DIY Party Banner

My baby is two. Two years old. I know many of you think that is so young and little, and it is, I just can't believe it. He's my baby. Maybe not so much anymore. Oh well, he'll be my baby forever.

I've been blessed with a boy that does not watch a lot of TV. Even though I will admit sometimes I wish I could get him to sit still for a few minutes so I could use the bathroom without him rearranging our cats food and water around the house. That being said, this boy loves Yo Gabba Gabba. He loves to dance and thinks all the characters are funny. He doesn't sit well during it, but with Gabba, as we affectionately call it, that's kind of the point. It encourages dancing and playing games instead of just sitting on the couch, I guess a lot of kids shows do that nowadays though. Okay rant over. 

The point is, when it came time to decide on his cake, I knew I wanted to do a Gabba one. When I told my mom, the party quickly escalated, you know how Grandma's are. Next thing I knew she had bought hats, napkins, streamers, and a special birthday boy cup, all Gabba themed. She bought generic table cloth, cups, plates and party blowers in the Gabba colors. With her doing all of this, there wasn't a whole lot for me to do beyond dinner, cake and ice cream. So I decided to do a couple projects I found on Pinterest. One was a banner. Truth be told, I have been wanting to do one of these for years. I have just never had the time for. So thanks mom for doing so much so I had time!

The first thing I did was go to Target and pick out scrapbook paper. You don't need to use scrapbook paper, but I do recommend it. I got a pack of 12x12 cardstock paper for about 7.50 on sale (normally 10.59). It came with about 82 pieces of paper, needless to say, I didn't need all of them.

The next thing you do is make a templet. You have to decide how big you want your pennants on the banner to be. I wanted mine to be 7 inches wide at the top and 10 inches long. I got a blank piece of paper and a ruler to measure. Okay so I probably should've used a classical ruler, the kind you use in school, but believe it or not, I couldn't find one. So if you can find one, yours will look that much better. 

Okay measure out how ever many inches wide you want your banner to be at the top of a blank piece of paper. In my case I chose 7 so that's what I measured out. Mark at 0 and then at 7 (or whatever you chose for the width). Okay, ready for your math for the day?? You're going to divide that in half. So in my case, (7/2=3.5). Mark out that half way point, for me it was 3.5 inches.

From that halfway point measure down how long you want the pennant to go. I measured 10 inches. If you don't have a paper cutter like mine, you may want to draw a line connecting the tip at the bottom to either side of the top of the pennant. 

Now we get to cutting. Line up one of the edges of the top of the pennant with the bottom point on the cutter. Cut!

Do the same with the other side.

TA-DA! You have a templet!

Now you are going to trace it on your piece of paper. Put the top corner in one of the corners of the paper to get the most out of the paper. You can use the scraps to make cards, embellish scrapbook pages, etc.

If you used 12x12 paper, flip the templet around and trace it again like pictured below. This is going to fit 2 pennants on one piece of paper so that you aren't wasting a whole lot.

Cut the flat edge first so the paper will fit better in your cutter. (If you don't have a cutter, it doesn't really matter.)

Cut the line between the pennants that connects the two. **TIP** Just worry about measuring up both the ends. Unless you're super great, your line probably isn't straight. Don't stress yourself out over it. It's just a guide.

Trim the other side in the same way.

Now you have TWO pennants! You can either layer them for a thicker look (that's what I did. I wanted mine to hang in his room long term, so I wanted it to be as durable as possible). Or you can use them individually.

*Finishing up* I don't have pictures of this because I couldn't find my tool. BUT it's really simple. All you do now it use a hole punch and punch one hole in each upper corner of the paper. I even used a three hole punch and just angled it so it was only one going in. If you want to buy a single one, it's under two dollars at my local Wal Mart.

After you punch the hole, tie a ribbon or string to connect them and knot it. I made the bow on the back since I have a boy, but it'd be super cute on the front for a girl.

And there you go! Super cute and easy project for any event, especially birthdays!

Angry Birds Toss Game

I work with the children aged 3-11 at my church, and for Labor Day we had a big party for everyone. Myself and the two other ladies I work closely with decided we wanted to have a lot of fun activities for the kids. We had a moon bounce there for the kids but we also wanted a couple other activities to try and break up the crowds. So, naturally, I got on Pinterest and started looking. I love when I can find a way to justify my Pinterest addiction. ;) Anyways, I found a few ideas for the Angry Birds Toss game. All of the ones I've found do not link back to a blog to show you how to do it. It's fairly simple, but I figured I would try and do a walk through to answer any kind of questions, plus I did mine a bit differently, of course. 

First I used empty Ravioli cans. I washed them out and peeled the wrapper off. I used construction paper instead of paint, because I chose to do this at about 1:00AM (one of the many joys of motherhood, nothing is done on your ideal schedule, ha!) and I didn't have any paint that would work. So I measured how tall it needed to be and I used my paper cut to make it that tall. When I peeled the label off the can it had a bit of a sticky residue, I chose to use this to my advantage. I stuck the end of the construction paper on it, and painted Mod Podge around the can one little bit at a time. Once I painted the Mod Podge on there, I would pull the construction paper tightly against the can. I did the the whole way around the can and trimmed the excess off with a scissors. I did overlap them a little bit, but you don't have to.

Once this was done a cut the eyes out placed them on with Mod Podge. I just used a sharpie for the pupil. I used a lighter green for the nose. I wanted that to overlap the eyes a bit, which is why I chose to do the eyes first. Then for the mouth I just kind of faked it. I tried to do them all differently. I would suggest if you are going to do one with teeth to glue the teeth on the back of the nose and then apply the nose. The mustache I would suggest to do in a similar fashion. All the black on them I used the sharpie for. 

For the ball I wanted to use a plain red one and draw a face on it, since the red bird seems to be the most famous. But you would not believe how hard it is to find a plain red ball! I ended up with a yellow one on clearance at Walmart for about .75. I was lucky that the characters in this game are really easy to draw, because I am certainly not an artist!


When I brought it to the activity I was nervous about how they would react, after all, I was competing with a moon bounce. But I think the kids really liked it, I'm not saying the kids chose this over the moon bounce, because really, I didn't expect that. But they did have fun while they were taking a break from bouncing, or while we were giving the littler kids a turn. They enjoyed trying to knock them over and rearranging them differently, putting it closer to the edge or further away. I found that the little kids liked it and the older ones around 9 or 10 did also. I was really happy with how it turned out, and it wasn't hard to make. 

Until next time,

BBNO

DIY Tile Coasters

I was recently over a friend's house and my son destroyed their coasters. So I had to figure a way to replace them, I didn't want to just go buy coasters anyone could have, I wanted something special. Then it hit me, tile coasters! I bought the supplies for these a few years ago in hopes of making cheap Christmas presents, and figured, why not now? These were so incredibly easy to make, and not expensive at all (and we know I'm cheap). They turned out so cute I didn't want to give them up. :/

 {What you need}

What you need: 
Tiles (I used 4)
Paper or pictures to decorate with
Mod Podge
Sissors
Enamel Sealer
Paper Cutter
Felt

When I bought the tiles, a year or two ago, I paid about .08 each for them. I bought the cheapest ones I could get away with. You don't want to get anything too textured or lumpy on top, because when you apply the paper you want it to go smoothly on. So I got a basic white shiny tile. They measure about 4.25 x 4.25 inches.

The next step is to choose your paper. You want to keep in mind you will have a trim of the tile showing around the edge, like a border, so choose something that matches well. I got this paper at Target a while back for $1.00 a pack and have been waiting for a project for it. I chose to use scrapbook paper because the quality seems to be a little bit nicer and they make such beautiful prints.

 

 {The paper is on!}

I cut the paper to be 4 1/16 x 4 1/16 inches. I know this is a weird measurement, but I wanted a small amount of edge showing. Remember to cut the part of the design you want. For example if you have a print like my blue one, get the floral part you want since it's not all the same. Next, I painted my Mod Podge on the tile, laid the paper on top and centered it. I finished with layer of Mod Podge on top again. I wanted it to be encased in Mod Podge, so it would be as protected as possible. I don't think it matters wether you have the matte finish or glossy finish Mod Podge, you are painting on top of it either way. 

 

 {Before spraying with the Enamel}

I allowed it to dry over night like this. Once I was certain it was dry I sprayed it with the Enamel Spray to seal it up and protect it. I did this outside and just made sure to get all the areas and angles of it. Once it dried I did a second coat. Since you can do multiple coats, there is no reason to spray it on thick. Just cover it so it will dry nicely, but not leave any unprotected areas.

{After spraying. As you can see, it doesn't change the color of the paper}

The last step is just to put some felt on the bottom of it. I just used Mod Podge to stick it on there. I have seen people just do a few spots underneath, and I'm sure that will be okay if that is what you want to do, but I chose to cover the whole thing, just in case. You just cut a square out 4.25 x 4.25 inches, the same size as your tile. You put the Mod Podge on the bottom of the tile and stick the felt on there. The one thing I would suggest is to buy a nice quality felt. This is going to be what separates your table from tile, so make sure it's nice and thick. Or even invest in cork. Voila, you're done!

 

 {A back view all finished}

 

 {All the fronts finished}

The neat thing about this project is that there are a thousand ways to do this different. You could do photos, pictures the kids drew, designs with paper, just plain squares like I did, or a millon other things. The sky is the limit! It's something personal and thoughtful to give to someone. With so many holidays coming up it's a great way to show someone you care, without breaking the bank. To me, that's what it should be about. Not the amount of money you spent, but how much thought you spent on their gift. Luckily with this, it doesn't take a lof time, but it looks like it would!

 {Add a bow and you're ready to go!}

Until next time,

BBNO

5 Tips For Gifts For a New Mom

I recently saw a list of things you could do to help a new mom. I thought some of the things on the list were good, but I thought I could do better, so here I am. ;) 

 

1. Offer to help clean/do dishes/start a load of laundry/ vacuum/whatever. She may not take you up on your offer, but she'll always remember that you did offer. And if she does, great! That is what new mom's need, an extra set of hands. Don't offer to hold the baby so she can do these things (you wouldn't believe how many times I had people offer that to me), because, lets get real, she WANTS to hold her baby. She doesn't want to do the dishes. Letting her enjoy her time with her baby and not worry about other things, that is a huge help.

2. Bring in a dinner. In my experience, don't say "Would you like me to bring you a dinner?" Say "When can I bring you a dinner?" And make a lot. The first few weeks after having a baby can be a blur. If you make more, she can have left overs. Therefore, you're giving her dinner and lunch the next day.

3. If you are not the best cook and you'd rather just buy something, get things to put on the end table while their nursing/bottle feeding the baby. For new mom's, it's hard to find time to grab snacks or something to read while they're sitting. Try and grab snacks that are on the go, and healthy. But it doesn't hurt to add a few junk foods in there too. ;) Crackers, bottles of water (Nursing moms get really thirsty!), beef jerky, granola bars, or trail mix. Also, anything like face wipes (I can't tell you how many nights I didn't get to wash my face), new bodywash that smells great, nice lotion, or anything else that is going to help her feel great. It doesn't all have to be for the baby ;)

4. If you want to buy baby clothes, go for it. But try and buy in bigger sizes, and give gift receipts. I got lots of duplicates and lots of little clothes. My son barely got to wear a lot of his 0-3 month sizes. It doesn't hurt to ask what she has either. Sometimes everyone thinks of bigger sizes and no one thinks of smaller.  For me, it was really hard to see my son go from size to size, but having an adorable outfit I was excited to put him in helped.

Sometimes people already have all the clothes they need. A friend of mine just had her sixth child, yes, sixth. But it was only her second daughter. So she got all these adorable things with her first and she was excited to use them again (Luckily they were the same season.). So I got her head bands, tights, sunglasses, that sort of thing. Also, diaper and wipes are awesome. I know they seem boring, but it's a favorite of parents.

5. Think outside the color box. If you are buying headbands, bowties, outfits or socks, think outside of pink and blue. You see sooo much pink and blue (especially with your first), you get tired of it. They make so many adorable outfits, accessories, and blankets in other colors, you still have awesome options.


Hopefully this helps with the next baby you have coming along. :)

Until next time,

BBNO

Subway Art How To

I've seen these Subway Art things floating around on Pinterest. To be honest, I'm not crazy about them in general, but I think if you want to display a quote in your home, this is a fun modern way to do it. I've always loved the song, "I Believe in Christ," especially the quote in it "I believe in Christ, so come what may." I have always thought it was really inspiring and uplifting, so I decided to try a subway art with it. I spray painted an old picture frame a few weeks back and I've still been searching for the right thing to go in it.  I figured I would just combine the two projects and viola! This is what I ended up with.

I chose to do it in a bright red so it would fit in well with Christmas decor. Even though this is something I can have in  my house year round, I love the idea of displaying it somewhere special for the Christmas season.

Okay, now the fun part. The How-to. Okay so here is my secret (this is probably not how 99.9% of people do this, but it worked for me...), I used "Paint." I tried using other programs, but it didn't work so well for me. So I pretended I was 5, and I went over to paint. I inserted text, chose the font and size (which by the way, go bigger then you think you need to. I ended up redoing this because I did waaaay too small) and color. After I was happy with the way the words looked (I did this one word at a time. It will help you create your next word), I used the cut and paste tool to place it where I wanted it. I was able to stretch or shrink it, make it longer or wider then what it was originally. For example, the "BELIEVE" was actually wider, but I wanted it to be the same heighth as the "I" so I just stretched it to be a bit taller. And there you go, easy peasy!

(This picture is from my cell phone, so the quality is poor, but surprisingly the colors are more realistic)

Let me know how yours turn out!

Until next time,

BBNO



Please note, I do not own the lyrics to this song or this phrase.

Spray Painting a Picture Frame

I love to yard sale. I love the thrill of finding something fantastic at a cheap price. There's nothing like getting something at a low price, especially when you know you would have paid a lot more for it. This was the case with my splurge a few weeks ago. 

I went out all morning and didn't find anything (it can be very hit or miss). On my way home I decided to spot by a yard sale that was packing up. Because she was getting ready to bring it in, she told me I could have anything there for 50% off. 50% off a yard sale price! Well, when I saw this picture frame there I knew I had to have it. I loved the beautiful detail along the border and the size was a little different than what I already have in my home. Immediately I knew I wanted to change the color though. I'd been eying up this can of spray paint at the store and I thought this would work amazingly with it. I saw a frame that is similar to the finished product at the store for about $15.00. Sometimes yard sales pay off! Even if you have to do a little bit of work to make it yours.

 

Above is a picture of the picture frame before anything was done. Yes, I left the price tag on, I was pretty impressed with myself! First I took the glass and backing off the frame. I don't have any pictures of this step, but it is pretty simple. 

Above I have a picture of the spray paint I used. I definitely chose to go with the glossy finish. I didn't want to have to do a second coat. I'm kind of a quick, let me finish, kinda gal. In case you can't read the color, it's called "Blue Ocean Breeze" by Krylon. I bought it at Walmart for about 4 dollars or so. 

I brought the frame (without the glass or backing) outside and laid it on top of some newspaper. If you are doing this inside, make sure you use a room that is well ventilated. I didn't want to expose my son to the fumes, which is why I chose to do it outside. It only takes a few minutes for each layer. I started with the back and did some quick light movements over it. You can do several coats, so there is no need to lay it on there thickly. Do it lightly, it dries very quickly and you are able to do the next coat. The first one did not get it all the way. I had to do about 3 coats on each side. 

 After you are finished with the back and it is dry, flip it over and do the front. Make sure you move it around and get all the different angles. You don't want to realize you missed a spot later! But if you do, luckily this process is so simple you can just whip it out and do it again. 

I let it dry completely and then reassembled it. Voila!

I really like the finished product, now I just need to find the perfect picture for my custom frame. The thing I love about this project is it's very simple, and there is lots of paint left for the next project!

Until next time,

BBNO