Naptime Craft: Paint-Chip Pennant Garland

Alright, people—as promised, here’s this week’s Naptime Craft! One of our favorite little men, our friends’ son Conner, just turned THREE! Three is a big-deal age, especially when there’s a baby brother in the house, because THREE means you’re the Big Kid. And THREE means a very special birthday box! It went in the mail yesterday, with some little gifts for Conner. I didn’t want to send him a regular birthday card, though, because that just seems so boring for a three-year-old. Instead, I decided to make him a…

Paint Chip Pennant Garland

This is a fun one, because even little ones can help. (Unless, of course, they’re 5 months old and everything that goes in the hands goes in the mouth.) Older kids can help by tracing the template and cutting out the pennants, and littler ones help with taping.

Here’s what you need:

• A pile of paint chips in whatever colors you want to use
• String or yarn, a foot or two longer than your string of pennants will be
• A triangle template (Don’t worry, I’m about to explain this.)
• A pair of scissors
• Tape
• A pen
• Acrylic paint
• A paintbrush

And here’s what to do:

You need a template for your pennants. The easiest thing to do is cut one out of one of your paint swatches. Fold the swatch in half. Then, starting on the fold, cut a diagonal line to the opposite edge. Trim your triangle smaller if you like, but keep it folded in half while you do this so the 2 sides are the same.

Trace that triangle over and over on the back of your swatches. Be careful to avoid the words, unless you want “Spicy Cayenne” and “Whispering Waters” across your pennants. Cut the triangles out, then line them up in the order you want them, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch between them. Flip them over, keeping them in order and evenly spaced. Leave several free inches of string at one end (so you have something to hang them from), then begin taping your string 1/4 inch from the top of each.

Ok, next, I painted the backs of the pennants with acrylic paint (Folk Art “Deep Ocean Blue”, if you were wondering). Hindsight being 20/20, if I did this again, I would paint the whole backs of the swatches right from the beginning and save myself a giant pain. Oh well…

Let them dry, then hang them up! I love how cheerful and festive they look. I almost didn’t want to take them down and send them! I have a string of pennants like this hanging in The Boys’ room (here they are before we moved). They’d also be cute on a greeting card (like this one), on a gift instead of a bow, or in festive colors for Christmas.

Better Late than Never

Well… looks like today’s Naptime Craft is going to be tomorrow’s Naptime Craft. It’s a fun one, and one kids can help with or make on their own (but not my kids- they’re too little). I made it as part of a birthday package that went in the mail this afternoon for Mr. Conner’s 3rd birthday.

Here’s a sneak peek for you, though:

Oooooh, I see paint swatches! Check back tomorrow to see the whole enchilada.