Bunting is an essential ingredient of any street or garden party but there are now fears of a shortage ahead of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations, amid a scramble for party supplies.
Patriotic shoppers have been snapping up bunting, party hats and cake stands in huge volumes ahead of the bank holiday weekend. However, the huge spike in sales had caught some retailers off guard, leading to some products selling out completely.
The retail marketplace OnBuy said that jubilee paraphernalia such as a 20ft ream of union flag bunting that cost £4 had sold out, while button badges, union jack tablecloths and fancy dress props were selling in huge numbers.
It is estimated that 39 million adults will be doing something to celebrate the jubilee, with 4.1 million families due to attend a street party. Tamreen Hasan, OnBuy’s category manager of party supplies, said its sales showed that Britons were frantically preparing for next weekend’s parties.
“The rate at which people are purchasing jubilee weekend essentials is genuinely staggering, it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” she said.
“The public has gone jubilee crazy. If sales maintain their current rate then we could very well see a shortage of certain items as the celebrations get closer, with bunting right at the top of the list.”
The good news is that if you can’t find any bunting in the shops you can always make your own. Aisha Cluitt, the content marketing manager at Hobbycraft, said you could sew, knit or make bunting out of paper and string, with free how-to guides on its website.
You could also turn it into a half-term art project for your kids, suggested Cluitt. “Paper bunting projects are very simple and can be completed with some card stock, twine, and a hole punch.”