How to Make a Pin Display Pennant

October 16, 2023

A pin display pennant or banner is a creative way to turn your cute collection of pins into a Magnifique design statement. Pennants and banners are usually thick fabric designs onto which you can unpack your special collection and put it on the wall. You can also pin your badges, ribbons, cufflinks, buttons, and patches on the pin display banners too.

Lapel pins are making a comeback in a big way! For years, lapel pins were only won by politicians and military generals to telegraph achievement and patriotism but now they are ever more becoming popular among all kinds of folks.

From classic men boutonnieres and floral designs to garish playful designs, these cute accessories can be attached to a jacket, shirt, and bag, just to add a little bit of fun accent. Lapel pins can also show rank, achievement or patriotism. They are also won in solidarity with an organization, raise awareness and get people talking about a particular cause.

So, your collection of lapel pins is growing? Don't worry; we are right there with you, addicted to enamel pins too. From stars and stripes related memorabilia to cufflinks to tuxedo buttons, brooches cap pins, stick pins, lapel pins, and belt buckles, an average pin lover can have several collections of pins, some handed down the family line.

You can keep your lapel pins on a pennant or banner, hang it on the wall and take a step back to admire your collection.

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Benefits of Pin display pennants and banners

Pin display pennants allow you to take pride in your unique collection. They are usually sewn from high-quality fabric to withstand the pinning and unpinning without developing small holes all over. A lovely pin display pennant will not only hold your pins but accentuates your interior decor too. It brings living spaces to life with amazing stories behind each pin on display.

Pin display pennants can be bought from stores or made at home. The advantage of DIY pin display pennants is you can get creative with custom designs. You can do a splash of colors, play with shapes, edges, material, and so on for a unique look.

A pin display pennant also keeps your pins safe and secure; you won't lose your enamel pins anymore, and here is how you can make your pin display pennant at home.

DIY Lapel Pin Display Pennants

1. Gingham Pin Display Pennant

Gingham is a country classic checkered fabric pattern. It is used widely in country décor because it is a casual fabric pattern and pairs well with other designs to accentuate the look.

This fresh and crisp DIY pennant is the cute way to display your lapel pins while adding some coordinating color to your living room. It features colorful checkered patterns in red and white that will definitely lighten the feel of your living room. It is super easy to hang and can hold approximately 27 pins.

Design details

  • ‍Made from thick classic gingham fabric
  • Approximately 12inches by 8inches in size
  • Easy to hang on the wall
  • Includes wooden dowel rod and ribbon/twine hanging

Supplies you are going to need

  • ‍One fat 1/4 gingham fabric
  • Medium weight interfacing
  • Tracing paper
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine
  • Dowel rod wooden
  • 40cm twine or ribbon
  • A pair of scissors

Sewing guideline

Use the tracing paper to make the template for the banner. Remember, you can make your banner as big or as small as you please. The image below shows the measurements as 7.5 by 9 inches.

Step 1: Make 4 Cutouts

Once you get the template, draw around it onto the gingham fabric. Make two drawings, one for the front panel and the other for the back. Cut out the

two pieces of fabric.

Next, repeat the drawing and cutting on the medium weight interfacing material. Make two drawings using the template, and just cut them out as before. But for these two cutouts, trim them a bit so that they are smaller than the fabric cutouts to avoid making the seams of the banner extra bulky.

So, in total, you will have four banner shapes, two from the gingham fabric, and two from the medium weight interface. The ones from the medium weight interface will be a bit smaller in size because you trimmed them a little.

Note:

Using two medium weight interface cutouts in the banner keeps it from getting too flimsy. You don't want your banner to swing anytime some breeze blows into your house.

Step 2: Ironing

Fuse the interface onto the wrong side of both the front and back fabric cutouts. This helps to stabilize the fabric. When ironing, follow the fabric manufacturer's guidelines.

Step 4: Assemble the banner pieces and stitch them together

Place the two fabrics together and get ready to stitch. The Print should face out, so your banner looks colorful. Hold them together using clips then stitch around the other four sides, leaving the top open.

Use a pencil and a seam gauge to mark a ¼-inch seam allowance all along the sides to always know exactly where to stop and turn as you sew the fabrics together. Then start at any top corner and comfortably stitch down the side then across the bottom and finally back up using ¼" seam allowance all along the sides.

Remember to reinforce the beginning and end of the seam and make sure not to sew the top i.e., don't sew across the top. For a nicely formed point, trim around the corners of the Sims.

Next, turn the banner right side out and use a pencil to make the banner's corners then iron all over.

Step 5: Topstitching

Topstitch around your banner about 1/8th inches away from the edge, then topstitch about 1/8th inches from the same row of stitches again.

Step 6: Finishing

Fold the top over about ¼" and iron. Fold over again this time by about 1 inch and repeat the ironing. Pin the fold in place using binding clips then sew along its edge to secure it.

Next, create the sleeve using the dowel rod as your guide. Fold the top of the banner over the dowel rod to create the sleeve, pin it in position then remove the dowel rod and stitch the sleeve onto the banner.

The reason why you hand stitch here instead of using your machine is you don't want the stitches to reach the front of the banner. Just stitch through the back layer of the fabric so that in the front, the stitches will be hidden.

Step 7: Insert dowel rod and tie on the ribbon

Next, thread the wooden dowel rod through the sleeve and wrap twine or ribbon on either side and knot.

You can even color coordinate the dowel rod and the gingham banner. Just use some acrylic paint and give the dowel rod a fun makeover, then insert it into the banner sleeve, tie the twine or ribbon, then get to pining.

And you are done! Hang the lapel pin banner wherever some inspiration is much needed, then step back and admire a job well done!

Word of advice!

Please lay your pins on the banner and decide in advance where to place them because pinning, removing, and re-pining again will leave holes in the fabric.

Note!

You can customize the design a bit to suit your personality. You can totally go with a different type of fabric from the gingham, as described above. Or you can opt for black and white gingham, green and white gingham, and so on. Gingham is available in various color patterns to suit everyone's fancy.

You can even add pom pom trims along the banner's bottom before stitching the two fabrics together. Just baste the pom trim along the tip of the back fabric, making sure the pom poms face inwards, then use large stitches to stitch the trim onto the fabric. You can clip the trim in position using binding clips, so there's no annoying movement during stitching.

Also, instead of the pom pom trims along the banner's bottom, you can go for tassel fringing. After all, this is DIY; you can take any design and give it a complete makeover using elegant pieces.

2. Triangle Pin display pennants

You can also make triangle pin display pennants easily at home. These are suitable, especially if your collection of lapel pins is not that big. The advantage is you can make more than one triangle and arrange them in a preferable pattern as long as there is enough space on your wall.

Supplies you will need

  • ‍Different types of fabrics just to add in a pop of colors
  • Medium weight interfacing
  • 15" pom pom trim
  • Tracing paper
  • Thread
  • Sewing machine
  • Wooden dowel rod and 40cm twine or ribbon
  • Scissors and a ruler or just a rotary cutter
  • Extra-wide double fold bias tape in a color that complements your material

Step 1: Select the fabrics

First, you want to choose your fabrics. You can definitely use this process with your gingham fabric to make a triangle pin display banner. But it is always good to add in a pop of colors, so when the pennant is hanging on your wall, it is as colorful as a Mary Katrantzou dress. So, waltz into your local fabric store and choose about 5 fabrics. Get about 1/4th yard of each for this project.

Step 2: Make triangular cutouts from the fabrics and interfacing material

First, prepare your pennant template using the tracing paper; this is just a simple triangle, nothing elegant about it.

Next, use the template to make cutouts from the fabric and the interfacing material. For each triangular pennant, you will need four cutouts, two from the fabric for the front and back, and two from the interfacing material to help stabilize the pennant.

So, start with two pieces of the same fabric laid onto each other. Mark the vertices of the triangle on the fabric then cut out the triangle pieces.

Step 3: Iron the interfacing material onto the triangular fabrics

Next, fuse the interfacing material onto the wrong sides of the triangular pieces, following the manufacturer's guidelines. By the wrong side, it means do not fuse the interfacing pieces on the print side.

Step 4: Add the Pom Pom Trim

Baste the pom pom trim along the edges of the triangular pieces but not the edge that forms the base. Make sure the pom poms face inwards too, and then using large stitches, secure the trim in position. You can use clips to secure the trim in position as you stitch to make your work easier.

Step 5: Assemble the triangle cutouts and stitch

Take the two triangle pieces and put them back to back with the print facing out so that your pennant is pretty on both sides. Stitch around the triangle to hold the two pieces together. But do not stitch the triangle's base, leave it open; just do a straight stitch around the left and right edges using 1/4-inch sewing allowance.

Step 6: Create a sleeve through which the dowel rod will be inserted.

Fold over the base edge of the pennant to make the hole that the dowel will go through. Use the dowel rod as the guideline. Fold the base of the triangles over the rod to create a sleeve, pin the sleeve in position at the various edges then remove the rod. Next, attach the sleeve onto the banner by hand sawing just through the back layer of the fabric so that from the front, the stitches will be hidden.

Step 7: Repeat the steps above to create more triangle banners from different types of fabrics

You have now created one piece of your double-sided triangle pennant, next, repeat the same process using different fabrics to create various colorful triangles.

Step 8: Assemble your triangle banners

Once you finish sewing all of your triangles, insert the dowel rods then tie on the ribbons or twines. Your triangle pin display pennants are ready for attaching your lapel pins. You can hang the pennants on the wall in any pattern you will like.

There you go, with the above two styles of banners, you are surely going to turn your cute collection into a design statement. Pins were created to be displayed not shoved away in a box or closet with the rest of the jewelry. Lapel pins can shine while on your outfit's lapel or your living room's wall too. And there are many ways to display your lapel pins. Apart from hanging them on pennants, here are other ways to display your pin collection.

Additional ways to display your pin collection

Pennants and banners are not the only way to display your lapel pins. Here is a look at other ways to turn your collection into a fun design statement.

3. A Pin Display Frame Board

Boards, too, can support and display your pins in a lovely manner. You can make your own pin display board at home; this can be a very fun project. All you need is the right material with enough support and cushion for your pins, so you won't be required to use much effort to push the pins into the board. Here is how to make a DIY pin display board.

Supplies you are going to need

  • ‍A large picture frame
  • A 1/4 inch thin plywood
  • Enough Cork tiles to cover one side of the plywood
  • A utility knife
  • Big enough felt to cover plywood and wrap at least an inch all around the back.
  • Low loft' batting
  • Stapler
  • Spray adhesive
  • A hanging wire and eye hooks
  • Spray adhesive

Step 1: Cut the plywood and cork tiles to appropriate sizes and fit to frame.

Start by measuring the back opening of the picture frame (Including the lip) then cut your plywood backer piece to fit this measurement. The plywood backer should fit inside the back of the picture frame.

Next, measure the frame's front opening (exclude the lip) then cut the cork tiles to fit this opening. Dry fit the cork tiles onto the plywood backer then place the picture frame over it. The backer board should fit behind the frame, and the cork should protrude through the front opening.

Step 2: Use spray adhesive to make cork tiles stick on the backer board

Stick the cork tiles down the plywood backer board using spray adhesive. The spray adhesive should evenly cover the entire expanse to create a furnished surface with no curling tiles on edges.

Step 3: Stick onto the board, a piece of battling

Cut a piece of the battling to size, ensure it fits the plywood backer extending to the board's edges. Spray both the cork and battling with some adhesives and stick them onto each other's sides.

Step 4: lay felt over the battling

The next step is to get the felt, cut it to a size that covers the entire backerboard and lay it over your battling, so the battling and cork is between the felt and the wood. Now pull your felt to the back of the wood and using a stapler, tack it in place, keeping it tight and nice.

And you are done! Simply place the picture frame over the board, secure it in place using strips of wood and some screws, and put a hanging wire at the frame's back. Your board can now hang on nails on your walls and won't move anyhow when removing and adding lapel pins. And you are done ladies and gentlemen, step back and admire a job well done!

4. Your Denim Jacket

That beautiful cool denim jacket can be used to display lapel pins too. Pick your favorite denim jacket, and start attaching your collection of pins on it, play with the pins a bit for a lovely final look. You can then hang this jacket on your wall or even put it on when going out and showcase your lovely pin collection. Keep in mind that pins on denim jackets can fall off easily if you don't lock them in position well.

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5. Pin Display Embroidery Hoop

An embroidery hoop is another creative way to display your lapel pins. It is very easy and quick to create, will cost next to nothing; and can be highly personalized to one's own style.

Supplies you are going to need

  • ‍A large 14-inch quilting hoop
  • Fabric - A bit larger in size than the hoop and
  • Glue gun
  • Fusible interfacing

Sewing guidelines

Get the right type of fabric, thick enough so the pins won't leave holes on it easily during the pinning and unpinning and with the right texture for an effortless pinning process.

Step 1: Fuse interfacing material onto the back of the fabric

Cut out pieces from the fabric and fusible interfacing material, ensuring they are larger than your hoop. Fuse the piece from the interfacing material onto the back of the fabric cutout.

Step 2: place the fabric cutout on your hoop

Place the fabric cutout on your hoop, tighten the hoop, then trim away any excess fabric leaving the edges only about � inches, then glue them down to the inside of your hoop.

Step 3: Hand stitch around the edge of the hoop

Using an inch allowance, get some embroidery floss and a needle and hand stitch around the hoop's edge to add a little bit of customization.

And you are don! Now get to pinning, take a step back, and admire a job well done. Pin display embroidery hoops are simple DIY craft projects, just get the fabric or upcycle and a hoop and get creative.

Okay, now you know how to turn your collection of cute pins into a design statement, start quilting friends. DIY pin display ideas are simple projects that will cost you next to nothing and are highly customizable to unique designs.

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