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Printable party decorations have become wildly popular lately—etsy.com even has over 6,000 results from a search! I’ve watched the trend explode and have some advice if you’re thinking about giving it a try ... and you can download a freebie and make a pennant right now!
Creating a banner from printed pennants If you download the free Brinley or Brayden Quick Banners, you’ll get complete directions and see that all you need to create a colorful, personalized banner is a printer and some paper or light cardstock, and a thin but strong ribbon about two feel longer that the pennants. Give it a try, and have fun! Traditional or printable decorations?
And the current crop of printables is style-miles ahead of the party-supply store variety of paper products (like the ubiquitous “Over the Hill” paper tombstone or honeycomb-paper wedding bell centerpieces). You can mix new paper products with classic decorations. And although banners made from pennants (those pointy triangles) are festive for kids and informal parties, there are also beautiful whimsical banners made from square paper that have a more adult and less “circus-y” look. Should I buy it or design it? There are literally thousands of choices in printables. Some most are pre-designed around a theme, and you purchase downloadable PDFs, then print at home or commercially for your event. Many printables designers also personalize or customize for a small fee. After printing, you cut the shapes and assemble the items yourself. But there are also printable templates if you want to try your hand at designing your own Free or fee? I’ll always stand up for good design, and there are a LOT of free printables out there that you won’t want to waste your printer ink on. It looks like some of them have used their leftover 1980’s clip art! On the other hand, etsy.com has dozens of beautiful printables package choices for around $5 each. Great design is worth the money, in my book! Commercial vs. home printing Home printing quality varies, and if you’re not sure your home printer will do justice to your printable, it is easy to upload the files to laser printers such as Office Depot and Kinkos, who will print the PDFs on good quality laser printers. They usually can print on cardstock as well. Laser prints will not run if they’re splashed by a beverage, unlike most ink jet prints. Printables beyond parties Even if you don’t use printables for parties, they can be a fun way to celebrate a special day for kids, like the first day of school, or winning a soccer championship. Because they’re so easy to make, I predict they’ll become more popular in everyday life. I’m all for celebrating the big and little events in life—so I’m happy to see yet another way to add some color and design to everyday life! What is printable? Finally, here is a list of printables to get your imagination going. You can find a printable for every part of an event. You can start with the invitation and carry out the theme through the gift bags as the guests leave! Banners Bookmarks Invitations Gift boxes (PDFs to print on cardstock and fold into small boxes) Gift tags Gift wrap Greeting cards Cupcake wrappers Cupcake toppers Lawn signs Napkin rings Notepads Party hats Party signs Pennants Pinwheels Placecards for people or to label food Plate liners (to sandwich between clear plates) Placemats Party favor labels (such as for water bottles or candy bars) Scrapbooks (mini) Stickers (party favors) Stickers for treat bags Stickers for suckers Window decorations
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Generally, paper decorations are used for less formal events—baby and wedding showers and kids’ parties. For more formal events, I still favor adding color with fabric, such as placemats and napkins, and fresh flowers. But for a casual event where you want a quick splash of color and visual interest, printables can be great solution. And even for a formal event, adding a monogram sticker to a boxed party favor adds a personal touch.
uniquedécor. This opens up a whole new world of creativity, and means that you can use elements from any digital scrapbooking website to add color and pattern.