Love Birds Banner

I made this using cereal boxes, scrapbook paper, red paper raffia, a pen, black stamping ink, tape, fishing line, and hot glue. Not only is it inexpensive, but it is also easy to make! It took me awhile to get the letters and birds drawn...but once that was done it went quickly (except I had to do it over several days because of my baby and his lack of a schedule).

First, cut out your cardboard (cereal boxes), letters, and birds. My cardboard rectangles were 3 13/16 inches by 5 inches. I was able to get 8 rectangles out of one cereal box; you need 9 rectangles total. To add detail, I used a black pen to make dashes around my birds to look like stitches. (I tried actually stitching first...bad plan. The birds were too small and the needle just ripped through to the edge of the paper.)

Second, smudge black ink down one side each of your cardboard rectangles.

Third, tape raffia strips on your cardboard rectangles so that the raffia separates the smudged ink edge from the rest.

Hot glue would also work.

Fourth, attach the letters and birds to your cardboard rectangles. I used photo squares.

Fifth, create bows with your raffia. Cut a strip of raffia and tie a knot in the center. Then unwrap the raffia so it flares out like a bow.

Sixth, attach bows to rectangles and draw simple embellishments. I added a few hearts, x's, and o's just on a few.

Seventh, hot glue words to fishing line/jewelry line. Make sure you put the words backwards when you glue them so they will actually be correct when you turn them around again.

I put dots of hot glue on each rectangle and then pressed the line down into them. Then to make it easy to hang each word, I created loops on the ends.

Eighth, admire. :)

I hope you all like it!