DIY Burlap Pennant Banner | a tutorial | Party Decor

This is probably the easiest and fastest (yet cutest) birthday banner you could whip up. It took less than an hour. It’s super simple. So if you’re a last minute gal like myself.. here ya go.

Supplies:

• Burlap
• Paper Letter Stickers (or just letters cut out of cardstock)
• Hemp Twine
• Mini Clothespin
• Sewing machine (and it’s normal supplies)

 

Let’s craft!

Start by making a pennant template. I did this by folding, and refolding, a piece of plain paper into a triangle, until I got the shape I wanted. Then trace the pennant onto the burlap. One pennant for each letter.

Peel off the backing to each letter and stick in the middle of pennant, then just sew a straight stitch to secure. If you don’t have stickers, you can use stencils and pretty cardstock to make your letters, then just hold in place until secured with the sewing machine.
(I have no idea where these sticker letters came from, they were part of an amazing baby shower gift I received while pregnant with Adelyn. But they are A.W.E.S.O.M.E! They’re like sticky- note letters. hah.)

That’s it.  No measuring, no complications.

Then, using the mini clothespins, just pin them onto your twine, and hang. I laid the pennants out and measured the twine that way, to make sure I didn’t cut it too short.

I love it. So simple, but it looks so pretty. You’ll surely get some compliments. I think I might just have to make another one that says Merry Christmas, then another that says Happy New Year… and so on and so on. HAH.

This banner + a bag of balloons is basically all we needed for Stone’s 1st birthday.

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Burlap Pumpkins | Tutorial

So, I’ve been seeing fabric pumpkins all over Pinterest. I knew I wanted to make some, but I wanted to put my own twist on them- burlap. I found this tutorial last year, and used it as a base. Since I used burlap, I had to make a few changes, but it’s pretty much the same process she did. They’re super easy to make!

Materials:

• Burlap
• Yarn
• Yarn Needle
• Fiber Fill
• Thread and Neede (or sewing machine if you’re laze like me)
• Hot Glue Gun

Please excuse my horrid pictures, I snapped most of them at night and our house has very poor night lighting!

First you want to cut your burlap, you want it twice as long as it is wide.

My measurements were:
10 x 20 | 8 x 16 | 6 x 12

Next you need to fold the piece of burlap length wise in half and sew  it up, forming a tube.

 

Since we’re using burlap, and it likes to fray like CRAZY, I went back and finished the edge with a zig zag stitch.

Take one of the open edges of your tube and sew it together, again going back and finishing the edge with a zig zag stitch. (This will be the bottom)

You should have something that resembles a pillow case now. Go ahead and zig zag stitch around the top open edge:

 

Now we’re done with the sewing machine.

Take your yarn and yard needle. Along the bottom sew a basting stitch with your yarn. Tie a knot at the beginning (leaving 2 inches of excess yarn, this will help you close up the gather in the next step)

When you get to the end, don’t tie it, you want to pull and gather your bottom edge, then tie it with the excess 2 inches of yarn you left at the start:

 

Turn it right side out and fill with filling. Once you have enough filling in there, you’re going to do another basting stitch around the top (again, tie a knot at the beginning, leaving some excess yarn). Then just pull the yarn and tie it together, forming a ball:

 

Here’s what it should look like at this point:

Let make it look like a pumpkin!

Take a long piece of yarn and your needle, pull it through the center of your sphere, leave a 2 inch tail, turn the needle around and go back through the center.

 

You should have your tail, and your long piece of string now, pull them tight so the center starts to pinch. Tie in a knot.

Then bring the needle/yarn up the side and through the middle again (needle goes top to bottom). Pull tight (as tight as you can without ripping the yarn) This is what forms your pumpkin.

 

Keep doing this all the way around your sphere until it takes the shape of a pumpkin. When you get to your last one, just tie it with the tail you left, and snip the excess.

For the stem, I just took strips of burlap, rolled them up and hot glued them, like so:

 

To attach them, just put a bunch of hot glue on the bottom of your stem, and on the top of your pumpkin and hold down for a few seconds.

 

There ya go. You’re done.

I’m horrible at explaining things, so feel free to email me with any questions!

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Pinwheels + Summer Decorating

Pinwheels (or as Adelyn calls them “ballerina flowers”) are a fantastic summertime decoration.

Whether you’re setting up for a wedding, baby shower,
4th of July party or just a random summer party,
Pinwheels are an easy and fast way to add splashes of color throughout

I love the idea of using them as favor tops and centerpieces!!!

A lot of brides are opting for Pinwheel bouquet’s instead of the traditional flower bouquets.
Which I think is such a neat idea.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Want to make some yourself??

I used brown paper lunch bags. 
Mainly because a big pack of them have been sitting in the cupboard for over a year.
But, I love the way they turned out!
Definitely a little flimsy, and if little hands are going to be playing with your pinwheels,
I’d suggest you use a thick cardstock.

I love the idea of attaching small pinwheels to a toothpick and using as cupcake toppers.
Or as wedding cake décor??

What about attaching mini pinwheels to stirring straws (instead of drink umbrellas).
Oh, the possibilities are endless!

Adelyn loves them!

Don’t forget to click on the pictures to be taken to there little home on the web.
When you get there.. you will be amazed at all the beautiful photgraphs!!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo