How to Sew with a Vinyl Advertising Banner

Are you wondering how to make a purse/handbag/bag/tote out of a used vinyl billboard advertising banner?
It's really quite easy. Job number one is to select some bag sewing patterns that are easy to sew.

Crystelle Boutique offers an easy free pattern and other really fun and easy to sew patterns.

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE

Job number two : acquiring the vinyl advertising banner.
It probably took me three months to get up enough courage to ask the first business if I could have their banner after they were done with it. Their answer? NO! I was quite discouraged and it took me another six months to get up enough courage to do it again… This time was different. They were really nice, and said : YES!!! My confidence was up after that and I tried it again a week later. And the third business said YES too.
So rule number one is just to ask for a banner, and chances are, you will get one!

Pros and Cons of Sewing with Vinyl Banners

Pros

• Cheap (I just got mine for free)
  
• Easy to cut
  
• Easy to sew
  
• Easy to clean (I just used a natural cleaner and a rag)
  
• Durable
  
• Fun colors
  
• Very “green”
  

Cons

• Could be hard to acquireSome are old and show a lot of dirt and wear. (But then again, that adds to the novelty...)
  
• You can’t use pins in places that will show in the finished product. They leave visible holes. So be careful with that.The vinyl gets folds in it (you can kind-of get the folds out by covering the wrinkly banner with a cotton tea-towel and then, using a hot iron, press it. Do not leave the iron in one location for over 10 seconds: the vinyl WILL melt!
  

You could consider sewing a free item
for the donor of the vinyl banner. He or she would love it....

To see some of the bags I have made out of billboard banners, please visit here and here.