Birthday Bash… Fun Birthday Banner!

Part 2… Tractor Theme Birthday Banner

(if you missed Part One of the Birthday Bash / Balloon Wreath click HERE)

What party is complete without a Birthday Banner??

Doesn't this banner scream “Let’s P-a-r-t-y“?

I had a blast making this Birthday Banner for my Grandson’s party. It made such an impact in the room and tied the theme together perfectly. I was able to incorporate not only the tractor theme and party colors; but I personalized it to give the banner that extra special touch. 

Despite the camera mishap, I’ve managed to round up enough photos to share with you this fun Birthday Banner. I won’t fudge or sugar coat how hard it was to edit these babies. I’ve discovered the colors green and yellow are not easy colors to photograph. Jeez!! 

My Daughter-in-Law only had a few simple request where the banner was concerned, so I really had free reign to just play. I starting planning this project weeks in advance and made several detailed sketches of each element, so I could have a handle on everything I would need to make the banner.  Pre-planning a project like this is key… I could hit all the sales and have plenty of time to work on this bad boy! 

I hadn’t really planned on providing a step-by-step tutorial for the banner but I’ve received several request asking for more details, so I thought I would go ahead and put something together. I’m thrilled so many of you wanted to know more about it! 

Here’s how I made it…

I got lucky and scored all the single sheet cardstock 50% off at Hobby Lobby saving me big bucks. Just for the banner, I needed over 60 sheets so getting them for less than 22¢ a sheet … well, you can do the math ($$Cha-Ching$$). 

My Cricut Create® is as ancient old as I am (okay, maybe not that old but dang close) and it’s the smaller version with a 12x6 mat so I’m limited on cutting size. Oh goodness  how I dream of a new machine (I want a Silhouette) but honestly, my little lady still gets the job done and because she is older, I can use my Sure Cuts A Lot (v2) design software (I heart this program). All is well in my little world!

The Pendants:

Step 1:  Each triangle piece is 8 1/2 by 11 (basically, a whole sheet of green cardstock paper). I made a template from a piece of thin cardboard (a cereal box works great for this) and used it to trace my pattern on each piece of green cardstock then cut out by hand. I made 20 triangle pendant pieces. 

Step 2: Yellow Top Band - Using my template I traced out the top band and with my paper trimmer quickly cut out each piece then glued in place.

Step 3: Bottom Yellow Triangle – Again, using my cardboard template I traced out the bottom triangle piece, cut out and glued in place. 

Step 4: Polka Dots – Using my SCAL program I created several dozen little circles (2 sizes) and cut out using my Cricut. Added them to each bottom triangle piece (cut a few in half to get the look I wanted). 

The Tractor:
I searched through all my SVG files and Cricut Cartridges for a cute little tractor but I just didn’t find what I was looking for. So, I hopped online and I headed to one of my favorite sources for (reasonably priced) SVG files called SVG.com. I found this set called "Grandpa's Organic Farm" which had the perfect tractor.

Just a quick shout out… SVG.com makes it so easy (and safe) to purchase and download SVG files. Their prices are affordable and they also have free SVG files ready for quick download. They offer good clean cut files that work great with SCAL and they have a fun blog too! **This is my opinion based solely on my personal experience using their files (No Compensation or endorsement).

The tractor size is approx. 3.266 wide and 3.992 high. I used SCAL to layout each part of the tractor, cut six (6) sets with my Cricut and then assembled all six (6) tractors. Each completed tractor was centered on the pendant in between the top band and bottom triangle and glued in place.

The Letters: 


I used a font called LD Enquirer that I previously purchased from another one of my favorite websites called Lettering Delights.  LD has tons of great stuff other than fonts like graphics, printables and cut files. Anyway, this font has the perfect rounded style that works well when using the layering technique. 

In SCAL, I laid out each letter sized to 2.8 x 2.8. Using my Cricut, I cut out and assembled all 20 letters. Then, I centered the letter on the pendant in between the top band and bottom triangle (same as tractor) and glued in place. 

Display Banner:
Punch holes in the top band and run twine through each letter. I added clear tape the back of each pendant to hold the twine in place and to help it hang properly. (sorry, no close up picture)

Who’s still awake with me?   

I hope I didn’t lose anyone or confuse those of you who wanted the scope on how I made the banner. If you do have any questions, just leave me a comment or shoot me an email and I will try my best answer them (please make sure to include your email).  

So, what do you think… do you like it? Have you ever made a paper Birthday Banner? Leave me a comment sharing your thoughts and stories… I would love to hear from you!  

I will finish up the Birthday Bash Series with a third and final post  where I will show you the cutest table centerpieces we made with just a few great finds from The Dollar Tree and a simple way to make customized goodie bags. Oh and of course, I’ll share a few festive pictures of the Birthday Boy! 

Thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me. Your the best! 

Until next time… 

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