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Hand lettered banners are one of the easiest and most affordable ways to create personalized home decor! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced crafter, these little canvas banners offer the perfect surface for practicing your lettering skills and creating something you’ll be proud to display. 

At just a few dollars each (especially during sales at Hobby Lobby), you can experiment with colors, styles, and techniques without worrying about wasting expensive materials. Plus, they make amazing personalized gifts for baby showers, birthdays, holidays, and more!

In this hand lettered banner tutorial, I’ll walk you through creating a colorful “Know Your Worth” design using hand lettering templates, paint markers, and fun embellishments.

The best part? Even if you don’t have perfect handwriting, you can create professional-looking results with tracing templates and lettering guides!

H2: Complete Supply List

Find these supplies at Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree, or on my Amazon storefront. 

H3: Canvas and Base Materials:

• Canvas banner
• DecoArt Warm White acrylic paint
• Foam brush or regular paintbrush
• Matte fluid medium (optional, to thin paint)

H3: Lettering Tools:

• Know Your Worth hand lettering template
• Posca acrylic paint pens in various colors (pink, orange, blue/navy, green)
• White paint pen or gel pen for accents
• Graphite transfer paper (gray, not black)
• Lettering template (printed)
• Pencil
• Washi tape

H3: Embellishments:

• Colorful pom pom trim/balls
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Ribbon (optional)
• String or yarn for hanging pom poms

H3: Optional:

• Spray sealer (recommended to prevent smearing)
• Light pad (makes tracing easier)

H2: Step #1: Prepare Your Canvas Banner

Canvas banners typically have a parchment-like backing that prevents paint from bleeding through, which makes them perfect for mess-free canvas lettering!

H3: Paint your base coat:

1. Squeeze warm white acrylic paint onto your palette
2. Add a small amount of matte fluid medium to thin (optional – helps paint spread easier)
3. Apply an even coat of white paint across the entire canvas surface
4. Let dry completely (10-15 minutes)

Why paint it first? The white base prevents paint markers from bleeding into the canvas texture and gives you a smooth, professional surface for your hand-lettered banner. Plus, it makes your colors pop!

H2: Step #2: Transfer Your Lettering Design

This is where hand lettering templates become your best friend!

To set your template up for transfer (taking the design from the template to the canvas banner):

1. Place your printed lettering template on top of the painted canvas
2. Position it where you want the lettering to appear
3. Secure with small pieces of washi tape so it doesn’t shift
4. Slide gray graphite paper between your template and canvas (shiny side down)
5. Use a pencil to trace over the lettering, pressing firmly
6. Periodically lift the template to check that the design is transferring how you want it to
7. Remove template and graphite paper once complete

Important: I recommend using gray graphite paper from Hobby Lobby (Crafter’s Choice brand recommended) – it doesn’t smudge as much as some other brands!

H3: Why use lettering templates? 

Even experienced letterers use templates! These traceable lettering templates allow you to focus on making the lettering beautiful instead of worrying about spacing, sizing, and placement. 

The same technique works for hand-lettering templates for door hangers, signs, and other lettering projects!

H2: Step #3: Add Colorful Hand Lettering

Now comes the fun part – bringing your hand lettered banner to life with vibrant colors!

First, you’ll choose your color palette:

• Select 3-4 coordinating colors from your Posca paint pens
• Consider what embellishments you’ll add (match or complement those colors)
• Plan which words get which colors before you start

If you decide to use dark colors (like navy), they may appear more prominent than lighter colors. You can balance this by adding white accent lines inside the dark letters to soften them and create dimension.

Then, you can start lettering your design:

1. Start with your first color and trace over the transferred pencil lines
2. Work slowly – rushing leads to shaky lines!
3. Keep lines smooth and steady
4. Rotate your banner to get better angles for tricky letters

H3: Pro Tips for paint markers:

• Shake markers well before use, but DON’T pump them (causes big paint blobs to spill out…no fun!)
• The canvas texture may make lines slightly bumpy – this is normal and adds handmade charm
• Turn your banner in different directions to maintain control
• Let each color dry before starting the next to prevent smudging

H2: Step #4: Add Details and Accents

This is what takes your hand lettered banner from good to WOW!

Add White Highlights:

1. Use a white paint pen to add thin accent lines inside darker letters
2. Follow the shape of the letter (curves stay curved)
3. This softens any heavy contrast and adds some dimension
4. Highlights also camouflage any shaky lines or imperfections

Include Fun Elements:

• Add small polka dots in coordinating colors to fill empty space
• Draw tiny decorative lines or swooshes
• Keep embellishments balanced across the design
• Don’t overcrowd – white space is good!

Adding these soft accents draws the eye and prevents viewers from focusing on minor flaws. If your hand lettering feels shaky, highlights are your best friend!

H2: Step #5: Attach Embellishments

Time to make your custom lettering project extra special with textured details!

For the top trim:

1. Cut the pom pom trim to fit across the top of the banner
2. Apply hot glue along the back edge
3. Press trim firmly and hold until set
4. Consider adding a matching bow in one corner (I did this for my banner and LOVED it!)

Hanging the pom poms:

1. Cut string or yarn into 4-6 inch lengths
2. Thread through individual pom poms (or tie securely)
3. Hot glue strings to the bottom edge of the banner
4. Vary the lengths slightly for visual interest
5. Space them evenly across the bottom

Alternative ideas:

• Use ribbon instead of pom pom trim
• Add fabric flowers or felt shapes
• Hot glue small wooden embellishments
• Create seasonal versions with themed decorations

H2: Step #6: Seal Your Banner

I highly recommend you seal your banner once everything is done (and completely dry) to keep it protected and looking good long-term! This also helps to:

• Prevent paint markers from smearing
• Protect against dust and handling
• Adds a slight sheen or matte finish (your choice)

H2: Frequently Asked Questions About Hand Lettered Banners

H3: Q: What is a hand lettered banner?

A hand lettered banner is a small canvas pennant decorated with hand-drawn lettering and embellishments. These banners typically cost a few dollars and provide an affordable surface for practicing lettering skills while creating personalized home decor, gifts, or party decorations.

H3: Q: Do I need perfect handwriting to make a hand lettered banner?

Nope! Hand lettering is different from handwriting. By using hand lettering templates and graphite transfer paper, you can create professional-looking banners regardless of your natural handwriting. 

The tutorial includes templates that act as “training wheels” while you develop your skills.

H3: Q: What supplies do I need for hand lettering?

I know sifting through all the lettering supplies available in craft stores can be a lot. So, I wrote this mini guide to help you decide which ones are right for you and your projects, especially if you’re a beginner!

Hand Lettering for Beginners: Supplies Everyone Needs to Get Started

H3: Q: What are the best hand lettering pens for beginners?

I have a mini-guide for that too! Read it here: Different Types of Lettering Pens and How to Choose the Right One for Your Next Project

H3: Q: How long does it take to make a hand lettered banner?

Most hand lettered banners can be completed in under an hour. This includes painting the base coat (10-15 minutes drying time), transferring your design with lettering templates, adding colorful lettering with paint markers, and attaching embellishments like pom pom trim.

H2: Ready to Create More Hand Lettered Projects?

If you loved this hand lettered banner tutorial and want access to hundreds more templates for even more projects like these…let me introduce you to the Template Library!

Inside the Template Library, you get:

• 450+ hand lettered sign templates, instant download
• New designs added monthly
• Christmas, winter, seasonal, and everyday phrases
• Hand lettering practice sheets for signs and door hangers
• All file types included (print, trace, or use digitally)
• Small business commercial license
• Perfect for canvas quote signs, door hangers, and more!

For just $15/month, you’ll never run out of inspiration for your next lettering project. Whether you’re making banners, door hangers, cards, signs, or gifts, the Template Library has the perfect design waiting for you!

Join the Template Library today →