Vaguely Celtic 'bunting' for Buntingmas made from acetate OHP sheets and glass paints

Happy #Buntingmas everyone!

I've painted some patterns onto acetate sheet panels and will let them dry overnight before constructing the panels into bunting. Each one of these is about 2.5 inches long I think (estimate!).

1.  The Bunting
   
2.  About the bunting: How I made it
   
3.  The underlying designs
4.  About #Buntingmas
   

1. The Bunting

Six panels painted and cut from acetate sheet, sitting on a white sheet.

One panel held up to bright sunlight

Edit: 24 April 2021

  The finished bunting, against sunlight.

2. About the bunting: How I made it
It's quite a few years (pre-2000) since I did glass painting as a hobby but I always enjoyed it when I did. Friends and I even used to sell stuff, in a local shop in Camberwell and we had an occasional stall in Camden (Stables Market) in the days when you could rock up at 6am at the weekend and get a pitch for a few pounds. It was not exactly a money-making venture but we'd sell enough to break even. 

Anyway, I have made some glass-painted bunting for this year's Buntingmas and making use of a pack of OHP (Overhead Projector) transparent acetate sheets that I still have from the times of yore when these were how we made presentation slides. They're great to paint on as they behave like glass with respect to the paint and like paper with respect to a pair of scissors, so very easy to cut into shape. 

I think they look rather pretty, though as the first ones I've done in years I expect if you compare them closely with 'my earlier work' they're probably not as neat, but I enjoyed doing them and that is always the most important thing in any endeavour :)

The process involves firstly creating the designs / patterns (see below) then producing a neat copy and 'tracing' the pattern by putting an acetate sheet above it (blue tack helps) and outlining it with relief liner paste (see pic below). Once that's dried you apply the paint. It's more like floating/flooding the paint into the reservoirs created by the raised relief paste, so perhaps a bit more like enamelling. Everything is touch-dry after a couple of hours but properly dry overnight.

A needle and thread strings them together with a loop on either end for attaching (to be honest I just used a bit of blue tack to stick them on the window to take the photo).

3. The underlying designs
The Celtic knotwork patterns are pretty easy to create from scratch if you have a book like George Bain's Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction (eg see page 29 [p28 of 162] to get a quick overview). They involve a simple grid, then scaffolding lines and finally the pattern, erasing the scaffolding. I previously screen-printed a bag using a Celtic (actully Pictish) knotwork pattern which I made from scratch with a simple grid, you can see the stages of production in the post linked.

Or you can visit these other online places, or see example YouTube video at the end:

How to draw Celtic knotwork:
http://www.clanbadge.com/tutorial.htm
https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Draw-Celtic-Knotwork/

One acetate sheet filled with several panels and a pattern drawn on.

The original drawings which were traced onto the acetate sheet, using the paste in the tube (Pebeo liner) shown above, which comes out like a bit like toothpaste.

The 60s swirl pattern (below) was just drawn from a series of circles made with a compass and curves intersecting at various points, then taking a rectangular shape and overlaying it on the middle.

Swirly pattern, excerpt used in art project above

A Rennie Mackintosh-inspired painting I made 30 years ago!

A short video tutorial showing how to create a Celtic knot from scratch

 

 

Celtic knotwork doodles made by me following Bain's methods

4. About #Buntingmas
It's just a silly festival I invented at the end of 2019 because I like bunting. It runs from 11 April (which was my mother's birthday) to 11 September (which was my father's) and is basically a Spring and Summer full of cheerful little flags - this is the 2nd annual Buntingmas and so far it's just me celebrating it with my friends indulging me ;) You can read more about it here and click on the Buntingmas category to see more bunting-related posts. There are quite a few to be honest.

 

 

 

#Buntingmas (it's 11 Apr): How to make low-tech bunting from paper

Before the Great Coronavirus Pandemic of March (and beyond) 2020 I had planned to invite myself round to various chums' houses in April, or invite them to mine, to celebrate #Buntingmas with wine, cake, and bunting.

Buntingmas (11 April 2020) is a festival to celebrate bunting, which I always associate with springtime, blossoms, April, Victoria sponge cake and general pleasantness outdoors, with the sun shining (but not too much). There's probably lemonade too.

Bunting always seems a cheerful thing and we need extra cheering during the Coronavirus lockdown, so let's buntify our environs hyperlocally (garden / house / flat / quarantine room). Then take photographs of it and share it on social media, or just enjoy it quietly at home.

From my previous post in December, "How will you celebrate Buntingmas? Craft ideas and classroom activities" -

"The very simple aim of Buntingmas is to 'put up' some bunting in whatever way 'put up' is relevant for you. If you hate bunting don't do that and instead you are merely encouraged to 'put up with' bunting."

Some people will have ready-made bunting, or have sewing machines and fabric, others will have printers and can either design and print their own (I've used PowerPoint and the Insert Shape tool to fill a page with tesselated triangles - help yourself to mine) or print them from the internet.

But here is a way of making some very low-tech paper bunting.

1. How to make paper bunting

1. Find a bit of paper (or part of a cereal packet)
2. Cut triangles from it (if you have scissors)
3. Draw on them for decoration (coloured pens, pencils, crayons, glitter etc)
4. Arrange them, photograph them and share them on Twitter (or Instagram or wherever)
5. If you have string or thread and tape or blue tack you could (a) poke holes in the corners with a needle or hole punch (if you have one of those!) or (b) fold the top edge over some string or thread, trim the bit now sticking out (if you want) and then hang a chain of them up somewhere. Paper flags will, if slightly wetted, stick to windows unless you've recently cleaned them.

Here's a simple way of creating some flags from a piece of paper (I used A4 in the example below) - just fold it into triangles and then tear (or cut) along the lines.

2. Bunting from paper folded first in three, then folded into triangles

This method will make at least 18 flags from A4 paper. You can probably squeeze one or two more from the bit left over at the end but they might not be the same size.

 Right click, open in new tab / window to enlarge the image

Fold the sheet lengthwise into thirds to letterbox it, then fold one corner back onto the letterbox and then keep doing so (but in a concertina fashion, not over on top of itself as you won't get really crisp edges) to end up with lots of triangles, displayed below.

18 flags made from folded and torn paper (no scissors used).

3. Pointier bunting from paper folded in two, then folded into triangles

This method will make at least 10 flags.

Fold the sheet in half lengthwise then fold the corner back to any point on the opposite side, such that the shape of the triangle formed is pointedly bunting-like and reasonably even-looking (you are going to trim it anyway). Then do the concertina back and forth folding as above to end up with the shape at the end. Cut or tear off the bits at the open end - I drew a rough line across to guide me but corrected with my scissors.

     2. The unfolded concertina                                       3. 10 flags, possibly more from leftover paper

In picture (3) above some of the flags are positioned on top of the leftover paper to show that more flags could be cut out, making 13 in all.

4. Decorating your bunting
Block colour, stripes, polka dots, doodles, minimalist-plain - it's all good. If you're looking for some inspiration try typing doodle ideas or bunting patterns into Google or any other search engine and scrolling through the images. Or pick any theme you like and use Google's filter to show only line drawings (Tools > Type > Line drawings... or choose Clip Art).

5. Displaying your bunting
Take a photo, share it, tag it #Buntingmas. If you don't have tape, blue tack, string or drawing pins to hang it up (vertical bunting, the usual orientation) it's very acceptable to share temporarily horizontal table bunting or floor bunting.

6. Buntingmas FAQ
When is Buntingmas?
11th April 2020 but much like Christmas it can last quite a long while (as long as you like really and I recommend keeping the bunting up until we're released from quarantine). For example Christmas Day is on 25 December but shops are selling festive tat several weeks (months) in advance, and of course the decorations can stay up until 6 January (the Mondayest day of the new year, whatever day it actually falls on). I have Smallest Bunting from Flying Tiger (it's tiny!) permanently installed in my kitchen (see previous post for pictures).

Why is Buntingmas?
Just for fun.

When should I take down the bunting?
a) never b) whenever you feel like it.

How will you celebrate Buntingmas? Craft ideas and classroom activities.

Updated links for #Buntingmas 2023 on Tuesday 11 April 2023.

Original post
Buntingmas (or The Festival of Bunting) is a thing I invented in 2019 to celebrate bunting. The first Buntingmas is on Saturday 11th April 2020. I'm still working out the details ;)

While I'm not particularly pro-monarchy (I don't much mind them) I remember greatly enjoying the 'floribunta' that bloomed across UK high streets in 2011 when one of the royals got married. 

Tom Scott created Buntify the internets, a bunting overlay for websites that wanted to do do their civic bunting duty. It was a bit of fun that let you add bunting and a patriotic jingle to any website. There were even bunting fights in supermarkets as they ran out of the tethered celebratory flags. Then in 2012 we had all the Olympic bunting so there were a couple of years of fairly heavy bunting exposure.

The very simple aim of Buntingmas is to 'put up' some bunting in whatever way 'put up' is relevant for you. If you hate bunting don't do that and instead you are merely encouraged to 'put up with' bunting.

I think of the 'type specimen' of bunting as a series of fabric pointed flags strung together but it's up to each individual Buntingmas celebrant to decide what sort of flags, pennants or other types of bunting to use.

1. Craft options
2. Classroom activities and other educational opportunities
3. Other posts I've written about Buntingmas
4. Gallery of my favourite bunting

1. Craft options
These might include paper/card and string bunting, knitted or crocheted bunting as well as the more classic fabric bunting creations. There's also bunting jewellery made of polymer clay, bunting 'toppers' to stick on cakes or fondant edible bunting as in the video below. Sometimes there are bunting making classes / workshops.



Or you can just buy bunting.

2. Classroom activities and other educational opportunities
While bunting has a celebratory air about it, the wider use of flags as a communication tool is pretty fun and interesting.

• Signal flags and codes in the classroom
• How to teach semaphore using flags
• For younger classrooms each child could make a 'personal flag' (including stuff on it that they feel best represents them) either to decorate the room or take home. The instructions suggest getting other classmates to guess who created each flag.

The photo of the flags on a boat below actually spell out 'Welcome Aboard', using the code of the international maritime signal flags. I have a tea-towel with the signal flags info on it (Mr Brown also wears an apron with the pattern on in Paddington 2).

 

3. Other posts I've written about Buntingmas

• Heraldic shields to print and colour in for #Buntingmas (8 April 2022)
• #Buntingmas 2022 - basically let's all put a bit of bunting up (3 April 2022)
• Vaguely Celtic 'bunting' for Buntingmas made from acetate OHP sheets and glass paints (11 April 2021)
• Make your own heraldic bunting for #Buntingmas (10 April 2020)
• An even easier way to make bunting from folded paper - no printer needed #Buntingmas (9 April 2020)
• #Buntingmas (it's 11 Apr): How to make low-tech bunting from paper (1 April 2020)


 

4. Gallery of my favourite bunting
All photos taken by me, most are on Twitter.

Mini-bunting above comes from Tiger in Lewisham, though it has shops all over the place. This bunting is permanently installed above my kitchen door. Tiger / Flying Tiger occasionally also sells mini bunting as well as larger garlands.

I created the above space-themed bunting using laminated paper (designed on PowerPoint, with images added). It tells the story of the film I'm screening (The Dish) at the 2018 Charlton and Woolwich Free Film Festival. The bunting is attached to one of the guy ropes holding up the open air screen set up in the grounds of Charlton House. My boss' son now owns this bunting. (I also made some work-themed bunting for my boss' office).

Imagine all this bunting whiffling in the breeze at the 2017 Wilderness Festival. Someone had festooned the Information Tent with colourful bunting making it very easy to find.

This is a lantern I made for the Dec 2018 Blackheath Village Day at the bunting making workshops held in Blackheath Halls / Conservatoire. The logo / theme of BVD is actually bunting (!) so I adopted that for the theme of my lantern, lit with a battery-operated tea-light.

Bunting in the colour of the Ukrainian flag, patterns available to download: Heraldic shields to print and colour in for #Buntingmas (8 April 2022)