Bedsheet Banners 101

By Lynn Stone, Banner Queen

Step 1: Get a message. Make it short and make it simple. For Election Day 2006 we recommend “Voters Silenced Here”.

Step 2: Get Fabric.

If you have cotton/muslin sheets at home you want to use, cool.

You can also try finding muslin at discount fabric stores. It is off-white, but also runs about 99 cents a yard. Also sometimes there is cheap colored fabric, stay with light shades. Thrift store sheets are ok but not really cheaper than new fabric. Use duct tape (white) to ‘hem’ the edges (cover them so it’s not all stringy at the edges) if you don’t sew.

Step 3: Get paint or duct tape

Ideal: Get dark colored acrylic paint. Try it on a corner to be sure it doesn’t peel off fabric. Mix with a bit of water when painting to aid in spread-ability. You need to leave time for it to dry or use blow driers.

Also Works: Spray paint dries quickly but looks, well, like spray paint.

Mmm Not So Much: If you paint with regular house paint, it will take time to dry. The paint will go through the fabric – and can mess up banner if you move it too soon. You can use magic markers for little detailed stuff, but they run out quick.

Please Note: Never underestimate the wonders of duct tape- you could just tape your letters with black duct tape on a white tarp or fabric if you want.

Step 4: Get graphic

Either do your layout on a computer or with a pencil and paper. Be sure your dimensions match the dimensions of the fabric. Arial bold is easy to draw and paint. For Election Day 2006 we have created a simple PDF of the message that you can download at http://www.ruckus.org/downloads/VotersSilencedHere.pdf

Step 5: Get big

Ideal: If you can make a transparency and project the image onto the fabric using an overhead projector you will get a very clean banner. Many elementary schools have projectors, if you can get to use one, good on you. The quickest way to make a banner is to use a projector in a space you can spray paint in - just spray paint the letters as they are projected. If you have a graffiti artist friend ask them to do it for you, they will have a steady hand.

Also works: If you don’t have a projector but still are in a rush and want to use spray paint, do the grid thing*, but just be sure to layout the message clearly with pencil. Then you can spray paint over it and not mess up and have the words running off the end of the banner.

* What is the Grid Thing: Grid your image on the paper, then put a matching grid on the fabric and just transfer image. Example? Draw 3 faint pencil lines up and down and right to left over your image until you

have 9 smaller boxes. Then use a pencil or tape to divide your fabric the same way and just transfer over one section at a time!

Step 6: Be creative! Have fun! Get the message out!