BALLOONS & BANNERS HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAYOUT | with Tarrah

Today I'm sharing a bright and cheerful birthday layout created with the adorable Balloons & Banners collection. This collection is absolutely perfect for documenting birthday celebrations with its fun colors, festive icons, and playful patterns.

For this page, I wanted to highlight a series of birthday photos while keeping the focus on the special birthday memories. I started with a white cardstock background and backed it with the Celebration Streamers patterned paper to frame the layout. The white space allows the vibrant collection colors to really pop!

The design is built around a vertical cluster of patterned papers along the left side of the page. I layered several banner-shaped pieces and pattern strips from the collection to create lots of depth and movement. The bright tangerine scalloped border from the Fancy Frills sticker sheet acts as a visual anchor and helps draw the eye toward the photos.

Three photos were matted in coordinating papers from the 6' x 8' paper pack and arranged in a simple grid design. This keeps the page balanced while allowing multiple moments from the birthday celebration to be showcased. To reinforce the birthday theme, I added lots of fun embellishments from the collection. The layered birthday cake Doodle-pop embellishment tucked beside the photos creates a festive focal point, while the cute speech bubble sticker adds a playful touch. Above the photos, I incorporated a rainbow paper pocket from the Bits & Pieces pack and a gift icon also from the Bits & Pieces pack to continue the celebratory feel.

The title was one of my favorite parts of this layout! I combined the script "happy" with the bold "BIRTHDAY" banner pieces and added the Doodle-pop with the colorful candle. This creates a large statement title that instantly captures attention and perfectly complements the birthday theme.

To finish the page, I added a few small enamel dots and embellishments around the design for extra pops of color and dimension. These are all from the This & That sticker sheet and the various die-cut packs. I also stamped the date when the photos were taken and machine stitched around the edge to create some texture.

I love how easy the Balloons & Banners collection makes it to create vibrant birthday layouts full of color, fun, and happy memories. Whether you're documenting a child's birthday party, a family celebration, or a milestone event, this collection has everything you need to make those memories shine.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope this layout inspires you to pull out your Balloons & Banners supplies and start documenting your own special celebrations! Happy crafting!

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

9202 Balloons and Banners - Odds & Ends pack

9204 Balloons and Banners - Bits & Pieces pack

9203 Balloons and Banners - Chit Chat pack

9208 Balloons and Banners - This & That sticker sheet

9206 Balloons and Banners - 6' x 8' paper pad

9177 Balloons and Banners - Shape Sprinkles - Make a Wish

9215 Balloons and Banners - Celebration Streamers patterned paper

9216 Balloons and Banners - Sweet Cakes patterned paper 

9217 Balloons and Banners - Shine Bright patterned paper

9218 Balloons and Banners - Make a Wish patterned paper

9220 Balloons and Banners - Star of the Party patterned paper

9185 Balloons and Banners - Make a Wish - Doodle-pop 

9183 Balloons and Banners - Party Time - Doodle-pop

9232 Fancy Frills cardstock stickers - Tangerine

OTHER

Sewing machine

White cotton thread

Date stamp

Black ink

BALLOONS & BANNERS BIRTHDAY TAGS | with Kathy

One of my favorite papers in the Balloons & Banners collection is the Let's Celebrated paper with the fun, big tags!  Usually I make a mini album with these tags, but this time I decided to make some fun birthday tags.  Take a peek...

How fun are these tags?  They would be perfect to decorate a present or gift bag!

I made a shaker on my first tag.  I cut a square of acetate and sewed it onto the front of the card.  I filled it with some Let's Party and Cake Confetti shakers.  I added the balloons from the Odds & Ends and a sentiment from the Chit Chat pieces.  

To finish I added a few Star of the Party Shaped Sprinkles and topped it with a fun "bow" made of our new wired pom pom trim, some ribbons from my stash and some doodle twine.

For my second tag, I decided to do some die cutting.  I started by making 3 of the Ruffled Rosette Doodle Cuts.  I made them different sizes by trimming the straight side of the die cut.  After gluing them together, I added them to my tag.  I added puffy stickers to the center of the smaller rosettes, and I added the cupcake from the Sweet Celebrations Doodle Cuts to the center of the biggest rosette.  I finished my tag with a chit chat piece, a little woo hoo flag from the 6x8 pad and another fun pom pom bow.

My last tag also uses some of the new Doodle Cuts.  The banner and streamers were cut using the Surprise Party Doodle Cuts.  I also added some hip hip hooray shaped sprinkles and the Happy 

Birthday words are from the Chit Chat pieces.

My banner was strung together using some blue jean doodle twine.

Here is a close up of one of my bows.  For each one, I used 3 different strands of wired pom pom trim, a couple of ribbons from my stash and I tied it all together with some Chunky Doodle Twine.  They're so fun and festive!

I hope you got a little inspiration from my project today!  That's it for me, thank you for stopping by to peek.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

9149 ruffled rosette doodle cuts
9176 birthday boy assortment sprinkles

9178 hip hip hooray shape sprinkles

9179 star of the party shape sprinkles

9188 let's party shakers

9189 cake confetti shakers

9191 balloons & banners puffy icons

9200 surprise party doodle cuts

9201 sweet celebration doodle cuts

9202 balloons & banners odds & ends

9203 balloons & banners chit chat

9206 balloons & banners 6x8 paper pad

9210 balloons & banners double-sided cardstock

9214 let's celebrate double-sided cardstock

9216 sweet cakes double-sided cardstock

9221 birthday balloons double-sided cardstock
9247 tangerine wired pom pom trim
9248 bumblebee wired pom pom trim
9249 limeade wired pom pom trim
9251 swimming pool wired pom pom trim
9252 bubble blue wired pom pom trim
9253 blue jean wired pom pom trim
3207 blue jean doodle twine
4807 tangerine chunky twine
4809 limeade chunky twine
8078 citrus - candy stripe-sprinkles petite prints cardstock

OTHER

Sewing Machine/Thread
Sizzix Big Shot
Ribbon
hole punch
glue gun

WORLD CARDMAKING DAY 2026 - DOODLE STAMPS AND DOODLE CUTS CHALLENGE

It's time for our final World Cardmaking Day challenge!  Our Doodle Stamps & Doodle Cuts Challenge!

HERE ARE THE RULES!

1. Create a card using any doodle stamps or doodle cuts set.

2. Please use at least 50% Doodlebug Products

3. Upload your card to our Facebook Page (in the comments for the sketch challenge post) or to your Instagram.  Be sure to use the hashtag #DoodlebugWCMD2026 so we can find your projects!

4.  Upload by Friday, October 9th 5pm EDT.

5.  This challenge is open internationally.

Winners will be drawn at random, and all winners will be announced in a separate post** the week of October 12th.  Winner will receive a Doodlebug Prize Pack!

** Please note, we will never notify winners as a comment on a Facebook Post, or by private message.  If you receive any of these comments/messages, please do not click on any links, and report the comment to Facebook as spam.

Need some inspiration?  Check out these fun cards from our Design Team!

KATHY SKOU

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

6099 bubble blue - floral-graph petite prints cardstock
9206 balloons & banners 6x8 paper pad
9178 hip hip hooray shape sprinkles
9192 balloons & banners puffy words
9200 surprise party doodle cuts

TARRAH MCLEAN

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

9153 birthday girl cards & envelopes

9201 sweet celebration doodle cuts

9206 balloons & banners 6x8 paper pad

9203 balloons & banners chit chat

9208 balloons & banners this & that

9177 make a wish shape sprinkles

9190 balloons & banners mini icons stickers

We can't wait to see what you create!