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  • Welcome to TPK! This is your first of 2 free articles. For unlimited access to tutorials and articles, join TPK Premium for less than the cost of a latte.

    Five Banner Tutorials – Free Printable

    February 2, 2018

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    Dip Pen Calligraphy, Free Printables, Hand-Lettering, Inspiration, Printable Goodies, Tutorials

    Banners can help you to emphasize a word or phrase in a tasteful way! In today’s post, you’ll find a printable that will teach you how to draw five different types of banners. You can use those banners for mail art projects, logo design, general artwork, or whatever else you’re working on!

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    Five Banner Tutorials | The Postman's Knock

    If you like calligraphy and/or hand-lettering, knowing how to draw a banner is bound to come in handy eventually. In this post, you’ll find some tips for drawing banners, plus you can download the free Five Banner Tutorials printable!

    Tip #1 – Write Your Lettering First

    Banners are often used to emphasize text or lettering. If you plan on having lettering in your banner, write the lettering first. That way, you can center the banner to fit the lettering.

    Watercolor Hexagons Mail Art Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
    I free-hand sketched some pencil guidelines here, then wrote the name using Flourish Formal Style calligraphy.

    Tip #2 – Always Make a Banner Pencil Draft

    No matter how diligently you follow the examples in the Five Banner Tutorials printable, there’s always a possibility for error. If you have the time, you should use a pencil to make a draft of your banner around the lettering or calligraphy.

    Watercolor Hexagons Mail Art Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
    Make sure you use light pressure to draw your pencil draft! You never know what parts of the banner you’ll need to erase.

    Tip #3 – Include Breaks in the Banner for Ascenders or Descenders

    If some of the letters in your word have particularly tall ascenders or low-hanging descenders, include breaks in the outline of your banner to accommodate them. Doing so will prevent your banner from being too large.

    Watercolor Hexagons Mail Art Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
    Notice that I left breaks in this banner to accommodate the letters “N” and the “A”. To see how this envelope turned out, you can check out the Watercolor Hexagons Mail Art Tutorial!

    Tip #4 – Don’t Skip the Shading

    All of the banners in your Five Banners Tutorial printable include some sort of shading. Adding lines, dots, or a blended shadow helps to distinguish the back of the banner from the front and give it some dimension.

    How to Draw a Banner | The Postman's Knock
    The densely spaced, curved horizontal lines in this banner help to give the illusion of dimension.

    Tip #5 – Add a Touch of Color

    Banners look even more vibrant if you give them a little bit of color! I like to add fairly dark watercolor to the back ribbons in my banners, then use light watercolor around the edges on the front ribbon(s).

    Flourish Formal Style Calligraphy Mail Art | The Postman's Knock
    You can use watercolors, colored pencils, crayons, or other media to add shading to your banner. This will help the banner to stand out even more!

    6. Enjoy the Free Printable!

    I suggest printing the Five Banners Tutorial off on any paper you have handy. Since you don’t have to write on this printable, the paper quality really doesn’t matter. Use the printable as a reference next time you want to make some mail art, a banner for a cake, a bullet journal page — whatever!

    Five Banner Tutorials | The Postman's Knock
    No need to print this off on fancy paper — whatever you have on your printer right now will work!

    You can find the printable for free by clicking here. Try giving each of the banners a go, and don’t be afraid to make your own modifications! Some experimentation and confidence go a long way in creating striking and artistic banners.

    Thanks very much for reading TPK, and enjoy your weekend!

    Warmly,

    Lindsey's Signature | The Postman's Knock

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About the author

Hi, I’m Lindsey Bugbee, the illustrator, calligrapher, and author behind The Postman’s Knock (TPK). Since 2012, the TPK Blog has been a vibrant creative space filled with tutorials and lessons on modern calligraphy, hand lettering, and illustration. After publishing The Calligraphy Book, I wanted to elevate the quality of content even further—so I launched TPK Premium. You can join here to receive access to some of the internet’s best creative inspiration and project tutorials.

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108 responses

  1. Greta Avatar
    Greta
    February 2, 2018

    Very useful for beginners! Thanks 🙂

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    1. Greta Avatar
      Greta
      February 2, 2018

      My favorites are the arc and flat

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  2. monika Avatar
    monika
    February 2, 2018

    Wavy is my fav! It looks so stylish perfect for bouncy lettering in it.
    Thanks!

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  3. paola vargas Avatar
    paola vargas
    February 2, 2018

    loved the wavy banner!

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  4. Rongkui Avatar
    Rongkui
    February 2, 2018

    The double wavy is my favorite. Looks awesome and can fit in two pieces of info.

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  5. Kathleen N Avatar
    Kathleen N
    February 2, 2018

    The wavy is may fave! Easy and looks so fancy. Thanks, Lindsey!

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  6. Kayla Avatar
    Kayla
    February 2, 2018

    I love the double wavy ones! Thanks for the awesome printable!

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  7. Victoria Avatar
    Victoria
    February 2, 2018

    I have already used the wavy banner on my Christmas cards when I used your ornament tutorial. I’ll print this and practice all versions so that I’ll have them at the ready for my next card.

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  8. Ashley Avatar
    Ashley
    February 2, 2018

    I really like the wavy banners

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  9. Barbara Richards Avatar
    Barbara Richards
    February 2, 2018

    I think these banners are great! They just make the envelope look classier somehow, and I especially like the wavy banner, but I have used all of them at some point!

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  10. Anne Marie Woodward Avatar
    Anne Marie Woodward
    February 2, 2018

    Banners are such a great way to jazz up envelopes. The recipient is always so impressed. I love these!

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✍️ There’s a fresh addition to the TPK Catal ✍️ There’s a fresh addition to the TPK Catalog: The Graceful Ballerina Calligraphy Drill Worksheet 

This ballerina is unique among TPK calligraphy drills in that it’s really not that complicated. After a few simple loops, a flourished tutu, and long strokes to make the legs, you have, well, a ballerina! 🩰 The most difficult part is getting the outline right; but even that isn’t too bad because you’ve got a traceable outline included in your worksheet set.

The beauty of the flourished ballerina? She makes *anything* look elegant: cards, envelopes, gift tags, whatever. My recommendation is to feature her on your next envelope. She’ll add a “wow” factor and allow you to left-justify the address, which is always a relief (no need to bother with centering)!

To find her, visit the link in my bio, then navigate to the Blog!

#thepostmansknock #tpk #calligraphy #calligraphydrills #calligraphyworksheet #moderncalligraphy #pointedpen #pointedpencalligraphy #calligraphypractice #flourishing #flourishedart #mailart #snailmail #envelopeart #envelopecalligraphy #handlettering #creativeprocess #artistsoninstagram #balletart #ballerinadrawing #ballerinaart #inkdrawing #calligraphycommunity #stationerylove #letterwritersalliance #penandink #calligraphyinspiration #learncalligraphy #artistlife #creativeplay
✨I’ve been making these little calligraphy Chr ✨I’ve been making these little calligraphy Christmas trees for years. They’re a go-to whenever I need a quick gift tag, envelope flourish, or something festive that doesn’t require a whole afternoon.

They look fancy, but they’re really just simple strokes stacked in different patterns. Truly: once you get the rhythm down, you can make a tree in under 30 seconds. 🎄 

If you want to try them (there are six styles!), the tutorial is on the TPK Blog, and it’s called
“6 Simple Ways to Make a Calligraphy Christmas Tree.” Feel free to google it, or visit: thepostmansknock.com/6-simple-ways-to-make-a-calligraphy-christmas-tree/

It’s very beginner-friendly, video-based, and a great way to get some creativity in during a busy season. I hope you love it as much as I do. 💛

#calligraphy #moderncalligraphy #holidaycalligraphy #calligraphyart #creativelifehappylife #christmascrafts #holidaycrafts #giftwrappingideas #diychristmas #christmascards #calligraphytutorial #finetec #metallicwatercolor #papercrafts #creativepractice #thepostmansknock #holidayinspiration #blackandgold #christmasideas #holidayideas
🎁 These printable gift tags are one of my favor 🎁 These printable gift tags are one of my favorite free printables on the TPK site. Just download, print, cut them out, and — if you want to — reinforce them with a bit of cardstock.

Inside the PDF you’ll find four designs: Festive Frida, Flourished Tree, Pine Boughs, and Merry & Bright. They’re all hand-drawn, and they make even the simplest wrapping look bespoke and artistic. 🎨 

Pro tip: If you’ve got a bit of extra time, add a pop of watercolor or some gold dots; and consider mounting the tag on a contrasting piece of cardstock for extra oomph.

They’re free to download at: thepostmansknock.com/free-super-cool-hand-drawn-printable-gift-tags/ (or visit the link in my stories today). Happy holidays!

#handdrawn #gifttags #printablegifttags #freeprintables #holidayprintables #christmascrafts #holidaygifts #papercrafts #snailmailinspo #mailart #creativegiftwrapping #diyholiday #diygifttags #artistsoninstagram #illustrationartists #thepostmansknock #tpkcommunity #calligraphycommunity #stationerylove #creativecommunity
There’s something extra fun about a card that do There’s something extra fun about a card that doesn’t just open … it comes to life. ✨ This little stand-up tree might look fancy, but it’s totally approachable — relaxing to make, satisfying to embellish, and (my favorite part) it folds up perfectly to pop in the mail. 💌🎄

If you’re looking for a holiday project that feels creative and doable, this is *such* a good one. The printable template does half the work for you, and you can customize the rest with flourishes, white ink, ornaments, or whatever feels festive to you.

The full step-by-step tutorial is waiting for you on the TPK website; just head to the link in my bio and tap “Blog.” I think you’ll have as much fun making this as I did. ❤️

#calligraphy #calligraphytutorial #holidaycalligraphy #flourishedcalligraphy #moderncalligraphy #calligraphycommunity #calligraphypractice #calligraphyart #letteringcommunity #letteringart #papercraft #papercrafting #diycards #handmadecards #holidaycards #christmascards #christmascrafts #snailmail #snailmailrevolution #snailmaillove #creativecommunity #stationerylove #makersgonnamake #thepostmansknock
I love it when I can make simple pointed pen pract I love it when I can make simple pointed pen practice on cardstock ... and it magically turns into a festive card! Find instructions + a printable template for making this “Loop-de-Loop” tree in the TPK 2025 Holiday Calligraphy Worksheet set. 🎄 (Link in bio, then navigate to the Blog!)

#pointedpen #calligraphy #calligraphypractice #pointedpenpractice #holiday #christmastree #treedrawing #doodles #goldwatercolor
Every November since 2016, I’ve looked forward t Every November since 2016, I’ve looked forward to sitting down with a cup of something warm ☕️ and sketching out ideas for the TPK holiday worksheet. This year was no exception, and I think you’ll be pleased with the motifs! They’re designed to bring calm, beauty, and (sneaky) pointed pen practice to your holiday season. 🎄Visit the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to Blog) for details!
The other day, I was thinking about sending out ho The other day, I was thinking about sending out holiday cards, and I immediately dismissed the thought with, “I have zero time to calligraph envelopes for those.” ✍️

... But is that true? I put it to the test for the latest article on the TPK Blog. Using some time-saving tricks I’ve learned over the years (like using a watery ink, a bouncy calligraphy style, and minimal pencil guidelines), I timed myself making three envelope concepts. Two of them took 5 minutes or less. The most time-intensive took 5 minutes, 30 seconds. The envelopes still turned out looking elegant, especially with the help of some artistic postage stamp collages. 💌

For clear step-by-step tutorials detailing how to make these envelopes and sourcing pretty postage, visit the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to “Blog”)!

#snailmail #mail #calligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #happymail #snailmailrevolution #mailbox #postage #vintagepostage
After I chose this music to accompany this reel, i After I chose this music to accompany this reel, it dawned on me: drawing a calligraphy medallion is like, well, Belle’s arc with the Beast. 

At first, it’s a bit of a weird situation. Strange shapes, questionable structure, possibly some growling (à la “YOU WILL JOIN ME FOR DINNER. That’s not a request!”) when the inevitable ink smudge happens. You keep thinking, “I’m not sure why I’m doing this ... should I hop on Felipe and gallop away?” 🐎

But something shifts as the medallion starts to come to life. And when you finish that last detail and pull back, the music swells. Light bursts from your paper like it did from Beast’s digits as he transformed into a stunningly beautiful prince. ✨ You’re practically in a ballroom celebrating, and, wait, did your furniture just turn into an adoring crowd that’s celebrating your fortitude and skill?

(And now you know how my mind works 🧠 ... I love a good metaphor, no matter how weak it may be!) 

To learn how to make a calligraphy medallion, just search for “calligraphy medallion” on the TPK site (link in bio). You’ll find both free Blog tutorials and detailed premium worksheets.

... I’ll show myself out now. 🙈

#pointedpencalligraphy #calligraphy #handwritten #pointedpen #dippen #calligraphymedallion #calligraphydrill #calligraphypractice
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