Happy Halloween banner tutorial with FREE printable

So I've been on a bit of a printable kick these past couple of days.  Especially now that (thanks to all of your helpful comments) I know how to convert the printables into a PDF so I can share them with all of you.  It's just more fun to share, right?  Right.

And I thought about spreading out the free goodness, but I think we all know that I'm terrible about sticking to any kind of schedule when it comes to blogging.  So even though I already shared the free Christmas Gift Tags earlier today, I'm going ahead and sharing this with you now too.  Especially since Halloween is on Sunday.

What?!

Did I just say Halloween?

Yes, yes, I did.  The little being-in-the-Halloween-mood fairy came and visited last night just long enough to inspire me to make this simple little "Happy Halloween" banner.  It's little.  And cute.  And I like it.  Hopefully you will too.  :)

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to excuse the terrible pictures in this post.  I was putting this together this morning at my kitchen table.  Where the light isn't very good.  And I didn't love you all enough to take pictures outside on my freezing cold balcony.  Sorry.  

Alright, ready to make this quaint little Halloween banner?

You'll need:
-1 printable "Happy Halloween" banner (at the bottom of this post)
-2" circle punch (or scissors)
-black embroidery floss
-embroidery needle
-scissors
-junky magnets (optional)
-double-sided tape (optional)

Step 1: Cut your pieces
Use your circle punch or scissors to cut out each of the circles for your banner. 

Step 2: Layout

Arrange your circles so they're spaced about the way you'll want them to be on the finished banner.

Note: These pictures show the banner already in progress, but the process is the same for starting.

Step 3: Cut your embroidery floss

Drape your embroidery floss over your layout and cut a piece of embroidery floss that's slightly longer than each word.  You should now have two pieces of embroidery floss.

Step 4: Knotting and threading

Thread one piece of embroidery floss onto your needle.

Tie a knot a couple of inches away from the end.

Once you have your knot tied, poke your needle down through the left side of your circle.

Thread the circle along the embroidery floss until it reaches the knot.

Then poke the needle back up through the circle on the right side of the circle.

Continue pulling the thread all the way through.

Then, keeping the embroidery floss next to the circle, tie a knot.

It should know look like this on the back of the circle.
(Uhh... if you're lazy and you just flip your circle upside down.)

Then just tie another knot an inch or two away and repeat the process of threading on circles and tying knots until your little banner is all strung together!

Step 5: Add magnets (optional)
Since I made this to hang on our front door and since our front door happens to be made of metal, I thought I'd make things easy on myself and just attach a couple of magnets to the back of the first and last circle on each piece of the banner.

To do this, just use your circle punch (or scissors) to cut a circle of magnet the same size as the circles in your banner.  I just used some old junk magnets that we get with our phone book or whatever.  Then it's free!  Yay!

Grab your double-sided tape.  (Glue would probably also work just fine, but I had some double-sided tape on hand and this just seemed simpler.)

Apply a couple pieces of double-sided tape to your magnet circle.

Prepare four magnet circles this way.

Stick a magnet circle onto the back of the each of the end circles on your banner.

Step 6: Hang your banner

Then just hang up your banner and you're finished!

Ta-da!

Here's the printable.  Let me know if you have any problems.

Happy Halloween Sign (Circles) 2010 from Notes From A Very Red Kitchen

And just FYI, this is for personal use only.  

Please don't sell it or pass it off as your own.  

Because those little polka dots around the edges took me a while.

 Happy Halloween!