Tutorial: How To Make A Name Banner For Your Child (Anyone Can Do This!)

A few years ago I made a name banner for my daughter's third birthday party. Just around that time, she was inheriting my old daybed for her very own "big girl" bed.  I decided to use her birthday banner to create wall art above her bed.   

My daughter's name banner.  She's actually switched rooms since this picture was taken
and her banner now hangs over her window acting like a valance of sorts.

It just so happened that I made a banner for my oldest son the next year.  As it goes, my other son insisted that he have a name banner as well and pouted that he was the last to receive one.  Naturally, I must love my daughter and oldest son more than him because they had a banner before him.  I guess our fourth child was still too much of a baby to "count" because he certainly didn't have a banner yet either.     

This moment was comical and memorable to me as a mom because my brothers and I used to keep count of how many pictures our parents had hanging of each of us.  My brother was certain he was loved the least because he had the fewest pictures.  Now that I'm a parent I know that it has everything to do with birth order.  My poor fourth child.  I don't think I've ever developed a single picture of him, much less framed it.  And he's going to be three this summer! 

So, if you are in the same boat as me and need to make a name banner to convince your child of your love for him, all you need to make your own is:

• an empty wall frame
• twine, string, or ribbon
• craft paper
• hole punch
• tape
• paint or markers

When trying to find an empty frame inexpensively you can find them at yard sales, thrift stores, Goodwill, anywhere really. You can also keep your eye out for sales at craft stores. They often have great deals on empty frames.

Next, you will need some craft paper.  They sell single sheets or booklets of paper with an assortment of colors and patterns at craft stores.  I love buying the booklets and using the paper for different projects over time.  The paper I used for my banners came from leftover sheets in a booklet I had used for a scrapbook. 

You will first need to cut triangles to paint the letters of your child's name on.  Decide your color scheme and pattern, then cut your first triangle and use it as a guide to cut the rest of the triangles. My kid's names are relatively short, but if your child's name is longer you will need to base the size of your triangles on how big your frame is and how much length you have to work with.

Now it's time to paint the letters on the paper. If you are a little timid use a pencil first and then go over the pencil with your paint color. I used acrylic paint which works great. They are less than a dollar at craft stores and Walmart. If you feel it is easier to use markers to draw your letters then do that instead. 

After the paint is dry it is time to punch holes for the ribbon or twine.  You will want to punch two holes in the corners of each triangle above the letter that you drew.  Make sure not to punch them too close to the edge, so the paper doesn't rip. 

Now you are ready to weave the ribbon through the holes.  Make sure your letters are in order as you thread the ribbon. (That mommy brain can get the best of us.)  I prefer an over-under pattern so that you see the ribbon between the letters.  Start with the ribbon on the front of your triangle.  Thread it to the back of the triangle and then back through to the front. Then you will go back over the top of the next triangle threading the ribbon through to the back again.  

Once your triangles are threaded onto your ribbon you need to space them evenly. Make sure they are centered on the ribbon so you have the same amount of ribbon on both ends. After you have the letters spaced the way you like them, put a little piece of clear tape on the back of your triangle to tape the ribbon to the paper and make sure the triangles don't slide around on the ribbon.

My oldest boys' room.  The beds used to be on either side of the window, but we had to move them
in order to uncover the only vent in their room.  An unavoidable design sacrifice.  Oh, well.

The final step is to tie the banner to your frame and hang it in your child's room. Whether or not this banner will reassure your child of your love for him, I can't say.  But I do hope this easy homemade decor will bring you a bit of joy as you continue along on the difficult road called motherhood. 

My daughter, the alleged "most loved" in the family, and me snuggling in her big girl bed.  Lord, help us.