Crazy for Bunting

Our new home certainly has its quirks- that is sort of what I love about it. It's an old house that was converted into two apartments, so although it has it's modern side it definitely has some funk. That funk makes it a little tricky to decorate, but also allows for some really cute options and ideas that a traditional 4-corner room wouldn't have. For example, our bedroom has slanted ceilings as well as two little nooks with bright shiny windows. We decided to turn one of these nooks into Jacob's office, and the other into my knitting corner (which happens to also house our bureau).

I was kind of bummed about the slanted ceilings because it makes it impossible to hang anything. I had come into this apartment really itching to hang all of the art and photos we have acquired over the years. Luckily, these nooks provide for a small amount of flat wall where we are still able to hang a few things. Though despite being flat, these walls are also at a weird angle which severely limits the number of things we can hang without it looking awkward. Do you know what I learned looks awesome regardless of the wall angle? Bunting. If I could hang bunting in every room of my home and get away with it, I would. My fabric bunting hanging in my office area took far too long to make, and honestly if I hadn't already had it from years prior it probably wouldn't be there. I am not the most talented seamstress (and therefore not the most prolific), but I could also use the fact that my craft area is currently overrun with jewelry inventory as the excuse for why my sewing machine will have to maintain its hybernation.

Luckily I have oodles and oodles of scrapbook paper, so I threw together a fabulous paper bunting in about 5 minutes! I was so tickled with how it came out, I thought I would put together a little tutorial in case you, yourself, would like to create some fabulous paper bunting.

We hung it over the bureau as the finishing touch to my little knitting nook. On the bureau is also a collection of paper hydrangeas that Sarah made for our wedding, I will never get over how perfect they look, and they look so beautiful with the rest of the colors in our room. On Saturday we bought a set of funny alphabet blocks from Craig at the Flea-for-All. You might know him as Jordan Jackson J. Fox from outside of Starbucks, or from First Friday Art Walks in Portland. He makes some incredible screenprinted items, but when we visited his booth at Flea-for-All he also had a bunch of vintage (and vintage-esque) items. I couldn't resist these blocks- we sell them at the toy store and I have always thought they were wonderful (Z for Zamboni? L for Litterbox? Yes!)  and unique. It was a wonderful impulse buy, and they look right at home on the bureau next to the flowers and some of my old jewelry boxes. On the wall, we hung an old photo of us taken several years ago (and still one of my favorites!). We have had the print for years, but I honestly don't remember if we ever had it up before. It's nice to have it out, because even if we have had it up in the past it has been at least 2 years since it's seen the light of day.

The bureau sits next to the rocking chair my mom used to have when I was a baby that I have since adopted as my knitting chair. Although my knitting basket is no where near my knitting chair at the moment, it will be in time. I am also hoping to add a little plant stand and maybe some live plants (rather than just my paper flowers) to the room for a little freshness. With one nook down and one more to go, I am excited to see how the rest of our bedroom looks when we are through! Our poor little freecycle-bureau has certainly seen better days, one of my projects just might have to include giving it a new paint job.