This Iron Craft challenge is one of my yearly favorites, the Halloween challenge. I had picked up some well-used brass stencils that spelled out “BOO” at the Junk Bonanza a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to use them somehow.

I could have just done a plain little bunting with the ribbon tacked or tied up on either side, but then I thought about the ravens I have in my Halloween decoration box. Why couldn’t the ravens hold up the bunting?! I love how it turned out especially since I was able to do it with just a few items I had on hand and two mini pumpkins I picked up at the grocery store.

Some notes on this project:

* As I mentioned above, I found these brass stencils at a big antique and junk show. A lot of different booths had them, so I guess they aren’t that hard to find. Of course, you could make your bunting out of anything, scrapbook paper, fabric, wooden letters, glitter letters, kids alphabet cards. I think there are a ton of different cute ways you could do it.

** My ravens would not stand up on their own once they had the ribbon in their beaks. I used the wires on their feet to attached them to real mini pumpkins which secured them upright. The extra height also allowed the bunting to hang better. You could also use foam mini pumpkins as long as they are heavy enough. I also thought about gluing or taping them to the top of plastic skulls. If you are using taller ravens or just want them to stand without anything under them, a little blue tack will probably hold them in place upright.

Raven and Boo Bunting

Supplies:

• letters*
• 1/2″ ribbon, I just used some bias tape I had on hand
• tacky glue
• two decorative ravens, I found mine at the dollar store
• razor or other sharp knife
• mini pumpkins**
• brown or black floral wire (if needed)

1. Lay your letters down so that they are backwards and the word is spelled out backwards. Leave a little space, like 1/8″, between each letter.

Put a line of glue across the top of the letter and glue the ribbon in place. Make sure to leave enough tail of the ribbon on each side for hanging. I left about 6″. Let dry.

2. Using a razor or sharp knife cut a slit in the ravens’ beaks as if the beak could really open. I was surprised that the beaks were actually solid plastic, so it took a little work to get the slit all the way through, just use a little pressure and cut a little at a time. The solidness of the beak actually probably helped hold the ribbon better.

Cut far enough back the the ribbon will go into the slit and be held into place. You won’t necessarily need to go as deep as the ribbon is wide, about half the width worked for me.

3. My ravens were made to be used like floral picks so they already had wires sticking out from their feet. If yours don’t, wind a little floral wire around them leaving about an inch off the bottom.

The wire easily poked into the mini pumpkins. Attach each raven to a pumpkin so that it stands upright.

4. Put the ends of the ribbon in the ravens’ mouth and separate enough for your bunting to hang nicely.