Ugh – what is my problem? When I have almost nothing on my plate I can’t seem to have motivation to want to do much but when I am TOTALLY slammed, I get all these ideas and want to do so much!
So, in the next month we are planning and leading a retreat for our group at church, welcoming home Bekeh and Caleb, driving to Huntsville, Alabama for Alan’s cousin’s wedding, repainting our entire kitchen, repainting the bathroom cabinets, planning and throwing Jack’s 3rd birthday party, tearing out and installing a new fence in the backyard – and so why not handmake a “Happy Birthday” banner to be hung at all of our family birthdays too?!?
I have to say that I have been ITCHING to make something lately. Ever since I quit teaching, I have been actively creating art with my photography but my other passion was sculpture or MAKING things with my hands! I miss it SOO much! But with two sons under 3, who has the time, money or motivation, right?
I was reading a cute blog of a local gal, “The Green Wife” and she posted about planning her daughter’s 3rd birthday party. Her daughter insisted on an owl theme so she set off the hand make all of the decor and favors for the party! WOW! In that same post I saw this birthday banner and was inspired. I love the idea of making something that will last for several birthdays and be a constant in their lives. My family really has nothing like that at all and I want to start some traditions with my new family!
So, last night before I could talk myself out of it I met my crafty friend, Bree, at JoAnn’s to pick out felt and fabrics. Here is the color scheme for the pennants as well as an example of the font that I will use. This is just a paper print out to give you the idea.

Each letter will be cut out of a different piece of fabric for more of a bohemian, patchwork look. Bree was nice enough to let me scrounge around in her scrap bin so, other than the adorable train fabric, it was all FREE!

I will stitch on each letter to a pennant and then add another layer of felt to the back (to cover up the stitching) and then use a “blanket stitch” to sew the felt pieces together. See me using all these cool terms like “blanket stitch”? It’s all Bree’s fault. I told her, “I like that stitch that goes loop and up and loop and up – what’s that called?” After she laughed at me, she told me it was a “blanket stitch”!
I am thinking that I am going to use grommets to thread ribbon through to hang it – but we will deal with that once I get all the letters sewn on etc. Thankfully I have a 10 hour drive to Alabama coming up during which I can do all the stitching – assuming I get it all cut out and prepped in advance!!
Wish me luck! Ok, off to paint the final coat on the cut in’s on the front door and sand bathroom cabinets! THEN I will work on the banner! Ugh!