How to Make a Cricut 1st Birthday Picture Banner

Do you love to create your own party decorations? Even more so with your Cricut party decorations? If so, we have that in common! I love creating Cricut Party decorations for all events, especially first birthdays. You may have seen some of my other tutorials about creating your DIY party decorations here. However, a first birthday is one of a kind! It’s a great time to show how far you and you’re baby have come over the last year! So to add to your reparte of Cricut Cutting Machine Decorations, here’s How to Make a Cricut 1st Birthday Picture Banner.

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How to Make a Cricut 1st Birthday Picture Banner: What You’ll Need

Firstly, make sure you have all the tools needed for the job!

1. Cricut Cutting Machine (any iteration will do!)
2. Glue gun
3. Ribbon
4. Small clothespins
5. Scissors
6. Optional PNGs to cut with your Cricut

Feel free to watch the tutorial video below that explains in full how to create a 12 month photo banner for your one year old.

How to Make a 1st birthday Picture Banner With Your Cricut Using Purchased PNGs

The first way to Make a 1st birthday Picture Banner With Your Cricut is to purchase PNGs from somewhere like my Etsy shop. I have an entire section that specifically sells PNGs for Cricut Party Decorations. You can start there to locate a First Birthday Photo Banner in your birthday party theme.

Each of the separate PNGs for a 12 month birthday banner come separately for you to upload to Cricut Design Space. Therefore, for a 12 month photo banner, you will have a total of approximately 15 PNGs to upload. This includes both banner ends and individual images for newborn, one month, etc. And all the way up through 12 months. Once you download your banner pieces from my (or another) shop, below are the instructions on what you’ll do next with your Cricut to make your 12 month photo banner.

1. Upload each banner piece into Cricut Design Space and insert them into a new project.
2. Adjust the banner pieces to be the size you’d like. (Use the grid lines and ruler to help you.)
3. Once it’s sized appropriately, hit “Make it.”
4. Use your best paper to do a “Print then cut” option. (Read about The Best Paper for Cricut Print Then Cut here as well as The Best Printer for Print And Cut Cricut Projects.)
5. Once you’ve cut all your banner pieces using your Cricut print then cut feature, skip down a few paragraphs to the section called, “Crafting Your 12 Month Photo Banner for A First Birthday Party” to finish the banner.

How to Make a 1st birthday Picture Banner With Your Cricut From Scratch

If you want to do it all yourself, that is totally fine. Plus, I may not have the theme option you’re looking for. No worries! Here’s how to create a First Birthday Photo Banner all on your own!

1. First, upload a template for a banner piece that you like. You can find this using Google search. If you can’t one that works for you, you can download a super simple template to DIY your own party banners here.
2. Upload your banner piece template to Cricut Design Space and resize it appropriately.
3. Take the template that is sized appropriately and duplicate it a few times (just in case you mess up.)

Make The Banner Ends First

• You might elect to have an image on your banner ends. If so, upload that image, place it over one of the banner pieces and select both the banner piece and the image. Click “Flatten”.
• Alternately, you could have text on your end pieces. For example, “Ben’s First Birthday!” In Cricut Design Space, select the “Text” option. Select your preferred font and type your message. Place the text over that banner piece and then select both the banner piece and the font and click “Flatten”.
• Watch the tutorial video exampmles of this

Make A Banner Piece for Each Month

For 12 month banner pieces, you’ll want to do the following for each month.

1. Select the “Text” option and make a large “N” (for newborn) in your preferred font. You could also write out the word newborn.
2. Place the “N” (or newborn) over one of your banner pieces and click “Flatten” to make it one image. Alternatively, you could have your Cricut cut through the paper to make the N. In that case, select both the text and the shape and click the “Slice” bottom. (Delete the leftover pieces that it makes from slicing it.)
3. Do this same process for the first through the 12 month.
4. Then use the print and cut feature to cut out your banner. (Want a full tutorial on the print and cut feature of your Cricut? Watch the tutorial, How to Make Thank You Tags with Your Cricut.)

Crafting Your 12 Month Photo Banner for A First Birthday Party

Now that you’ve cut out your banner using your Cricut, you’re ready to construct it so that it holds your baby’s photos from birth until their first birthday.

1. First, heat up your hot glue gun.
2. Glue one clothespin in the center back of each piece. (Make sure the clothespin doesn’t hang down so you can’t see it when you hang the photos. See tutorial video for an example.)
3. Organize the banner pieces in the right order (N-12 months, with end pieces on either side.)
4. String the ribbon through each hole.

You might be tempted to hang the ribbon through the clothespins, as opposed to stringing it through the punched holes. However, I don’t recommend this!  The banner will hang a bit wonky and uneven – especially without the photos. 

Finishing Your First Year Photo Banner

1. Make sure each piece of the banner is evenly spaced. “Aesthetics are important”, said the Type A party planner. 😉
2. Pin the photo of your choice for each month on the banner.
3. Hang up your banner in your desired location using tape or push pins.

Examples of 12 Month Photo Birthday Banner

Below are just a few examples of 1st birthday Picture Banners from past parties. There are so many options and it’s so much fun!

Related Articles

You might also be interested in the following articles:

Best Paper for Print and Cut Cricut Projects

The Best Printer for Print and Cut Cricut Projects

Best Cricut Desk

Lastly, thank you so much for taking the time to read about How to Make a 1st birthday Picture Banner. I hope this gives you some ideas about How to make the first birthday party your planning special! Tell me below what you thought! I love to help you celebrate life through party decorations and beyond. Above all, I’d love to connect with you. Reach out to me on Instagram and let’s chat, or continue celebrating your life with The Celebration Effect.

xox

Lindsay