First Communion Pew Banner

[JerseyJanice]

I should have expected it, but I found out last night that we have to have one made by 3/27.

Do any crafty-type people here have any ideas to help? Did you find any websites with ideas or stencils? I did a 'net search and didn't find anything.

I'm hoping the craft store will be helpful, but meanwhile, if any of you have any advice on making one, I'd appreciate hearing it.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Are you lucky enough to have them give the kids a kit? Our school did. Then we just went to Michael's and bought some letters for his name, butterflies, hearts, etc. to add to it. It came out really nice, and we still have it hanging in his room three years later!

 

[Twigs]

DS's came home with a kit too, it had the felt banner and felt in a few other colors with patterns to pick and cut out. If you don't have a kit to give some ideas ours had a blue banner about 12" or so wide and about 17" long. You could cut out wheat, a cross, a chalice, grapes with a small piece of vine and a leaf. I cut out the basic shapes and went around all the the inside edges with dimensional fabric paint to give it some detail. I used stencils to cut out thier name and glued those to the top. Some craft stores have felt you can peel and stick, but I don't know how well it will stay on. For patterns, maybe you can trace some images from the cover of the religion book or some images inside the book. I did a search for communion banners and here are 2 that show one or two:

http://www.creativecommunications.com/pdf_spring03/springcath03_05.pdf

http://www.stjohnlutheran.org/first_communion.htm

For my sons one picked to put the chalice in the mddle with the host above it, I did the outline in gold deimensional paint on the chalice and put a small cross on the host, then he put a piece of wheat on each side of the chalice. My other son put a cross in the middle with 2 pieces of wheat to one side and a cluster of grapes on the other. to do the grapes we cut out ovals of purple felt and arranged them in a cluster and put a leaf next to it.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks, Twigs! Your reply contains exactly the info I was hoping to get.

How I wish they gave us a kit! All we got is an instruction sheet with dimensions and photocopied stencils. Oh, and they will give us a dowel.

Does anyone know where a kit can be purchased? Is it that necessary though? I need felt or fabric measuring 9" wide by 20" long. Is there a fabric besides felt I could use for the banner itself?

We have to spell his first name diagonally, looks like from the samples. Then we can decorate with symbols of the occassion. I love that grape idea, Twigs. I've seen that before and thought it looked good.

 

[Jeafl]

We just finished my daughters. I cut a simple chalice out of cardboard, and covered it with foil, then bought some purple and green felt and made a bunch of grapes out of it. I also bought some dried wheat in the floral section at Michaels and glued that on. I also took a small piece of white felt to make the actual communion host and put it halfway in the chalice.

To me the whole thing was easy once you get started, it was coming up with the ideas that was the hard part. Good luck~

 

[Mishetta]

Our banners have taken a personal twist....we have to just use a 9 x 12 piece of felt & put our child on it (they have a cut out of a body we can trace on it) & we cut out a picture of his face from a photo to adhere to it. We are also supposed to add stuff that he likes to his banner ~ like hobbies. So we went to a Scrapebooking store & got a little computer, camara (with film) & a bowling ball complete with bowling pins. I also found a 10speed bike to attach to his banner. Nothing religious (which strikes me as very odd.) I cut out a white tee-shirt & a sponge bob figure off another piece of material & will sew the spongebob onto the white shirt (to depict a spongebob tee-shirt) & then some blue jean material (to put jeans on his figure) & I've cut out white material & drew shoe laces on it for sneakers.

What a job & I am NOT a crafty person. This has been very painful for me. Surely they know the children can't do this type of thing so I've had him help me as much as possible but I'll do the sewing. I'll have him glue the embellishements on it too.

 

[tjmw2727]

My dd did one last year, Michaels and AC Moore saved us. In fact they had a stiff peice of felt that was the perfect size for the banner. They had the dowels and ribbon as well as regular felt and I used iron on letters.

I printed some pictures from the internet onto iron on paper (found at staples - used for t-shirts) and we used that for the main part of the banner. I also used the iron on letters for her name and phrase.

I am totally craft challenged - but my dd had a good sense of what she wanted and we got it done together. It was really fun after all. Have this year off but will be doing one for younger dd next year.

TJ