Mini bunting birthday card

My latest quickie DIY project: a birthday card with a tiny bunting of miniature flags. If you want to try one, here's how to make it.

Fold a sheet of cardstock into thirds, accordian style. If you want a printed message on your card, run it through your printer before folding.

Cut out strips of colored paper and fold them in half lengthwise. (My strips were about 1" wide.) Cut the folded strips into tiny triangles; they should look like little hinges. Make a few strings of bunting by folding triangles over a cord and gluing both halves together.

With an X-acto knife, cut tiny slits in the folded edge of the cover of your card. Thread one end of each bunting cord through a slit and secure the cord end behind the cover with a piece of tape. Wrap the opposite end of each cord around the cover of the card and secure it in the back with more tape. Then place double stick tape around the edges and center of the back side of the cover and stick the cover to the adjacent panel, hiding the taped ends of your bunting. Round the corners of your card if you like, and you're done.

DIY compliment bunting

I've created a downloadable file for making compliment bunting. When you need to tell someone they're super, this might be just the thing. Use it for birthdays, promotions or when your friend is sad. Everybody likes compliments. By the way, your hair looks very nice today.

If you happen to have a Silhouette digital cutter and Adobe Illustrator, it's fun to cut out the letters. (You'll need the Cutting Master 2 Craft ROBO plug-in, available here for Mac and PC. Install it, then open the bunting PDF in Illustrator. Delete the extra pages, then go to File > Cutting Master and cut your triangle of choice.)

Or just print your favorite PDF pages on cardstock and cut them out. Punch small holes in the corners and string the bunting.

The PDF contains six pages—three designs in two colors each. Download the complimentary compliment bunting file right here.

Free bunting wedding stationery set

For brides on a budget, this cute, customizable wedding stationery can be downloaded from The Wedding Chicks. Choose colors and type information into an online form, and a free bunting-themed set will be generated for you. Get the invitation, RSVP card, table number, and escort card right here. Or find more printable options in the Freebie section.

Cute alphabet bunting printable

Have you seen the printable alphabet-letter bunting available at Ruffled? Download all 26 letters to spell out any message you could possibly think up. Instant party! (Via 74 Lime Lane.)

My new favorite magazine

Can the Danish magazine BoligLiv be my new favorite magazine, even though I can't read a word of it? Awhile back they contacted me for permission to use a small photo of my DIY bunting birthday card, offering to send over a magazine when the September issue was printed.

Guys, it's so lovely and full of products I'm coveting. Sofas! Bookshelves! Pillows! I want to make all the recipes and live in all the beautifully photographed homes. Apparently in Denmark, everything is spare and modern with a dose of quirkiness to keep it fun.

Google suggests that BoligLiv means "housing life." If that's a weird translation, maybe a Danish reader can help me out. Visit BoligLiv's site right here, translated into English. Be sure to check out the Creative Ideas section. Some project highlights:

A customized roller shade with instructions right here. (Or rather, "A drop down with a personal aside," as Google helpfully informs us.)

A mismatched mosaic tile backsplash, right here. Enjoy browsing!

Things you can make

More project instructions:

Magazine file boxes at Apartment Therapy (above)
Bulletin board with shutters from Craftynest
Herb garden markers at Reese Dixon
Flower hair pins at CraftStylish
Roman blinds by Jen Duncan
Printing on fabric using your computer by Hanna Sandvig
Daffodil napkin rings at Good Housekeeping
Chicago skyline notecards by Merriment Design
Apple pin cushion at Living Creatively
Newspaper bunting by Maya Made

(Image from apartmenttherapy.com)

DIY decorating with masking tape

I love to peel and stick things. Especially orange things. Here's an easy way to customize plain ceramics: apply decorative tape in colors that match your home, your party decorations, or your current bouquet of flowers. Dress up inexpensive vases for DIY wedding table centerpieces or showers. And when you get tired of your design, just peel it off.

Stick tape onto a piece of wax paper and slice it into thin strips to make asterisks or bunting strings. Cut the other shapes off tape rolls with a scissors.


Sources for pretty masking tape include Happy Tape, Cutetape, and Ginko Papers.

Sewing book: Happy Home

Chronicle Books has recently released Happy Home: Twenty-one Sewing and Craft Projects to Pretty Up Your Home by Jennifer Paganelli, the designer behind Sis Boom Fabrics. I peeked at a review copy from the publisher and snapped pix of my favorite projects: a duvet cover with piping, a pleated bed skirt, patterned boxes, and floor-length drapes.

Make them with Sis Boom fabrics if you adore an explosion of candy-colored florals and wish you lived in a garden. Or choose geometric prints and lots of solids if you love a modern look and wish you lived inside a Room and Board.

Many, though not all, of the book's projects are classic enough that you can achieve any decorating style by switching out fabrics. That's the beauty of sewing it yourself— you can make it exactly how you like it instead of settling for what's in the store. Plus you'll be so proud you can hardly stand it. I remember the first time I sewed a pillow out of fabric I designed. I thought my head was going to explode, I was so pleased.



Other projects in the book include party bunting, pillows, a tote, an apron, laundry bag, dog bed cover, pillowcase, fabric-covered headboard, and bed canopy. Written instructions are accompanied by illustrated diagrams, and a couple of printed sewing patterns come in a pocket inside the front cover. Bright, cheerful photos of finished projects are peppered throughout. Happy Home is available here at Amazon.

Books for people who like to make stuff

Chronicle Books keeps churning out fun titles, including a couple more DIY volumes they sent over. Stencil Style 101 is stencil master Ed Roth's latest book full of ideas for customizing clothes and accessories.

The first half of the book is comprised of project tutorials with very detailed instructions, and the second half contains 25 pre-cut, reusable plastic stencils. Detach the pages along the perforation, use them, easily wipe off any paint residue, and tuck them back inside the handy pocket.

Designs include patterns like houndstooth, animal prints, checkerboard, and argyle, plus lots of objects: feathers, a rotary phone, birds, ropes, chains, a bowtie, pocket protector(!) and more.

Along with classic stenciling projects using paint, see how to use the stencils for embroidery, knitting, and appliques.

Check out that amazing quilted jacket!

I wonder what's the most interesting substrate Ed has ever used a stencil on. A police car? A hamster? I'm going to ask him.

[Okay, I'm back. Ed reports that it's a banana. I was close.]

You can get Stencil Style 101 right here at Amazon.

People who have always dreamed of making party decorations like you see on Pinterest might like Pretty Paper Parties by Vana Chupp. You know what I'm talking about. Those photos of lovely buffet tables pushed against a wall, draped with bunting, and stacked with glass jars of perfectly coordinating candies and flawless cupcakes sporting paper flags. The ones that make you wonder A) Who does that? and B) What does the rest of the room look like, because you suspect that was just for a photo shoot and the rest of the house looks like a hurricane hit it?

This book can't help you with the housekeeping and doesn't come with glass apothecary jars, but it will make it easier to pull off the garlands and cupcake toppers.

It includes templates for tracing and cutting out simple shapes (think hearts, stars, scalloped chain links, and photobooth props to glue on sticks: glasses, bowties, and the ubiquitous mustache). The real value is in the 40 sheets of coordinating patterned paper, though. Each sheet is printed on both sides with contrasting designs. If you used it all, you'd have a super festive event.

Find Pretty Paper Parties right here at Amazon.

DIY woven paper flag garlands

Remember Paper Matrix, the team behind those amazing woven paper hot air balloons? Now you can download templates for making fancy woven paper bunting. I love the scalloped ones. Head over and grab the PDFs!

A month of birthday printables

Australian illustrator Pilgrim Lee is offering a free printable every weekday in July as part of her "birthday month" celebration. The theme is pinwheels and bunting, and by the end of the month, you'll have everything you need to throw a knock-out party. Go get the goods!

Gifts to make: for babies and kids

Some things you can make for little ones:

Fifties-style bib at Living Creatively
Slip cover for a Boppy pillow from Walter+Veronica
Diaper bag by A Mingled Yarn
Roll-up travel baby chair at Canadian Living
No-sew fleece blanket at A Chelsea Morning
Felt play landscapes at PlumPudding
Decorative bunting at stitch.rip.repeat
Custom paper silhouettes at DesignSponge
Beanbag chair from Michael Miller
Felt food at Design Mom
Felt bears at Canadian Living (pictured above)

(Image from Canadian Living)

Six little pouches to sew

Make some cute little cases with these sewing tutorials:
Laminated bag by Linda Turner Griepentrog at Sew Timeless
Tissue cases from Very Purple Person
Snappy coin purse by Rashida Coleman-Hale at Sew Timeless
Pear coin purse from Craft Passion
Bunting cosmetic bag at Just Another Hangup
Zip it up pencil case from Craft Passion

A random comment. Why do fabric stores and sewing websites adore puns more than any other industry does? It seams sew peculiar. Though possibly eye doctors give them a run for their money.

DIY projects to make for the home

Here's a small round-up of goodies to make for your house. On your lunch hour, really, since a mid-century bench shouldn't take more than ten minutes to whip up. Ha. Have fun making!
DIY bunting tablecloth at The Sweetest Occasion
Abstract wall art by Oh Happy Day
Room dividing screen from Kootut Murut
Photo-dyed lace lampshade at Inkodye
Rollie Pollie beanbag chair by MADE at So You Think You're Crafty
Mid-century modern bench by Salvage Love