Celebratory bunting and a happy birthday.

Today is my friend, Leah’s, 30th birthday. And since I’m smack in the middle of my thirties – at least until I turn 36 next month – I am going on record as saying it is the best decade ever. So welcome to your thirties, Leah! May they be awesome and delightful and full of joy. It also gives me a really good excuse to share this super cute craft project I’ve been dying to post about for a celebratory bunting paper lantern.

While bunting has traditionally been more of a festive form of flags for those in European nations, I think bunting is way more fun than just slapping up flags on poles like we tend to do in America at festivals and parades. I’d never even heard of bunting until I became a regular shopper on etsy and it’s international community. They remind me of stringing rows of lights at Christmas.

Bunting, according to Wikipedia, originated at the “turn of the 17th century, and [was] used for making ribbons and flags, including signal flags for the Royal Navy… Today, “bunting” is a term for any festive decorations made of fabric, or of plastic, paper or even cardboard in imitation of fabric. Typical forms of bunting are strings of colorful triangular flags and lengths of fabric in the colors of national flags gathered and draped into swags or pleated into fan shapes.”

Anyhow, you can check out this incredible diy tutorial for a festive bunting lantern at You had me at bonjour blog. Make it, love it, and perhaps you’ll be kind enough to let me know that I’m not the only American who was clueless for so many years about bunting.