Paper Bunting

Having a job these days is something of a blessing.  And the kind of job that Jared has is really special.  I feel so thankful to him for making it possible for me to stay home and make a career out of raising our son.  If I can be a mom forever, I will throw a party.  But if I were to ever find it necessary to work again, I have collected a small list of options:

1. Interior Designer
2. Photographer
3. Baby Snuggler at Hospital Nursery
4. Puppy Snuggler at Humane Society
5. Dessert Tester at Culinary Academy
6. Professional Organizer
7. Professional List-Maker
8. Party Planner

The last selection excites me, while at the same time terrifying me.  I love parties - the decorations, the snack foods, the invitations, the desserts... but socializing and people-pleasing doesn't come very naturally to me.  I know, I know... it's something that can be learned.  But that doesn't make it any less frightening!

Until the day comes when I would need to actually consider an income potential, I will just focus on throwing parties for myself.

I'm constantly flipping through magazines and browsing pinterest for fun party decor.  I have thousands of ideas and inspirations that I'm afraid I'll never get to use, so I try to incorporate them into daily life.  Jared and I celebrate special occasions with desserts and finger food, and I decorate our home with party-type furnishings, like this paper bunting.

I use these for actual parties as well, because they are so easy to make and can be customized for any season.  I was especially pleased with one that I made for my Halloween party last year, with a variety of spooky scrapbook papers.

I wanted this bunting to have a more rustic feel, so I strung my paper together with twine that I left very visible.

My new spring bunting needed a different feel.  I wanted it to look more tidy and clean - and fresh, like springtime.  Here's how I accomplished this:

Cut template.  This triangle is as tall as it is wide, but almost any triangular proportion would work for a pennant.

Trace triangle onto paper selections.  I traced my shape onto the back so that my pencil lines wouldn't show after cutting.

Cut!  I used my fancy plastic paper cutter for speedier, tidier cuts. This is the same paper cutter that I used to handmake our 180 wedding invitations and 180 wedding programs a couple years ago.

Here are my finished triangles.  I picked color-coordinating paper to match the color schemes in my home (with some additional pinks for a "springtime" feel) and arranged them in the order I wanted.

I sewed my triangles together (this is also how I bound my wedding programs in 2011) allowing my paper to hang securely and evenly, with a nice curve. 

See that picture frame?  I cut a 4x6 inch piece of the "Colorado" page from an old atlas I bought at Goodwill. This is a sweet little way to recognize the cities where we each grew up, where we met and where we live now.