Birthday Banner

January is the birthday month for our family, on both Nick's side and on mine. We have a celebration pretty much every weekend, which is a lot of fun, and we've always enjoyed making special little signs for birthday days. Here's a quick and easy way to make a little banner that is strong enough to last until next year!

You will need:
-8.5 x 11 piece of white card stock 
-A few squares of decorative paper
-Small dowel
-Xacto knife
-Ribbon 
-Small stapler
-Sewing machine or glue stick

Print or write the words "happy birthday" onto your card-stock (left justified for trimming in the next step). Trim your card-stock down to a width of 6 inches. Find the 3 inch center and mark. Cutting in from the corners, make a "snake tongue" V at the bottom.

Using your decorative paper, cut out shapes to make a little cupcake with a candle. I just did this free-hand, I liked that it a silly shape to it.

Here's where you have an option, you may either stitch your cupcake onto your banner or you can simply glue it on. I love the way stitching looks on paper, so I added a stitched boarder as well. When using thick papers like this it's very simple to run them through a sewing machine. Trim your threads!

Grab your little dowel and fold the top of the banner over it. Using a small stapler, place a staple into the area with the stitching (to conceal the staple). Your banner should now hang nicely from the dowel. Tie a run of ribbon on each end of the dowel to hang.

I hung my birthday banner above the bed in our guestroom. My niece is spending the night tonight to celebrate her birthday with us, and I thought it would be a cute touch to add to the room!

What are some of your favorite family birthday traditions? 

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