by Jane Campbell

I became a member of the Unionville Presbyterian Church in 2006. One of the traditions at U.P.C. is the use of banners to enhance the sanctuary and the enjoyment of the church service. This was new to me. As I listened to and participated in the service, I came to see that the banners helped me to focus on my Christian beliefs. Banners are like stained glass windows. They tell the story of God’s message of glory and presence. I found myself looking forward to each new season of the church calendar as it meant new banners were to be hung. As one who enjoys sewing, I was impressed by the designs and use of colour. When the resident banner maker moved away, I was asked to continue the tradition of designing and caring for the banners at our church. I accepted with some trepidation but have come to enjoy the challenge of creating new designs and seeing them displayed in the sanctuary.

Below are some helpful tips for creating a banner for your church.

Selecting the banner design

To help you design the banner you would like to make, first decide the theme or goal of the banner (whether a universal theme or one for a specific occasion in the church calendar year). The theme should communicate the church’s beliefs, be clear and brief, and fit with the total design, possibly using a short quotation from the Bible. You may wish to create an original work or find inspiration from others. If this is to be your first banner, you may want to copy another banner design. When looking for ideas or inspiration, there are several publications available from The Book Room.

The design

When designing the banner, several elements should be taken into consideration. Is the grouping of the words and design pieces interesting? Do the words fit the design and convey the intended message? Is there a focal point and within that, is there balance? Is everything neat in appearance and plainly marked for understanding?  Spacing of the words and the design pieces needs to be taken into consideration along with their proximity to the edge of the banner.

Another aspect of the design should be the colours. Choose three to four colours plus black and white. Consulting a colour wheel may help in selecting complementary colours. (When putting the design on paper, you may want to use coloured pencils to help you decide on the colours for the banner.) And finally, consider where the banner will be placed in the church. Does the design fit and complement the space for which it was intended?

Choosing the fabrics

For the body of the banner, choose a fabric with adequate weight and body. If it is too light a fabric, you will need to back the fabric using either a fusible backing or muslin to give the banner stability. The fabrics you choose for the background and design should add interest through colour and texture combinations.

Types of fabric for the background – cotton duck, heavy felt, denim, poplin, corduroy, gabardine, some upholstery and fabrics.

Types of fabric for design elements – they can be the same as background fabric, only using different colours – other fabrics are satin back crepe, cotton, silk, felt, organza and metallics.

Embellishments – ribbon, rickrack, piping, seam binding, beads, buttons, sequins, old jewellery, fringe, glue on paint, yarn, markers, braids, ribbons, embroidery floss – there really is no limit to what can be used to embellish the banner.

Bonding fabrics and materials – double-stick tape, glue gun, good bonding glue, iron-on bonding web (glue does not bind with polyester), sewing.

And finally – you will also need a projector and craft paper to enlarge the design, a sewing machine if needed, a large table to work on, good cutting shears or a rotary cutter.

Estimating the size and yardage

When buying the background fabric, allow for the length of the banner plus hems. Allow 8 cm for the dowel insert at the top and 4 cm for the bottom hem. As well, allow 2 to 3 cm for side seams. It is always wise to buy a little extra to allow for cutting errors, shrinkage, pre-shrinking as well as quilting if it is involved.

Lettering

Consult typography/calligraphy books or websites for inspiration. Some people like to arrange the words naturally by just “eyeballing” the spacing, or you may wish to measure for word placement.

Construction of the banner

I like to hem the banner at the beginning of the construction, especially if the bottom is to be irregular; however, you can finish the hem and seams afterward if you choose.

Once the background fabric has been cut and backed if necessary, and you have finished all the edges of the banner, create tabs or fold the top edges in such a way as to fit a dowel for hanging. Once that has been finished, lay the background flat on a large work table or a cutting board.

Put the design on paper and then enlarge it on large craft paper. Use an overhead projector or opaque projector to enlarge the design. If no projector is available, you can use the age-old grid method. (This method is not as accurate and takes more time.) Cut out the pieces of the design. Lay the paper template pieces flat on a piece of iron-on, double-sided interfacing. Draw the outline onto the interfacing and carefully cut out each piece. Iron each piece of the interfacing to the back side of the selected fabric and cut out the pieces.

To help you visualize your banner, lay each piece on the backing according to your pattern without ironing them on yet. Step back and view your design from a distance and different angles. Check colour combinations and material textures. Do they work? Is it what you envisioned? Now is the time to examine and critique the design. If it doesn’t look the way you would like it to, change it either by adding, taking away or changing some of the pieces of the design.

Once you have decided your banner is the way you envisioned it, iron the design pieces onto the background. You may also wish to finish the fabric pieces with a decorative machine finishing stitch. Finally, add any embellishments with fabric glue or a glue gun.

Storage of the banners

Storage of the banners requires an accessible space in order for the banners to be available when needed. Hanging dowels are the best way to store the banners. At U.P.C. we have a unique way of storing our banners. Two very kind and talented members of our congregation designed and built a storage cupboard that enables us to hang them on dowels. This system allows us to easily identify and retrieve the banners as the seasons change.

If the dowel system is not an option, try to obtain unused fabric tubes from a fabric shop. Cover the tubes and banner in white tissue paper, being careful not to crease the banners. Label and lay the roll flat on shelves for storage.

Banner binder

As your church accumulates banners, take photographs of them and put them in a binder under the headings of the church calendar (Lent, Easter, Christmas, etc.). Assign a number or letter to each photo and the corresponding banner. This will help you to identify the right banner when needed.

References

Beck, Sally. Banners on Favorite Bible Verses. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1998.

Harms, Carol Jean. Banners for Worship. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1988.

Pike, Joyce, and Anne Robinson. Banners for All Seasons. Colorado Springs: Meriwether Publishing, Ltd., 2001.

The Book Room has these and several other resources for banners available for order. Call 1-800-619-7301.

Jane Campbell is a member of the Unionville Presbyterian Church. She sings in the choir and manages the banners at U.P.C.

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