Sesame Street paper pennant banner tutorial

As promised, I am back with another tutorial and guess what I’ll be sharing with you guys today!

Hint: you see them at birthday parties and showers

  

That’s right....paper PENNANTS :d

They are definitely a raging trend right now and look so fabulous..

and cuteeee…

and add some extra oomph to the decor!

For my nephew’s first birthday, I made Sesame Street paper pennant banner for the occasion. Based on his favorite book, Clang-Clang! Bang-Bang! , we kept Sesame Street as the theme and incorporated some of the characters from it into the decor. I used scenes from his book as well as images of characters off the internet to hand-paint a 78" by 42" fabric banner..

how cute are the twiddlebugs!

.. happy birthday paper pennant banner...

..decor for the table and curtains...

 

..a door sign..

and even made an award ribbon for the birthday boy! (p.s: this is not an original idea. I saw several online so decided to make one myself. I will post a tutorial on how I made it in the future.)

The entire process was fun and a bit crazy as well since I was making the entire party decor from scratch! Crazy right?! But it was a labor of love and I enjoyed every moment of it and wouldn't mind doing it again for him! 

So let’s get back to the tutorial on how to make your own paper pennant banner. Using the template provided below you will be able to whip one up in no time.

Okay so here’s what you need:

First download the Pennant Template, save and print it out.

Cut out the template and keep it aside. You will be using this as a pattern to cut your colored A4 papers. 

Next lay out your paper..

and fold it in half like so…

Use the pattern to trace and cut your first two pennant pieces. Simply repeat this step for however many you need for the banner.

Next score along where the dotted line is on the template, fold and tape.

The space you just created is where your ribbon will go through.  I like to score with the curved portion of my ruler. If you are doing the same, make sure you don’t push too hard at it or you might risk tearing off the paper.

Now draw and paint sesame street characters in the center of each piece and let dry before moving on to  the next step.

Thread ribbon through your pennants and leave enough at either end to make hanging easy.

That’s it! You are all ready to hang up your sesame street banner and wow your guests!

TIPS

Stencil the pennants, cut out letters for "happy birthday' and paste 

or print template directly on decorating paper, cut, glue ribbon and hang

Have fun creating your own!

Have FUN with leaf printing

Hey guys, I am back with another fun tutorial.  You can even involve your kids in this enjoyable activity, and keep them active and entertained on a perfect Sunday afternoon!

  

Getting started, things you will need:

1. Leaves  
2. Fabric paint   
3. Palette   
4. Container   
5. Newspaper   
6. Roller brush   
7. Sponge/ brush   
8. Fabric   

First of all, go out take a stroll in the garden or down the road and collect a nice assortment of leaves. Leaves with interesting shapes and prominent veins make the best prints!  If you want to press them flat, here is how you do it otherwise proceed to the next step.

Spread newspaper on your work space and mix a color to your liking. I went with shades of green (add white to leaf green with a touch of grape green for a lighter shade  and a touch of  yellow to leaf green for a brighter shade) and orange (equal parts orange and yellow with a touch of chilly red and to that mixture add a bit of dull gold and wood brown and you'll get that ochreish shade on bottom left)

Next, place the leaf vein side up on a scrap piece of paper and apply an even coat of paint, but not too thick, with your sponge (or a brush, it will work just fine). Make sure you cover the leaf completely.

Now turn your leaf over and place it on your fabric (paint side down)

To avoid getting paint on your roller, cover the leaf with a piece of  paper and then roller over the top of it like so..

Remove the paper and pull the leaf away carefully to reveal your print.

 Repeat as desired

Let your paint dry according to your manufacturer’s instruction before you heat-set it. 

And I personalized my nephew's onesie and his 'ah-hah' was worth all the effort!

Get creative and try this technique on something other than fabric for you can take this idea in soooooooo many different directions!

TIPS

You can print them on greeting cards

Or on paper and hang as a banner
Or make customized leaf printed gift wraps

 

If you do some leaf printing of your own, do send me pictures. I’d love to see what you guys do with this technique. 

Cheers