Paper Flag Garland

This week I've been getting ready to host a baby shower for my sweet friend, Melissa.  I was able to check one item off the shower prep to-do list today - a Paper Flag Garland that will provide some color for the shower and then look pretty darn cute in the nursery too!

This project is quite easy, doesn't take too much time, and can be made in all sorts of fun shapes (think circles, triangles, rectangles, etc.)!  Here's how to do it...

Materials:
Paper or card stock in a variety of colors/patterns
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors
Thread
Sewing Machine

Instructions:
1. To prepare your paper for a garland with little flag shapes, cut your paper into 3"x3" squares.  If you use scrapbook paper (as I did here), simply measure out the paper into 16 squares.  Use a ruler and pencil to mark lines on the paper, then cut them out.

2. Fold each square into a triangle along the diagonal.

(if you use a thicker card stock, cut the triangle instead of folding the triangle from the square)

3. Snip off one corner about an inch in from the point...

4. Then the other corner about an inch in from the other point.

5. Use this flag as a guide to cut the others - much easier than eye-balling each one.

6. Repeat until you have stacks of little flag shapes in all your colors/patterns.

7. At this point, you can lay them out in a specific pattern (or you can wing it and not stick to a pattern...either looks cute).

8. Now sew them together along the top flat edge, leaving about a 1/4" clearance from the edge.  I left about a 1/4" to 1/2" between each flag.

There you have it!  In no time you'll have an adorable handmade paper flag banner to hang and enjoy.

If you like this paper flag garland, be sure to check out our triangle confetti garlands {here} and {here}.  And, if you'd like your own custom garland, I'd be happy to make one for you.  Email me at inspiredwhims@gmail.com for more info.  Have a happy week!

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock/Lucky Clover Hair Clips

This is a throwback DIY craft project that I attempted again for St. Patrick's Day this year.  Last time I made them, my little hair model was only 1 1/2 and now she's 3 1/2!!  You'll see below how much she's grown since then...

Materials:

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
Hair Clips (found in the jewelry section of my local craft store)
Green grosgrain ribbon, mine was approx 1cm wide
Decorative felt shamrocks (likely sold at your local craft store)

Instructions:

1. Open hair clips up for working with. (otherwise, they might get glued shut!)

2. Hot glue grosgrain ribbon to outer sides of clip.  (Be careful not to get too much glue on the clip so it doesn't ooze out and interfere with the clip closing properly.)

3. Run a little hot glue along the cut edges of the ribbon, so it doesn't fray.

4. At this point, you can simply hot glue a felt shamrock to the ribbon (see pic) and call it quits, or continue with the all-ribbon option below...

5. For the all-ribbon option, cut a 2" piece of ribbon and fold into a "V".  Place a small dot of hot glue at the base of the "V" inside the fold, then press in place while the glue cools.

6. Now glue the very top edges of the "V" together as shown below with a thin line of glue .

7. Invert your top glued portion, folding it down toward the center and tucking it in - this forms one segment of the shamrock.  It should look like this...

8. Repeat the above steps two more times (or three more times for a 4-leafed lucky clover!).  Hot glue each shamrock segment onto your ribbon-covered hair clip.

That's it for the all-ribbon version!  See how cute it looks on my ever-growing little hair model...

Who knew at 1 yr and 5 mos that we'd end up with curls like that now??  Yes, I promise, it's the same child...

Wishing you all a very happy St. Patrick's Day!  (It's my mom's birthday...that's why the day is super special to us!!)

Thrifted Frame Chalkboard

The chalkboard paint strikes again...yes, we're still on the same quart-size can that got me through at least a dozen other craft and DIY projects.  This time it was used for a little heartfelt gift for a dear friend!

First, the backstory: I found a pretty little frame while visiting an antique store up in Portland, Maine last year. Problem was...it had a not-so-pretty knock-off Renior portrait of a lady in it.  I hung it in my Curated Powder Bath for a while to play up the crazy decor theme of "let's keep them guessing".

There she sits atop the quirky eye chart...

But, after a while she started to look a little creepy staring down at the unassuming powder bath occupant, so I removed the frame from the wall and put it aside in my "to be crafted into something else" stash....and there she sat waiting for several months.

Just the other day, having not used my chalkboard paint in a while (ok, a long two months), I decided to bust it out and cover up the faux-Renoir.

Hasta la vista, baby!  

After a few coats of paint, it was "hello, matte beautiful chalkboard finish"!!  I wrote out a verse with chalk that reminded me of my sweet friend...and voila!  A pretty little chalkboard was born.

Much better than the blue bonnet lady, huh?

Moral of the story, you ask?  Don't pass by a pretty frame at the thrift store regardless of what it's framing...with a little chalkboard paint it can become something beautiful!

(Disclaimer: I don't typically recommend gifting something off your walls.  This was just a "special" circumstance in which I created something for someone from something I already had...on my wall.  Or, that's what I'm telling myself.  Amanda, you know I love you - and I know you love me despite my quirky gifting!)

Valentine's Day Heart Card

I first made this heart card with my Mother's of Preschoolers (MOPS) group when we lived out in Portland OR a few years ago.  Our dear craft leader was so sweet to share it with us and I've always wanted to pass the crafty heart-holiday fun on to you....so here it is!

The card was super easy to make and is perfect for giving as a "heart"-felt card or for displaying as Valentine's Day decor in your home.

Materials:
Card stock
Pencil
Scissors
Painter's tape or another tape that won't permanently stick to your paper
Scotch tape
Paper in several different prints or colors (I used scrap-book paper)

Instructions:

1. Print the below heart pattern from the Iris Folding website {here} then cut out heart to use as your template.

2. Fold your card stock in half into a card shape.  I also trimmed mine a little to make it square.

3. On the inside front of your card, position your heart template and trace around it with a pencil.  Cut along the line.  You will end up with a heart in the middle of your card's front flap.

4. Tape the heart template numbered side up onto a flat surface.  Position the card over it so you see the template through your cut-out, and tape the card down so it will stay in place (remember to work from the inside of the card, as the front of the card will be the "pretty side").

5. Now, cut your patterned/colored paper into 19 strips about 4"x1.5".  Fold strips in half along the short edge so you end up with 19 folded strips all 4" long.

6. Following the numbers, tape strips to the inside of the card along the lines, making sure the folded edge always faces the middle of the heart.  Trim excess paper as required.

photos via

7. Continue to tape your strips in numbered order, 1 through 19, trimming excess paper as needed.  Randomly alternate paper colors and patterns (what I recommend) or follow the color scheme in the pattern guide box above (this will give you a heart where each side of the heart is the same color).

(inside of my card, once completed)

8.  Once finished, flip your card over to the front and revel in your handiwork!

(outside of completed card)

Beautiful, huh?  It reminds me of a two-dimensional origami.  Once you get going, it takes no time at all.  Promise!

If you need additional help, the step-by-step photographed instructions can be found on the Iris Folding website {here}.

Now gift or keep.  I'm guessing you know what I did with mine... (wink!)  Happy heart folding!

Cinnamon Stick Manger

Here's a sweet little handmade gift a friend gave me this year...a cinnamon stick manger she had made to go with my Willow Tree nativity set.

Isn't it precious?  The cinnamon sticks look just like little logs that are the perfect size and scale to the figurines.

Here are some close-ups so you can see how she hot-glued it all together:

Side...

Bottom...

End...

Top...

Our nativity is set up on the "hall dresser" right as you come in our entry-way.

Since this spot is usually set up to feature our world travels, I decided to run with the global theme and top off the setting with the beginning of John 3:16.

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Jesus, the world map, and our travel art tie together quite nicely.  Don't you think?

Paper Straw and Wood Bead Garland

There's never a shortage of paper straws in this household...I always grab a pack whenever I see them go on clearance at the local craft store, TJ Maxx, or Homegoods.  So, when I saw a paper straw and wood bead garland featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine I was rearing and ready to go!

This was a super easy craft to do, and it would even be do-able with little ones.  Simply lace cut paper straws (I cut them into thirds) and wooden beads onto yarn or heavy nylon string, then tie up the ends and you're done.

To make the "ends" easier to work with (and avoid having to tie a knot the size of your head), I cut about an 18-foot length of string and tied the ends together to form a large loop, thus "doubling" the string over into a 9-foot length.  Then I strung a bead onto one end of the loop,  tucked the bead in-between the two strings and pulled the bead tautly to the end.  This allowed the wood bead to be the end of the garland, allowing me to easily string the other pieces on without having to worry about tying a knot large enough to keep the beads/straw pieces on the string.

Clear as mud?  Hopefully this photo helps...see how the bead is holding the garland together without having to tie a knot?  I did this to finish off the other end as well.

That's the only complex part, the rest is just stringing the pieces on in whatever pattern you like.

This garland is a festive addition to our big 'ol Texas star but it would look really cute strung around a Christmas tree as well.  Happy decorating!