Think about the artwork on your college banner. Choose your banner's main color, which is nearly always one of your college's colors, such as blue and gold for California State or black and orange for Oklahoma State. Select your college's main color as the background and use the secondary color for any text you might use on your banner.
Choose a slogan for your banner, which could be the official motto of your college or, if you are making a sports-themed banner, the slogan for your college athletic department. Decide whether to use the Latin or English version of your college motto, if applicable, such as Harvard University's "Veritas" ("truth") or the University of Mississippi's "Virtute et armis" ("By valour and arms"). Choose something more contemporary if you want a modern banner, such as your college's most popular chant shouted at sports matches, such as "Go 'cats" for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats or the University of Kansas' "Rock chalk, jaywalk" chant.
Find a large, high-resolution version of your college's insignia or badge. Ensure you have permission to use this logo on your banner, as college emblems are often the intellectual property of the college itself.
Find a large piece of cloth, bed sheet or other lightweight material to use as the background for your banner. Use a colored sheet, if possible, or dye your banner material. Cut out stencils for your college slogan, badge and any other words or artwork you wish to display on your banner, then spray paint them onto your banner using your college's secondary color. Make sure none of the dye or paint will run by spraying on the correct amount.
Hang your banner in a warm, dry environment so it can dry off completely. Redo your banner's lettering or artwork if any of your banner's colors run during the drying process. If any letters need to be repainted, you can use the same stencils again.
Fold over roughly three inches of the banner material at one end and apply staples along its length to form a tight sleeve for a flagpole, if desired. Find a sturdy length of plastic or tubing to use as a flagpole and make sure it fits tightly within the pocket you have created.