I am having so much fun helping my friend Elizabeth plan her daughter Andrea’s “Girl’s Rule” Slumber Party! Andrea picked purple and polka dots (a girl after my own heart) and we’re complimenting the purple with green and yellow. So today, I wanted to share with you one of the crafts I’m making to decorate the dessert table. Because all I had to buy was the number 7, I spent only $2.50! Here’s how to decorate a birthday number.

Birthday Number Supplies

• Paper mache number
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brush
• Scrapbooking paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush
• Ribbon
• Embellishment of your choice
• Aleene’s Tacky Glue

Birthday Number Instructions

1 – Paint each side of your number. On the side that will have the paper, you only need to paint the edges.

2 – When the paint is dry, use a pencil to trace the number on the paper.

3 – Cut out your number shape and then gently erase the pencil marks.

4 – Using your foam brush, apply a generous coat of Mod Podge to the paper mache number. Work quickly, because it dries quickly. Position the paper on the number, and smooth it into place.

5 – Brush more Mod Podge on the top of the paper, paying special attention to sealing the edges of the paper to the number.

6 – Wrap a length of ribbon around your number and loosely tie it. When it looks right, trim the ribbon off the spool. I used two ribbons of different widths and layered them.

7 – Then, tie the cut ribbon for real. I did this while the top coat of Modge Podge was still damp to “glue” the ribbon in place.

8 – I decided to add a Bazil flower and Scrabble-type tile to the ribbon. (You can find these in the scrapbooking section of your craft store.) Attach the flower with Aleene’s Tacky Glue.

9 – Use the Aleene’s Tacky Glue to apply the Scrabble tile to the flower and press in place.

And here’s your finished product!