Pile o' Wedding: Banners

Alright our dear and darling followers, here's my first wedding post. Yep, I cheated and used something I made for Lindy's wedding, rather than digging out my pictures from my wedding, circa 2007. Hmmm, I feel a scrapbook extravaganza coming on...on to that later.

Lindy called me with her chocolate-coated, sugar-filled, oozing with sweetness voice and I knew a favor was in the works ;). Hey, we are classy girls, we use everything we've got to get what we want need for our events. Lindy had seen some vintage banners and she thought a couple banners would compliment her reception beautifully. It was June 2007, the very beginning of June 2007, the wedding was not until July 2007. Plenty of time......fast forward, day before we make the drive from Texas to Florida for the festivities, BANNERS NOT READY!!

Solution:
1) Cut 35 5x5 black squares utilizing the Accent Essentials cartridge on my Cricut Expression.

2) Get out all different types of vintage blue paper and cut the letters for the banners at 4 inches utilizing the Storybook cartridge.

3)Now get sky blue solid paper and re-cut same letters, but move down a half inch in size (3.5 inches). For an added little pizazz, cut the words 'love' and 'sweet' in 3.5 inch size smaller using glitter paper....oooo, PIZAZZ. Glitter makes every girl just a little hyper.

4) Pack it up in the car, pack the Cricut, cartridges and selected favorite collections of paper, just in case! Make 12 hour trip to Florida. Realize once you are in Alabama, you forgot the brads to connect the banners together. Call Mom and Lindy, fanatically demanding they go to the nearest Michael's and get blue and black brads, any kind at this point. Have husband kindly remind you not to be so fanatical, Lindy did give you at least a month's time to work on the banners, it's not her fault you left the brads at home. Kindly apologize to Mom and Lindy and ask politely for the blue and black brads, if they can't find any or don't have time, we'll figure something else out. Pray they find the time to make a Michael's trip and Michael's will magically have the blue and black brads. (I highly recommend omitting this step from your banner making, but if you must follow directions exactly, feel free to experience step 4 in it's full glory)

5)Now we connect the squares together into banner shape. I punched a 1/8 hole in each corner of what was to be my upper corners of each black square. I then used navy blue eyelets (because I left the black eyelets at home) to connect two squares together. So you would line up the holes (one would be the left side hole of one square and the other would be the right side hole of the other square) and put one eyelet through to connect the squares. Set the eyelet using the crop-a-dile setter, or the good ole fashioned hammer and setter. Repeat until your banner squares are the appropriate length for your phrases, word, name, etc. It's easiest to do two halves of the banner and then join the two halves together in the end.

6) Place a different colored brad through each alternating eyelet, leaving the end eyelets empty (you'll use these to hang the banner, and may want to use a larger eyelet, if trying to get anything larger than twine through).

7) Now we place the letters on. I used pop ups. These foam stickers will give the letters a third dimension and make your letters look grand. Put the 4 inch letters on first, then center your 3.5 inch letters atop each corresponding 4 inch letter. Using pop ups on the 3.5 inch letters as well will add to the effect.

8) Spray with scotch guard and pray it does not rain on your parade. Especially with a 60% chance of rain in the forecast, right Lindy? Good thing weathermen were off by a few hours, the rain didn't hit til the last guests had gone home and the party was almost picked up.

9) Breathe sigh of relief, you've made your first party banner! Enjoy the pictures. Ahh, the granduer of love.

Photo via Holly Larson

Photo via Kimbe Photography

Photo via Holly Larson