Birthday on the Brain

In my family we will soon celebrate two birthdays almost back to back. My two oldest girls are two years apart with brithdays three days apart. It is almost like Christmas all over again as far a gifts are concerned. Maybe more so since we only get the kids roughly three gifts each for Christmas. Anyhow, My oldest daughters class has a tradition of spot lighting the birthday kid with an "all about me" poster that is displayed in the classroom. I started to rummage through old scrapbooks for pictures to display and quickly realized, I needed something more. Something to make the poster stick out 3D style. It is some much more appealing to the eye:) I had seen cute little scrapbook paper banners here and there and thought they were cute. So I thought it was time I try out making my own.

I stole a triangle from a shape puzzle that my kids rarely play with anymore and began tracing.

Then I cut out the triangle shape and glued them to a thin grosgrain ribbon and my banner was done- so easy and yet so satisfying!

Next . . .

I wanted to make some kind of flower embellishment. I got the idea for these cute tissue flowers badges here, from Fave Crafts:

Unfortunately, I didn't have all the same scrapbooking tools that she has. So I folded the blue tissue paper so that I would be cutting through four layers, then I traced the shape of a large plastic cup and a small glass cup with a pencil and cut the paper using the scissors above. Then I scrunched them up until I was happy with the "badge look" and hot glued them together (using just a tiny dap of glue in the center of each tissue petal). Then I printed out my phase and cut it in the circular shape you see in the picture and hot glued that on too! Then I used my favorite zebra print ribbon, cut two short strips, cut a triangle shape in the middle by folding the ribbon and cutting on the fold toward the top of the fold.

I think these made perfect embellishments for an otherwise boring poster. Cambria said all the kids in her class thought it was the fanciest poster they had ever seen! I'll take the compliment. My other daughter also took pause to compliment my craftiness. I'll take the compliments now before they get to the age where they think I don't know anything:)

Here are some other fun banners to look at: From Bandy Canyon:

From the Toy Maker, Happy Spring Banner- thetoymaker.com

From:  At Second Street  An America Banner

Hope You find some inspiration for your  next event!

Happy Crafting!

XOXO,

 Amy