Straight-Grain "Bias Tape" Tutorial

When I was finishing my son's birthday bunting banner, all the tutorials I found said I needed bias tape.  But, it's not always necessary to use bias tape.  You only need it when you have curves, or you want the finished project to bend/curve easily.  I think that many people use bias tape because it comes pre-packaged and they don't have to cut or press it, not because it's actually necessary to use a bias edge.

I used straight-grain "tape" for my banner, and it worked really well, even on the ties.  

This method has a couple of advantages:  
1.)  Bias tape is more expensive
2.) I finished this banner around midnight the night before the party and had no bias tape, but I could make the straight-grain version quickly.

Here's a quick tutorial on how I made my 1/2" straight-grain tape:

1.  Cut 1 1/2" strips from your fabric.  For 15' of tape, you'll need about 1/4 yd of fabric.  Sew these strips together along the short ends into one really long strip.  Press the seam allowances open.

2.  Press in all four edges 1/4".

3.  Press the strip in half.  Now, you have straight-grain tape that can be used in many different projects.

-Lily