Most banners are used to give a message and the first stage is working out what that message is going to be. As with everything in the field of worship, the first stage is to pray about what you are doing, to seek divine guidance and provision for the task in hand.
The best banners have images made up of simple easy shapes that look graceful. These are much easier to make than more complicated designs. The crown shape on the banner on the right was made by folding a piece of paper drawing two straight lines and a curve to create a half crown shape. The lettering was enlarged from letter outlines in a book. These shapes were sewn on using a zig stitch. Notice the style of the S, it normally one of the hardest letters to sew with its two tight curves and two wider curves but this style of the letter S is rather easier to sew than most. Large letters and simple shapes can be seen further away than small letters and fancy shapes. The letters on this banner are about 6 inches tall and it should be possible to see them at about 200 feet away.
The Bible talks about silver and gold being used to decorate the temple. Today, most churches cannot afford real silver and gold but they can afford to make banners that include metallic fabrics. The effect of rich colours can be increased by using shiny fabrics as a background. This banner was made using gold lame sewn onto a piece of old curtain that had shiny finish, proving that shiny fabrics need not be that expensive.
The best way of getting ideas is to look around at what other people have made. Some banners are just made of pieces of fabric whereas other include a variety of other items. The one above includes some heart shaped jewels on the crown. Others banners seen around various churches have included silk flowers and even a hair net used as a fishing net.