Recently, a couple of friends and I got together to whip up a mean birthday cake for a friend’s party.  We made a chocolate-hazelnut-avocado vegan cake, and needless to say it was a show-stopper.  Although, if my Italian grandmother were to have anything to say about baking (and cooking), it would be this: “If it doesn’t look good, it doesn’t matter what it tastes like.”  Perhaps a bit severe, but I, too, believe that presentation is everything.  That’s why crafting is so fun!  I decided to make a paper bunting banner for this cake, well, just because.  It was relatively easy to make, and I was really happy with how it turned out.

Materials:

• Tape
• String
• Scissors
• Colored paper
• Letter stickers or stamps
• Wooden barbecue skewers

How-To:

1. Decide what you want your banner to say, and cut out the correct number of triangles (I used 13 triangles to spell “Happy Birthday”).  Then, cut two pieces of string about two feet long each.
2. Turn the triangles over, and place the string across the back of them.  Lay down tiny pieces of tape to adhere the triangles to the string.
3. Flip the triangles right side up, and either add letter stickers or letter stamps to the triangles.  Anne found these letter stickers from the dollar section of Target, and I love them.

Once the banner is made, find two wooden barbecue skewers (perhaps also from Target).  Lay the skewers down on your work surface, pointy ends toward you.  Gather the ends of the bunting string and either make a knot or a bow with the string around the top end of the skewers.  It might help to also use tape to secure the string.  Hold up the finished product to make sure that the bunting doesn’t hang too low, and make any adjustments needed.  One the cake is made, stick the pointy ends of the skewers into the cake, and voila!  Just be sure that there is a bit of space between the paper bunting and the birthday candles.  That would really do you in in terms of presentation!