Hip, hip, hooray! Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and for many of us, that means a day dedicated to picnics, barbecues and outings to the beach – and an evening filled with fireworks and sparklers. Whether you’re visiting family and friends or staying closer to home, you can create a last-minute patriotic themed DIY project that will be the envy of your guests. All you need to do is to supply your favorite cake and enjoy the day!
Materials
- Paper straws (two for the main banner; one – cut in half – for the mini banner)
- Baker’s twine
- Craft knife
- Cardstock in red, white and blue
- Patriotic embellishments (stamps, stickers, etc.)
- Scissors
- Tape runner (like the Mega Runner adhesive tool by Xyron)
- Ruler
Instructions
| 1. Start out by making a small slit in one end of both of your straws. If younger children are creating the banners, make sure to do this part for them. |
| 2. Cut a piece of baker’s twine at least 15 inches long. Place either end through the slits that were cut and pull to adjust. The tighter you pull the string, the more taut the pennants will be. The looser it is, the lower the pennants will hang. Depending on the size of your cake, experiment with which approach looks best. |
| 3. Tie a small knot at each straw cut. |
| 4. From your cardstock, cut a few pieces that are 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. These will be the pennants. Fold in half. Once cut and folded, now’s the time to decorate them. Look for gold star stickers, a small stamp or a set of colorful markers and some eager artists ready to decorate. |
| 5. To adhere the pennants to the banner, apply a line of tape, with your tape runner, to the inside of the pennant. Position over the baker’s twine and smooth shut. |
| 6. With your pennants in place, your banner is ready to display! |
| 7. Using the same technique, you can create a mini banner by cutting one straw in half for a shorter look. |
