In celebration of our Modern Kids Shop, the Foundary stylists added cheerful paper craft to our children’s rooms. Photo stylist Krystin Marsh shares tips and tricks for how to make some of these paper accents. To kick off our new Specialty Shop, Krys offers advice on making banner pennants.

From baby showers to birthdays, these light-hearted crafts swing substantial design heft. “They are bright and unique with a touch of hand-crafted charm,” said Krys. “And it’s a simple project that you can make with your kids.” You don’t need a predetermined occasion—use one of these projects to enliven any morning or afternoon at home with children. “They bring a sense of celebration to daily life.”

HOW-TO

1. Assemble all necessary tools: colorful paper, twine (look for colorful options at a craft store), scissors, patterns or stencils for various shapes, and glue (a glue gun is easiest to work with as the glue sets rapidly).
2. Once you have your shapes cut out, arrange them in the color pattern and design that looks attractive to you.
3. Glue can be placed on the top of the pennant or through the middle of the design to create a dynamic, rotating effect.
4. Once the glue has dried on the pennant banner, it’s ready to hang! Enjoy the instant fun and flair for a special occasion or bring a festive touch to everyday life.

ADDITIONAL IDEAS

• Work with color themes to accent room décor
• Choose patterned papers for more eye-catching details
• Look for specialty papers like glitter paper or origami paper
• Use different shapes for your pennants.

“I love the iconic shape of the pennant, the triangle,” said Krys, “but it’s fun to experiment with shapes based on your décor or your occasion. You could use diamonds, circles, flowers, hearts, or animals. It’s up to your imagination.”

• In honor of special occasions, like a baby shower or a birthday, have guests write heartfelt messages on the pennants.

“For my daughter’s shower, my friend made a banner of fabric flags. All of the attendees wrote their wishes for her birth on the flags. We hung it in her room during her first year,” said Krys.

• Once you master paper pennants, try different mediums, like fabric or foil.

Check back to the House Press How-To section during the Modern Kids Shop for more paper craft projects, including pinwheels, paper boats, and 3-dimensional stars featured in our Modern Kids rooms.

// Shop Modern Kids until July 7, 2012. //