So what is the best fabric for bunting? It depends a little on where your flags will hang and the look you are after, but there is one fabric that suits most makers, and it costs less than you might expect. In this guide we compare the popular options and explain where each one earns its place, then show you where to buy cheap bunting fabric by the metre and answer the questions makers ask most, from how much you need to how to stop the edges fraying. And if you would rather feel the fabric before you commit, you can order a sample from just 99p.

What This Guide Covers

1. What Is the Best Fabric for Bunting?
2. Is Polycotton Good for Bunting?
3. Cheap Bunting Fabric to Buy by the Metre
4. How to Choose Fabric for Outdoor Bunting
5. How to Stop Bunting Fabric From Fraying
6. How Much Fabric Do You Need for Bunting?
7. Wedding Bunting Ideas

What Is the Best Fabric for Bunting?

For most makers, the answer is polycotton. It sits right in the sweet spot: light enough to flutter in a breeze, stable enough to hold a crisp triangle, colourfast so prints stay bright, and cheap enough to run metres of it. The right choice does depend on your look and on where the flags will hang, so here is how the popular options compare.

 

Cotton and polycotton are the two most popular choices, and the difference is largely cost and care. Pure cotton takes a print beautifully but frays more and costs more; the blend holds colour just as well, frays less and is kinder on the budget. Pure polyester is tougher again and holds its colour well, but it can look shiny and feel less natural on a small flag, which is why the blend tends to win for everyday bunting. Felt is the shortcut for a no-sew make with children, while linen and hessian earn their place when you want a rustic, natural texture rather than an all-rounder.

 

Our top fabric picks for bunting

• Plain Polycotton: a wide range of solid colours, ideal for classic red, white and blue or a coordinated scheme. Sold by the metre.

• Spot, Star and Stripe Prints: the small, cheerful patterns that read best on a little triangle.

• Gingham Polycotton: a timeless check in 14 colours and two sizes, just £2.99 per metre. Perfect for country and vintage themes.

• Novelty and Kids' Prints and Christmas designs: for birthdays, nurseries and seasonal displays.

Shop the full polycotton range by the metre, or order a 99p sample to check your colours before you buy.

Is Polycotton Good for Bunting?

Yes, and it is worth understanding why so you can buy with confidence. Polycotton fabric for bunting works because the polyester in the blend does the hard work: it stops the flags fraying as quickly as pure cotton, helps them keep a sharp triangular shape, and locks in dye so prints stay vivid wash after wash. 

It is lightweight too, so your flags flutter rather than hang limp, it creases far less than cotton, and it is machine washable when the string comes down. On top of all that it is one of the cheapest quality fabrics you can buy, which matters when a single garland can swallow several metres.

We would not pretend it is the only option. If you are set on a rustic, natural look, linen or hessian has a texture the blend cannot match, and if the flags will live outdoors all year, a waterproof fabric or a heavier polyester will outlast it. For everything else, from garden parties to weddings to classroom displays, polycotton is hard to beat. If you are new to it, our polycotton buying guide and polycotton vs cotton comparison go deeper.

Cheap Bunting Fabric to Buy by the Metre

Bunting is one of the most cost-effective decorations you can make, and buying cheap bunting fabric by the metre keeps it that way. Because you only need small triangles, it is also the perfect way to use up offcuts and mix several prints in one string.

For a budget-friendly make, start with our plain polycotton for solid colours, add a print or two from the spot, star and stripe collection, or pick a classic gingham for a country feel. If you are decorating on a tight budget, or running a long line for a street party or fete, our remnants, pound a metre lines and bulk buys bring the cost down further still. A fat quarter bundle is a neat way to gather a coordinated set of prints in one go.

As a family-run UK fabric shop, we sell every colour and print by the metre, offer 99p samples so you can check a shade before ordering, and run next day delivery on orders placed before 1.30pm, plus loyalty points on everything you buy. It all makes finding cheap bunting fabric in the UK that bit easier.

How to Choose Fabric for Outdoor Bunting

Outdoor displays have one extra thing to weigh up: the weather. For seasonal use, such as a summer of garden parties, polycotton is a sensible choice. It copes well with a few weeks outside, and because it is affordable you will not mind replacing it. Bring it in between events and out of prolonged strong sun, as any fabric will eventually fade on the side that faces the light.

If you want a display that stays up all year, choose a waterproof fabric such as PVC or oilcloth, which wipes clean and shrugs off rain, or a heavier polyester made for flags. You can also treat cotton or polycotton flags with a waterproofing spray to buy them extra life. Whatever you choose, hang the line so it can drain and dry rather than pooling water, and store it somewhere dry over winter.

How to Stop Bunting Fabric From Fraying

Fraying is the most common frustration, and the good news is that polycotton frays far less than cotton to begin with. To keep every edge neat, use one of these methods:

• Make double-sided flags. Cut two triangles, sew them right sides together along the two long edges, then turn them out. The raw edges end up hidden inside, and the flag looks good from both sides.

• Cut with pinking shears. Their zig-zag blade leaves an edge that resists fraying, and it is by far the quickest finish.

• Bind the edges with bias binding for a colourful border that seals every raw edge.

• Add iron-on interfacing to very lightweight fabric for extra body and a cleaner cut.

• Use a fray-stopping liquid along the edge for a fast, no-sew fix.

We will be publishing a dedicated guide on how to stop fabric fraying soon, with step-by-step photos for each method.

How Much Fabric Do You Need for Bunting?

Less than you might think. As a rule of thumb, one metre of standard 112cm-wide fabric makes roughly 10 to 12 metres of single-layer bunting, or about 5 to 6 metres if you sew double-sided flags. Allow around three to four flags per finished metre, depending on their size and spacing.

A common flag is about 18cm wide across the top and 23cm tall, though anything from 15cm to 20cm wide looks right for most spaces. Measure the gap you want to fill, add roughly 50cm at each end for tying, and round up so you have a little spare. We will add a fabric calculator soon to make this even easier.

Wedding Bunting Ideas

Bunting has become a wedding favourite because it is warm, personal and far cheaper than florals for filling a big space. Here are a few wedding bunting ideas to start with:

• Personalise it. Spell out the couple's names, initials or a "just married" message with letters appliqued or printed onto plain flags.

• Match your palette. Pull two or three fabrics that echo your colour scheme, mixing a print with a coordinating plain.

• Choose romantic fabrics. Soft florals, gingham and lace-look prints suit country and marquee weddings, while bridal fabrics add a touch of shimmer.

• Dress the key spots. Drape it along the top table, around the marquee, down the aisle or behind the photo backdrop.

Bunting Wedding Cake Topper

A bunting wedding cake topper is the sweetest use of your leftover scraps. Cut a dozen tiny triangles from remnants, glue or sew them onto a length of baker's twine, and tie each end to a thin wooden skewer pushed into the cake. Add the couple's initials for a personal finish. It takes minutes, and it is one of those bunting ideas for a wedding that guests always notice.

Ready to Make Your Bunting?

Whatever you are celebrating, the best fabric for bunting is the one that is bright, hard-wearing and affordable, and for most makers that is polycotton. Shop cheap polycotton fabric by the metre, order a 99p sample to check your colours, and enjoy next day delivery on orders placed before 1.30pm.