No-Sew Heraldic Banners
A Quick and Dirty Guide to No-Sew Heraldic Display

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   So you've got a device you really love and you want to show it off. What better way than with a banner! These instructions require no sewing!! They do, however, require that you can use an iron and a pencil.
    Materials:
  • 3 yards of white material (poplin or trigger recommended), 45" wide. You want this to be sturdy and withstand weather and the washing machine. (Cotton or sheeting is generally too light and won't hang well.) (Note: This is a banner, not a flag; it will not flutter.)
  • Material in the colors of your device. Quilting solids work well, are economical at around $2 a yard, and are available at Wal-Mart and JoAnne Fabric and Crafts. Get enough of each color to create the elements of the device. These instructions are for a double-sided banner, so buy material accordingly.
  • Two packages of lightweight Heat'n'Bond (a similar product is also available under the brand name Wonder Under). Whatever you buy, be sure that it is the double-faced kind with an insulating paper on the back; you'll be drawing on the paper.
  • Iron and ironing board.
  • Optional: Low-temp glue gun (high temp is okay, too, but low temp is safer).
  • Pencil.
  • Fabric paint in pen-tip tubes, if desired
Making the Banner:
Fold one inch of the cut ends of the material to the inside, creating seam allowances at right angles to the selvedges (woven edge) of the fabric. Press to crease. Fold the material in half with the folded ends together and to the inside and press to crease in the middle. The crease in the middle is the top of the banner.

Making the Device:
Fuse the Heat'n'Bond to the back of the colored material, making sure to cover a large enough area to draw the device element.

Trace the device elements onto plain paper, then cut them out, turn them over and trace onto the backing of the Heat'n'Bond. This way, when it is cut and fused, the device will not be backwards. If you are making a double-sided banner, trace and cut two of each element (bend, chevron, beastie, whatever is on your device).

Cut out the elements and arrange on the banner to make sure everything is there and proportionate and the right way around. Layer the elements from the field up. First cut out and lay out the field, then any charges that go on the field, culminating with whatever charge is on top.

If you have counterchanged elements (where one element is half one color and half another, cut one complete charge in each color. Place the lighter colored charge on the field, then lay the darker colored one on top and cut the darker one along the line of division. The lighter color charge can be left whole, since it should be completely covered by the darker color.

When you are happy with the arrangement of the elements of the device, start fusing the pieces according to manufacturer's instructions (completing both sides of the banner for a double-sided device). That's it! If you want to finish off the edges of the device, use fabric paint in a pen-tip tube to outline the edges of the device and device elements, and to create the detail on the elements themselves. This is easier than cutting out tiny pieces of colored material for details (for instance, a rose gules barbed and seeded vert can be created with red fabric and green paint).

Finishing the Banner:
Open the fabric up and measure 6 inches down from the crease. Pencil a line across the width of the fabric (on the inside of the banner!) and run a bead of glue across the center of the fabric. Close the flap, creating a channel through which to run a pole for hanging the banner.

Run beads of glue down the sides and across the bottom of the banner.

*ALTERNATE METHOD: Instead of glue, use strips of Heat'n'Bond and bond according to manufacturer's directions.

Run a dowel (a piece of wooden closet pole works well) through the channel. The dowel can be painted and finished with finials from a craft or hardware store. Tie a piece of cord to either end of the dowel (held in place with a spot of glue or a small nail) and enjoy your No-Sew Heraldic Banner!