Simple Celebrations - Birthday Crown How-To

Spring has definitely sprung and we are smack dab in the middle of our yearly birthday whirlwind - 3 birthdays in 11 days.  Fiona turned 5 on the 16th, Dinah turns 7 on the 21st and our little Joboy will be 3 on the 27th!

Birthdays in a household our size are a fun yet simple affair.  Due to having 3 birthdays in the span of 11 days, I do try to make each child's "day" their very own without going overboard.   It is important to us to mark these days, to acknowledge the gift of each one of these precious little ones that God has entrusted us with while keeping the focus away from materialism.  Our family values are just as present during our birthday celebrations as they are during our regular, every day life.

So we decorate and tell the story of that wonderful day that each baby made their way into the world, how that changed our lives for the better.  We tell them how proud we are of the person they are, and how excited we are to see who they become.  Each of my little ones have a birthday crown that they wear during the day, just a small reminder that this day is their special moment.  After the birth-day, it is slipped back up into the cupboard for next year's celebration.

Birthday crowns are a special tradition to my children.  They are often waiting downstairs on the dining room table, appearing as if by magic the morning of the birthday.  Each year they go over them eagerly, exclaiming "oh I remember this!" and wearing it proudly throughout the day.  Even though we do not typically have birthday parties, the birthday crown gives the child that special "set apart" feeling as we move through our normal day, a reminder that they are a prince or princess in our eyes and in the eyes of God.

Would you like to make your very own birthday crown?  This is how I made ours.

You'll need -

Felt (I prefer wool for the main crown as it is sturdier.  You can use craft felt for the embellishments if desired)

Scissors

a fabric scrap, approx 2 inches by 8 inches

Needle

Thread (I prefer embroidery)

1/4 inch elastic (approx 4 inches)

Piece of paper for template.

Step 1: Draw Template. You are going to be cutting on the fold, so make one end be the highest point and the other end more like the band.  My crowns measure around 16 inches, so the template should be 8 inches long.

Step 2.  Cut.  Fold felt right sides together and, using your template, cut 2 crowns.  You are going to sew these together after you embellish one to make the crown sturdy.

Step 3: Embellish.  You can do whatever you want here!  I like to do the birthday child's first initial in the front, and then embellish the sides with flowers, cupcakes, acorns, etc.  Some people like to get creative and focus on the season of birth and represent it here.  This is really the most fun part.  Be creative!

Step 4:  Make Elastic Casing. Take your 2x8 fabric scrap and, right sides together, sew into a tube.  Turn right side out.  Taking a safety pin, work your elastic through being sure to avoid pulling it completely through!  The fabric should be bunched up a bit, giving you plenty of space for stretch.

Step 5: Pin crown outer to inner.  At the back, pin your elastic to the inside of each end.

Step 6: Sew all the way around.  I use embroidery floss because I like the look, but if you want you can take this right over to the sewing machine and get it done much quicker.  Sew around being sure to go over the elastic a few extra times to make sure it is sturdy.

Voila!  You are done!

(All the photos in this post are from 2 years ago!  Waiting for a new lens for my camera to come in the mail. Thank you for grace!)