Springtime Piggies Birthday: Fresh Flower Birthday Banner

Here’s another craft I made for my girls’ 4th birthday. Since their birthday is in the spring, I thought I’d combine some fresh flowers and some happy prints to make a birthday banner to put the Springtime in our Springtime Piggies Birthday theme (click that link for a round-up of birthday projects).

 

I was inspired by a banner made by Sisters of the Wild West so I set out to find some letters. But I could not find chipboard letters in the right size, and I couldn’t find a good deal on wooden ones. So while wandering around the craft store, I saw a bunch of ladies rummaging through a 10-cent bin. So of course I had to check it out too, right? And I found a bunch of chipboard coasters for 10 cents a pack. I even had an extra 25% off coupon! The coasters are 4x4 inches.

I drew on some letters on the white side of the coasters free-hand, and used a craft knife to cut them out. It didn’t take too long, to my surprise. I did struggle at first with cutting out the middle part of the letters, but I got the hang of it after a while. I also made sure they were all the same size as the previous letters I cut. The resulting letters are about 3.5 inches tall.

Then using my cut letters, I traced them onto scrapbook paper and cut them out. After that, I mod podged the paper onto the coaster letters.

I used mini clothespins to hang them from some twine.

I then made some origami pouches to hold the flowers. Cut a 6x6 inch square of scrapbook paper. Then cut a corner of scrapbook paper and tape that onto the wrong side of the square at one corner. This will be the front flap of the pouch. That part isn’t necessary if you don’t mind the back of the paper showing, or if you have two-sided paper.

Making sure the flap with the paper-covered corner is at the top, fold the square into a triangle.

Then take one corner and fold it up to the opposite side of the triangle, so it forms a horizontal line. Then do the same with the other corner.

Fold the flaps down on either side to secure the whole pouch. You’ll see the corner you covered with scrapbook paper as you fold it over. You can further secure the pouch with a little bit of tape.

Cut the flowers so they will fit into the pouch. I used about 5 green mums. Then I wrapped the stems in a wet piece of paper towel (about a 1/4 square of a paper towel), and then wrapped that in a small piece of plastic wrap. I made 11 of these to go between each letter. You can do this the night before (or maybe more, especially with long-lasting flowers like green mums).

But before you insert the flowers, punch a hole through the flaps on both sides for a hanging ribbon. Then insert the flowers and tie to the twine, in between the letters.

Repeat with the rest of the pouches, and you’re done!

Birthday wrap-up post coming soon!

This was a guest post on Creation Corner, and a Crafting with Crystal project.

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