A Magpie Banner of Sorts

In-between preparing paintings and prints for the upcoming show, I've been scheming up some simple display ideas for my tent/show space. For some added whimsy for the inside canopy ceiling, I decided to create a simple banner out of lots and lots of old goodies. It's a helter-skelter magpie banner of sorts, but it takes no time at all to make and was really fun to throw together. I like that it gives a bit of character to a space but isn't so bright or flashy that it's distracting.

It was the perfect activity to do at night while watching a period drama dvd. And, since I was all prepared-like for a blog entry, I had my camera ready and snapped some images of the evening!

Step One:

Light some candles.

Step Two:

Pick out your favorite old (or new) period drama and insert into dvd player.

Step Three:

Gather supplies in a big heap on the floor or table. I used a cornucopia of stuff: twine (10 feet long), cabinet card photos, vintage book pages (torn in half), old fabric snippets, pieces of ribbon, old Monopoly property cards, wrinkled kraft papers, etc. The more the merrier!

Step Four:

Layout your desired length of twine and decide how far apart you want your book pages laid out from each other. Then, just fold over the top of the pages by about 1/4" and score the crease.

Step Five:

Place the book pages over the twine, setting the twine underneath the crease, and staple the crease closed twice. Repeat for ribbons, fabrics, and assorted light-weight papers.Then, all you need to do is hang the rest of your assorted goodies, hodge-podge style. I used bulldog clips to hang the heavier cabinet cards and small gold paperclips for the thicker papers and Monopoly property cards. And voila! Instant banner!
I hung mine temporarily over the kitchen entryway, and really dug how it looked this morning while drinking a cup of tea.

Happy trails, guys and dolls!