Hand Printed Bunting

I've just finished making a new batch of print and wax bunting, with new designs and colours. I'd thought it would be quite nice to show you how i make it, and what goes behind each string of bunting..........perhaps even have a go yourself!

First, i cut the lino. I cut the lino into a flag shape, and carve the designs on to each plate. I have used three different designs, for each string of bunting.

Bunting lino plates

The plates are then printed, using the mangle, onto paper sheets and left to dry. When dry, they can then be cut into individual flags for the bunting.

Piles of unwaxed printed flags

The next process get a little messy....in fact printing in general is really messy, but it really is worth covering any surfaces that you don want to get ruined with newspaper! I use clear wax granules, and heat them in an old pan until then melt and get very hot. Obviously, you need to make sure that the wax doesn't get too hot and catch on fire, so vigilance is essential! Each flag is painted with a coat of hot wax and left to dry. Once dry,  it's possible to polish the print with a soft cloth.

clear wax granules

Once the wax on the flags are dry and polished, they can then threaded to together to make a string of bunting. 

This bunting is also available on Folksy and Etsy .