These weeks I can barely bring myself to leave our mountain for fear that I may miss something. The birds are returning, the hens are laying again, and the chipmunks are beginning to try and clear out their winter-logged lungs in the sunny afternoons. Every day is a new joy to behold, and it fills me with a thrill that no other time of the year can rival.
I can see it kindling in the sunrise. I can feel it sparring in the air. I can hear it chattering in the trees. I can smell it bubbling up from the half-thawed soil. Our whole world is about to burst anew.
In honor of our homestead’s imminent spring back to life, I have a little something to share with you today!
You may recall something similar I shared last Christmas. It combines a few of my favorite things —holidays, crafting, and BOOKS! Just a sweet little thing we call Book Bunting. 🙂
It’s hard to explain how happy these banners of beloved illustrations make me. You can’t get something like this from Hobby Lobby, my friends! For something this personal, this lovely, this joyful, you’ve got to go DIY.
6 Reasons We LOVE Book Bunting!
1.) Communicates to our children that books are beautiful and celebratory
2.) Surrounds our children with text / supports a “print-rich” environment
3.) Creates a festive room theme for very little effort
4.) Creates a big bang for its buck (only costs about $10-$20 to make)
5.) Entices our kids to indulge reading an old favorite when they see the illustrations.
6.) Oh, and it’s simply charming! 😀
~Book Bunting Instructions~
1.) Get your supplies
You will need:
- a used book to cut up for bunting (I love the used books option on Amazon, or Thriftbooks)
- optional scrapbook paper to back your bunting
- scissors or an Exacto knife and straight-edge (we use a metal ruler)
- twine
- a hole punch (preferably a mini-punch like 1/8th inch so the bunting is tight on the twine)
- nails, hammer, and measuring tape
My recommendations:
- Need a book idea? You can check: Our Family’s Favorite ~BUNNY BOOKS~ for a Hopping Easter!
- My favorite twine is striped baker’s twine . . . it’s just so cute! And this brand is made in the USA (hurray!)
USA-made striped Baker’s Twine
- A mini hole-punch (1/8th inch) makes for a neater hole for the twine which looks a little more sophisticated and keeps bunting from slipping.
2.) Print, Rip, Trace, Cut, and Punch!
- Print my free stencil: just print one of my ready-to-go bunting templates onto cardstock, cut it out, and punch the holes! Bunting Stencil Templates
- Tear the pages carefully out of your book
- Trace the bunting outline and hole punches in pencil
- Trace out optional backing (just print the same template slightly enlarged)
- Use scissors or an Exacto knife and straight-edge to cut the bunting out
- Use a one-hole punch to punch out the twine holes
3.) Hang your beautiful bunting!
- string your bunting (in order of occurrence is my favorite for book bunting)
- measure and mark out where you want each loop to hang
- hammer time!
- secure each loop with an easy-peasy slip knot which allows for easy adjusting after you hang the entire strand
- keep the nails up and switch out your book bunting throughout the year as often as you want!
from our home to yours . . .
May this spring reveal that morning by morning, new mercies we see!
I hope you DIY with us and create some book bunting magic of your own during this season of renewal! If you do, we’d LOVE to see it, so please share a picture when you hang your bunting!
Thanks so much for reading!
Love, Candace Arden
I love when you do these projects Candace. They come out so beautiful, especially with a theme. I used your Bunting Stencil Templates from last year to create a beautiful Little Blue Truck themed bunt for my son’s first birthday party. Wish I could post a picture. I used fabric instead of paper and my daughter’s and I pulled out the sewing machine and seamed everything. The best fun!
Your home looks so cozy, especially with all the wood, looks like a retreat I wouldn’t want to leave either.
Blessings,
Tasha
P.s. One of my twins, 12, is bent on beating the Captain this year for the most books read 🤷🏾♀️.
I explained that I don’t think you wrote the post as a contest but I digress 🤦🏾♀️😆. We love reading your post, enjoying the wit and humor every weekend there is something in our inbox.
Awe, I love this! Blue Truck Fabric Bunting! That sounds so incredibly darling. And what a fun sewing project to do with your daughter. I LOVE that your daughter is inspired to book spar with the Captain! He’ll get a total kick out of that. Thank you for following along and for the encouragement, Tasha!
These are adorable! I’ll bet my niece would like to try it; she loves rabbits 🙂