DIY love banner

I didn't get any more table numbers done but it's okay because tomorrow's a holiday so I should have time. My mom and I traveled high and low today but were only able to find 3 more plaques. Which means we're still missing 5. I'm not worried, yet...

I should be able to spray paint and finish all the table numbers tomorrow (with Sean's help!) assuming the weather doesn't include rain.

After searching and searching for those wooden plaques I got home and started my love banner. It's not finished yet! But I can show you what it looks like so far... and then show the finished/completed project in a few days. I had to stop since the glue had to dry overnight.

Anyways, this was my inspiration:


I saw this banner at a local scrapbook store and just loved it. So I walked around the store buying all the materials to make my very own. The bag has been sitting in my room for a few week and I thought today was the perfect day to make it!

Here are all my supplies:


The hearts in the sample were actually from this pack of chipboard hearts:


The first thing I did was ink the edges of the heart. I usually do this while I'm scrapbooking and it helps give a finished look to the page. Here... I didn't want to see the cardboard edge so I thought the ink would help. And it did!:



Next I chose this pink paper to cover the heart:


I cut out a smaller square of the paper so that it was easier to work with (the paper was different on the opposite side):


I used the mod podge to line one side of the heart:


And glued it to the paper:


Next I used the orange x-acto knife to cut along the edge of the heart to get the perfect shape. When I flipped the heart over... this is what I saw:


Again, I used the ink and dobber to ink the edges:


I repeated these steps three more times. I rotated the sides of the hearts I was using so that every other heart was going in the opposite direction:


Then it was time to add the outer border. So I put the hearts aside and picked up my other paper I bought for this project. I used the scorer to make my paper more flexible. I used a 12x12 sheet of paper and scored it every 1/2 inch:


Because I needed it to become like an accordion:


Then I cut 1.5 inch strips of paper and tore them into smaller pieces:


Because the hearts aren't straight, the paper needed to bend. I really loved the look of the crumpled paper. I used mod podge to stick the paper onto the back of the chipboard:


I continued applying the smaller pieces all along the border -- making sure they were fanned out and crumpled (since that's what I wanted). At the end I just used scissors to fix up all the sides that didn't line up perfectly and then the border was even all around:


Next, I made the fanned out flowers for the center of the heart. I started by cutting a strip of 1 3/4 of an inch of paper:


And scored it every 1/2 inch:


So that it could do this:


Then I fanned it out. I would love to tell you how to do this... let's just say it took practice/watching youtube videos on how to do it and my mom helped... a lot:


I held the edges together with glue dots and then used mod podge to glue this round piece of paper on the bottom also:


That circle will help hold the flower onto the heart since it has a flat surface. When I flipped over the flower so that it was right side up, this is what I had:


Again, I had to do this three more times. But once I did... this is what I had:


I bought those letters in an alphabet pack so all I had to do was detach them from the rest of the letters -- so easy:


I still have to attach the ribbon, but here's close-ups of each heart:



And the whole banner:


Like I said, it's not finished. The pieces aren't actually attached here so I have to do that tomorrow. And in the sample there was glitter on the fanned out flower so I'm going to add that. And of course the ribbon so it'll actually hang.

But tonight the fanned out flowers need to dry... or I'm nervous they'll "un-fan".

I really love how it turned out!

Here's a look at all the supplies I didn't know I needed... until I was making the banner:


As for how long it took... let's just say I started in the early afternoon... and stopped well after it became dark outside. I'd say I spent roughly an hour and a half per heart. But it's worth it because I really do love it. =)