OPP: Birthday Banner Tutorial

To make this banner you will need:

• Colored card stock (as many pieces as you have letters, I had 20)
• 12x12 Scrabpbook Paper (half as many pieces as you have letters)
• Glue (I used ModPodge)
• Lighter
• Yarn, string, or ribbon

I first found a font I liked on my computer.  I typed out my banner, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLINTON" making my font big enough to have only one letter per page.

I pulled 20 pieces of my colored card stock, and put the paper in the order I wanted it.

I then printed out my banner.

Using a heavy book as my "letter protector", I began tearing around each letter.  I didn't have to have my tears straight, I used the book just to keep from tearing into or through a letter.

 

I then took my scrapbook paper and it in half lengthwise.

I then used my lighter to carefully burn around the edges of each letter.  While it's a little smokey, it's better to do this indoors.  When outside your paper will quickly catch fire and burn up.  Make sure to keep your lighter on the side of the paper you can see.  I burned my fingers a couple of times trying to move my lighter around to the back side of the paper.  Once you've burned each letter, make sure to set it on a safe surface away from other pieces of paper until it is completely cooled off.

Nest, I laid out the letters on the scrapbook paper and glued them down.

I used some yarn and strung it in my window tying it onto the blinds.  I folded back 1" at the top of each paper and hung it on the yarn.  You could use staples to stabilize these, if needed.