DIY Birthday Pennant

This weekend we celebrated my youngest son's second birthday! Where has time gone?

It really is crazy to think that my little baby, who I thought at one time would never sleep through the night is now a big boy, running around, talking, laughing, getting into trouble every day!  

Anyway,  I've been working hard on an idea I thought up for a cloth birthday pennant that would last a lot longer (and look a lot cooler) than your typical paper store-bought decoration, for only a few dollars to make. 

I used a lot of different colors and textures to make it cheerful and interesting to look at, with yarn letters just for fun. 

And, here at ReMadeSimple I try to do most things with a "re"in there--so here you have a "reusable, recycled" no-sew birthday pennant! 

To make this you'll need:

several pieces of felt (I like Eco-fi because it's made from 100%recycled plastic bottles)

scrap pieces of fabric (I used a woven burlap type of fabric)

permanent marker or pen

yarn

glue gun

scissors

Here's how I made this pennant:

You'll basically cut out your triangles (13) as large as you want them to be. 

I measured and cut one, then traced the shape with permanent marker onto all of the other pieces of felt and cut those out.

Then, arrange them right next to each other on a table or floor and use their length to see how long you'll need your yarn to be. (I allowed for about two feet of extra yarn on each side).

Use your hot glue gun to glue the edge of each triangle to the yarn.

Next, trace and cut out 13 circles out of felt or fabric in whatever color you want.

Hot glue each one to the center of the triangle.

Finally, cut small strips of yarn and shape them into letters, glueing small pieces at a time.

 (It might help to shape the whole letter first to make sure it looks right.)

The finished pennant hanging in a window, so bright and cheery!

Making this pennant took me a few hours, but it now makes decorating for birthdays

and tearing down so much easier and quicker.

The pennant will just fold up and could be stored in a small pouch for next time. 

(Maybe I'll have to fashion one of those next!)

I purposefully used colors and style that I can use for our whole family for years to come,

 and I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

(It's so fun to see something you imagine turn out exactly how you want it to be.)

What do you think?

Thanks for visiting today! I hope you leave feeling inspired and took some time to snoop around at the rest of my projects and tutorials!

In my next post, I'll be bragging more about how cute my two-year old is with some photos of his birthday bash and the fun theme I chose for him.

Until next time, 

I regularly link up with these parties and this party.

Creating Anthropologie Style in Your Home for Less!

Hello everyone! It's another bright sunny February day here in the midwest--

and I'm loving it! It has been so nice to let my boys go out and play this winter

with our mild temperatures--the best winter I can remember! 

So, if you're been following along, you might know that I've been working 

on a few projects inspired by that gorgeous store, Anthropologie. 

(Did you see my table revamp? )

 It's not within my budget to buy things there, but I love

making a good knock-off decoration! 

Something I really like to do this time of year when I'm antsy for

 spring to arrive is buy a few new houseplants to bring 

something fresh and living inside.

And today I'm going to show you how I took a thrift store milk glass vase

and repurposed it into a pretty planter to create my Anthro style for less! 

On the left, you see what I created. And on the right, my inspiration:

This is so easy, you barely need a tutorial, but pictures are always fun, so here goes: 

Here's what you'll need:

 I used wine corks as a drainage and filler. 

I bought my milk glass vase at a thrift store earlier for only $1

(which I don't think is genuine milk glass, but I like the look).

Next, I added my organic potting mix from the greenhouse. (Do you like my action shot?)

Then, I carefully added my succulent plant.
(these are nice because they are low-maintenance plants)

And, was done! Easy, right? 

I hope you enjoyed this post! I've been really overwhelmed by all the great comments I've been getting on my projects-I am so thankful for all of my followers and support by fellow bloggers and friends.

Please bear with me as I work on responding and visiting all of you too-
I am also a full-time mommy of 2 active boys learning how to juggle my responsibilities and hobbies! (But I'm having a lot of fun! )

Thanks for visiting today! And don't forget, you have only one more day to enter the $100 Ramsign giveaway-click on the button on the sidebar to the right to enter!

Linking up with these parties

Secrets to Best Paints Revealed!

Have you ever wondered what the best interior paint brand are to buy

that will give you the best quality and most value for your money? 

I was really interested in finding out the truth because

I do so much painting with my furniture projects and walls.

You might have asked friends, relatives or the paint counter guy. 

And we all have our opinions and experiences with certain brands, but

 did you know that several major paint brands have been

carefully tested by Consumer Reports and a new review is out! 

And guess who just became a Consumer Reports reading nerd and is about 

to share a few of their surprising results with you?? Me! 

So, in CR's overview they tell you that

"the best interior paints hide with as little as one coat". 

Here are a few categories that show you the best ratings and their retail value:

"Best for most; less work, low VOC's"

Benjamin Moore $66

Behr, $33

They explain that Benjamin Moore beat Behr "by a nose" but when it comes to value, Behr "remains several lengths ahead". 

So, wouldn't it be worth it to buy a higher quality paint that you

would use less of in the long run because it covers so well? I think so! 

And here are some results in the low-luster paint category:

"Almost as good for less" 

Kilz $27

Glidden, $23

Behr, $25

Royal Interiors, $28

And low-luster for sunny areas:

Benjamin Moore, $50

Valspar, $31

Glidden, $27

So, the only paints I've ever tried on their list are Valspar, Glidden, and Kilz, which all scored well in general and are recommended. Good to know! (I've also used Martha Stewart which I've been happy with, but this brand wasn't tested.)

A few things I was surprised by was that Sherwin Williams paint scored almost last-I know people who swear by their paint (which isn't cheap, if you've noticed). But I wasn't surprised that Wal Mart's brand Color Place scored last. (not my favorite store).

When you are shopping for paint, Consumer Reports gives a helpful tip : "Dont buy strictly by brand. Even within a brand, performance varies widely among finishes and lines." Sound confusing? You can get their full report along with a helpful chart in March's 2012 issue. 

I hope the little tid bits I've shared have been as helpful to you as they've been to me! I'm 

officially addicted to reading this magazine now and want so share some of the helpful 

tips I find as new issues arrive. 

If you've been following along you might know that I've been trying a few Anthropologie-inspired projects. And I have been having fun with them!
(Have you seen my table in my last post?)
I hope you come back these next few weeks as I reveal more projects!

Thanks for stopping by today!