

• Make a tablecloth
• Use it to make outdoor pillows
• Line kitchen cupboards and drawers with it
• Make placemats for your table
• Cover books with it
• Make purses or grocery bags
• You can use it to make a lunch sack
• Make a garden apron
• Use it to make luggage tags
• Cover your BBQ grill

I am so pleased with my oilcloth bunting and plan to make more for inside Pinecone Cottage. Since I have leftover fabric I might even try my hand at making a garden apron. I hope that you will take some time and make yourself a festive bunting for your backyard and garden. This project only took a few hours from start to finish so you can whip one up in no time for your next backyard gathering.