Can you remember the last time you got a letter in the mail? Not a bill, or a catalog, or a magazine. A letter from a friend. I got on Facebook the first week of January and saw a post from my dear friend Shannon. She asked if anyone would like a birthday card from her this year and if so to comment with your birthday. After 24 hours she had over 300 responses, and by the beginning of February she had a spreadsheet of over 1,000 people on it. Because really, who doesn’t love getting mail? Especially for their birthday!
She explains how it all started in this post, but basically she was sick of the cop-out Facebook post to wish people a happy birthday, and was sad the birthday card was becoming extinct. A lot of people wanted to join in on bringing back the birthday card, so Shannon came up with using #imbringingbirthdaysback to track all the birthday cards sent this year. Have you ever heard of a better movement to join? What’s even more awesome is that she just so happens to work for Stampin’ Up! and they have decided to support the movement by making a stamp! I got my hands on one before they went on backorder, however, more should be coming soon!
The good news is you don’t need a stamp to join the movement. All you need is a card, an address of a good friend, and a few minutes to write a note.
And if getting a birthday card in the mail wasn’t good enough, we have a fun balloon birthday wreath to share with you.
Materials needed:
One 12 inch wire wreath
50-60 multicolored round balloons
10-20 multicolored long skinny balloons
One package of pipe cleaners
One package of cotton balls (250 balls)
Happy Birthday Cut-out (available in the birthday card section at the store)
Favorite TV show to watch while you are assembling the wreath
- Stuff each round deflated balloon with 4 cotton balls. This is easier if you have a partner to hold the balloon open for you. You can make the balloons fuller by pulling apart the cotton balls once they are inside the balloon.
- Tie each ballon onto the wire wreath in random places so you have lots of different colors everywhere. Pull the balloon tightly after tieing so it doesn’t flop too much.
- Tie long balloons on the wire wreath to fill in places.
- Curl pipe cleaners around a pencil leaving about 1/2 inch uncurled at the end where you will attach them. Prepare 2 pipe cleaners of each color. (I used blue, orange, yellow, pink, green, and red) Twist the two curled pipe cleaners of each color together then twist onto the wire wreath, spacing them equally.
- Attach the Happy Birthday Cut-Out onto the balloons on the wreath. Mine had adhesive on the back. Tape or hot glue would work.
- Attach a colorful ribbon on the back so you can hang the wreath.
Time to PAR-TAY!
Trisha
For other birthday celebrating ideas, check out our posts here!
