Fun to work on and fantastic to look at, bold, colourful banners can bring out the creativity of children. Large banners are particularly enjoyable to make, as several children can work on them at the same time. They're great for brightening up your club and are ideal to use as decorations for a special event.
You will need
* White cotton fabric
* Masking tape - both wide and thin varieties
* Pencils
* Non-toxic, water-based acrylic paints or PVA glue and ready-mixed paints
* Paint brushes (you'll need some big ones) and palettes
* Your chosen fittings to hang or support the banner (see below).
Choose cotton fabric that is not too thin, to prevent the paint bleeding through it. Lining fabric is ideal and can be purchased cheaply, or you could recycle an old sheet. Cut the fabric to the required size with pinking shears, so you won't need to hem the edges.
The children should start by drawing a simple design in pencil, directly on to the fabric. Their shapes or letters should be at least as wide as the narrowest masking tape (you'll see why later). A design full of big, bold drawings is easiest to work on and gives the most dramatic results. You might want a theme for the banner, 'space' or 'flight' for instance, or perhaps the children would prefer a collection of random designs.
Next, the group will need to mask off their drawings, sticking tape along the pencil lines. The end result will be that the drawings will be outlined in white when the tape is peeled off, and the fabric is revealed against a painted background. The children will find that straight lines are easy to mask off, as long strips of tape can be used. However, curves will be a more of a challenge - children will need to use much shorter pieces of tape and overlap them closely to match the contours of the lines. This is simplest on a large banner - smaller designs are quite fiddly.
Shining example
Make a quick check to ensure the tape is stuck down securely, and then it's time to add some colour. Use either acrylic paint, or a combination of ready-mixed liquid paint with equal parts of PVA glue stirred in. Both methods should give vibrant colours, however the acrylic will be the most durable, and should even withstand the odd shower of rain if you use the banner outside. It can be hard to remove from clothes, though, so ensure the children (and table) are covered up well.
Children should paint the details first, and then fill in the background with a new colour, painting right up to the masking tape. Ensure the brushes are loaded well for a bold result, and provide some bright colours.
You could also consider using some paints with special effects - fluorescent shades look great, for instance, and are particularly suited to party banners that could be displayed at a disco.
The next part of the task is the most difficult in my experience. The group has to resist the temptation to remove the tape until the paint is absolutely dry to avoid smudging!
This takes a couple of hours with acrylics, but you may have to wait overnight for the PVA mixture to dry out properly. The banner will already be eye-catching, but hold it up to a window and the children can marvel at their creation as the light shines through, illuminating their work with something of a 'stained glass' effect. It really is quite stunning!
At this point, if you didn't use acrylics, you can apply an extra coat of PVA, mixed with a little water, to make the banner more durable.
You can display banners in a variety of ways, perhaps by making a channel along the top (which can easily be created without sewing if you use self-adhesive Velcro pads), and threading through some elastic curtain wire. This can then be fixed at a window with curtain hooks and eyes. You could also thread a garden cane through the top to create a wall hanging.
Alternatively, why not make a wider channel at either end of the banner and thread through broom handles, which can be sunk into grass outside?
Banners are a great way to brighten up a dull area, or even to advertise your club, displaying a 'shining' example of the children's work at the same time!
Miranda Walker, who runs two out-of-school clubs, is a playwork trainer and is happy to answer readers' queries on 01884 38039.
