flags of fun

• Resene testpots from the Resene KidzColour range. We used Resene Ballerina, Resene Blast Off, Resene Candy Floss, Resene Dancing Girl, Resene Fizz, Resene Giggle, Resene Hopskotch, Resene Kermit, Resene Neva, Resene Shooting Star, Resene Splat, Resene Super Duper, Resene Top Secret, Resene Traffic Light and Resene Yabbadabbadoo

• 45cm x 70cm primed canvas, paintbrushes, pencil and ruler, pinking scissors and pins

• Sewing machine (or stapler), 3.5m of 3cm wide ribbon

Step 1:  Sketch the outline of your picture onto the primed side of the canvas (the side that's already painted white) and start painting. It's easiest if you do one colour at a time, trying not to overlap the colours while they are still wet. Paint a section, leave it to dry and come back and do some more until the whole canvas is painted.

Step 2:  Once all the paint is completely dry, measure a horizontal line 15cm from the bottom, and another 15cm from that, so you have two lines 15cm apart across the width of your picture. Starting from one corner, measure and mark the bottom edge every 10cm and then along the next line, measure 5cm in from the side edge and mark, then measure and mark every 10cm. Rule diagonal lines to form triangle shapes as shown. Repeat so that the whole picture is divided into triangles.

Step 3:  Using the pinking scissors, cut along the horizontal lines so you have three strips which should measure 15cm x 70cm each. Then carefully cut along the diagonal lines to form triangles for the bunting.

Step 4:  Mix up the triangles so you don't have sections that are too much alike together, and pin the ribbon along the top edge of the canvas triangles, overlapping them a little as you go. Stitch along the top edge of the ribbon, and again along the bottom edge of the ribbon. If you can't sew or don't have a sewing machine, staple the triangles to the ribbon instead. Pin up your bunting!

Top tips

• Primed canvas is available from art supply shops, canvas stores, or make your own using plain canvas and painting it first with a coat of Resene Quick Dry

• You don’t have to do a picture. Paint shapes and colours like stripes, spots, stars, diamonds, squiggles… whatever you like.

• Ours had a plain back but you could paint the other side of the canvas too with a plain colour or some stripes in bright colours.

• Personalise the bunting for special occasions, like painting the letters 'Happy Birthday' and a person’s name, one letter per triangle.

Words and styling: Helena Dunn
Pictures: Mark Heaslip

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