My New Table Numbers

I loved my table numbers last year and so did my kiddos. In fact, we had an end of year auction and the numbers were available to bid on. They definitely went for the most amount of money. I gave them away because, although I loved them, they were not the sturdiest things around.

I did want to stick with hot air balloons. I have started to really love hot air balloons for whatever reason. I even have a small (but growing) Pinterest board of my favorite balloon crafts.

I was 100% inspired by this project. It sounded easy enough and I was so excited that I finished all 9 of my table numbers in just a few days. (It took a couple hours, start to finish for each one. It would have taken way less time if I did not have to make the numbers, baskets, and bunting.)

I started off with the cheapest paper lanterns I could find at Zurchers. Because these were to be part of the decor for a room full of 5th graders, I wanted to make some small balloons. Now that I have made these ones, I want to make large ones for my own home decor. Maybe when I someday have a nursery. (Emphasis on someday.)

End of tangent. I bought 9 8" white paper lanterns at $1.50 each. They were the most expensive part of the ordeal.

Next came my favorite part: picking out the fabric! I chose to have 2 designs of fabric for each balloon. Because my lanterns were so small, I got away with buying 1/8 yard of each fabric I chose. I cut both strips of fabric in half twice. This gave me 8 short rectangles. I only used 6 of those rectangles.

Because I was lazy, I serged the panels together.

Once all of the panels were serged together, I looped them up so I made a sleeve. (I had to ensure that the circumference of the sleeve was just barely over 8" so it would fit snugly on my lantern.)

Next, I serged around the top and bottom of my sleeve.

Instead of making a draw string, I chose the lazy way. Using a needle and thread, I slid my needle under the one of the loops of the serged edge.

Once I had stitched all the way around, I pulled tight. Then, I pushed the lantern in the fabric to see exactly how tight/loose to make the gather.

Then I repeated with the other end.

Repeat that nine times, and the balloons were finished. 

I just had the baskets, bunting, and numbers left to make. Cue the Silhouette. One of my favorite crafting friends. (My favorite crafting friend is a three-way tie between my sewing machine, my serger, and my silhouette.)

I used a bushel fruit basket template to cut out the baskets. I like this shape better than the perfect cube I used last year.

I grabbed 5 different brown pieces of paper and cut out the baskets.

I also cut out lots of bunting.

I think the bunting adds an adorable, tiny detail.

Then there were the numbers. Ugh. Bless their little hearts. They look adorable but take forever to put together. I'm talking 30 minutes for the number six.

But they're 3D and I love them.

Then I just had to put them all together. Balloon, basket (with bunting), number.

I am in love.

In other news, the hubs and I got to see a special screening of...Monsters University on Thursday! I loved it. Mr. Wolf found it entertaining. I want to go back and see it when it comes out.

Linking up to my first Monday Made It this year.