Cafe Awnings: How To!

I've gotten several comments asking how I made the cafe awnings in my classroom (yay for people finding me through Pinterest--gotta love the internet!), so I thought I'd post some information here, though I'm sad to say we didn't take pictures during the process.  :(  I will do my best to explain, though.

I'm going to link up with Tara's Monday Made It for this!  Hopefully it'll spark some ideas for those on the prowl to make their classrooms cuter!

Here are some pictures of the finished awnings in all their glory:

OK, the polka dotted awnings themselves are actually just wrapping paper I bought at Party City.

I think it would be just as cute or cuter to do the whole long awning in just one print/color.

But that's neither here nor there.  Anywho.

My brilliant cousin helped me make these, by the way--I told her what I wanted, and she figured out how to make it happen.  GENIUS, I tell ya!

First, we measured the length each section was going to be, unrolled the wrapping paper roll, and marked it on the inside white side with a sharpie.  (For the 2 outside edges, be sure you allow an extra few inches on each side.)

Then to make the scalloped edges, we used a small, dessert-sized styrofoam (sp??) plate.  We put it face-down and traced the top half (semi-circle) of the plate (repeatedly) on the white underside of the wrapping paper with sharpie.  Then we cut along the scallops we traced.  Voila, you have your paper.  Now, just to figure out how to hang it!  (Obviously, we just did one section at a time, and it took both of us to hang.)

 YOU WILL NEED:

1) a cardboard tube (must be strong; a toilet paper roll is too flimsy. I used a thick tube from a different wrapping paper.)

2) a hot glue gun

3) thumb tacks (not the flat kind, the kind that stick out)

4) scissors

5) stapler that lies flat to staple on the bulletin board

6) box cutter, etc. (yes, I have one of these hidden in my teacher desk!)

So as I hope you can see above, I folded down about 2 inches of the wrapping paper and stapled it to the very top of the bulletin board, all the way across the section.  (You will need a helper to hold up the paper while you staple.)

After deciding how far you want the awning to stick out from the bulletin board, you'll need to cut your cardboard tube into several sections that are that length.  (This is where that box cutter comes in.)  I think we did about 3 inches out from the bulletin board and then cut the tubes to fit.  You may also want to CREASE the wrapping paper (you may be able to see the creases in the photo) before you start stapling or hanging.

Each "section" of my bulletin board has 2-3 cardboard tube pieces helping to hold it up.  I hot glued one circle end of the tube piece, then pressed it to the very top of the awning (where I stapled) to provide a support for the paper.  Then I put hot glue on the circle end sticking out toward me and pressed the front of the awning on it (careful not to burn yourself!).

Hot glue the other cardboard tube pieces in the same way, spacing them out to provide support.

For extra support, I used thumb tacks.  I pushed in several thumb tacks just under each cardboard tube to help anchor them a little bit.  Get the thumb tacks as close as possible up against the tubes.

The last thing we did was to even out the 2 outside edges of the awning. 

 

Can you see the little slit we cut on the right side there?

The part that sticks straight out from the wall on the far right, we cut a line between the last scallop and 2nd to last scallop and then folded the far right scallop inward and under to even it out.

Can you see it here on the underside?

 

I really hope this helps!  I wish I had thought to take some step-by-step pictures!

Thanks to everyone who has complemented my awnings and who has expressed interest in learning more about them.  Please send me pics if you end up making some; I'd love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by!