Written by contributor Stacy Karen of A Delightful Home.

It’s a new year and many of us have new goals and aspirations. If you are easily distracted (like me), you might need some help keeping these goals in mind.

Sure, we could write them on index cards and post them on the bathroom mirror (I’ll probably do that, too), but why not create something pretty to keep our plans front and center all year long?

The one word banner

Many people select a word that reflects their desires for the year. My word is discipline and I am hanging a small banner in my work area to give me a kick in the pants when I don’t want to do something I should do.

For the family as a whole I chose kindness (you can blame one too many sibling squabbles for that.) This banner is hung by the dining table. It’s pictured at the top of this post.

How to make a one-word pennant banner:

What you’ll need:

  • Pretty scrapbook paper or cardstock
  • Twine or ribbon
  • Hole punch
  • A list of goals or words you wish to display

Create a template in the shape of a triangle (use a ruler to draw a triangle on a piece of cardboard or cardstock and cut out).

Lay the paper face side down and trace around your template to make triangles on the back of the paper.

Cut out triangles and use a hole-punch to make holes near the top corners .

Use a letter stencil to write or paint the letters on each triangle. Or go freehand! (You could also print letters and cut around them with an x-acto knife or use stamps).

Begin to thread the triangles onto the twine (I like to thread them directly onto the roll without cutting, so I get the correct length).

If you want the banner to fill a specific amount of space, measure the chosen area with a measuring tape, allowing the tape to hang down as the banner would. Add a few inches to each end for tying.

If your word does not fill up the space, cut out a few extra triangles and add them to each end.

Thread the twine or ribbon through the holes in an over-and-under pattern.

When finished, make a loop on both ends of the twine and hang.

Alternatively, small clothes pins could be used to attach the triangles to the ribbon.

The vertical banner – a list of things to work on

I created this banner to hang vertically because it fits perfectly on the wall between my kid’s bedrooms. It’s also close to the living area, so we all see it frequently.

It’s there to remind us of the qualities we are working on as a family (and individually).

I used pre-cut cardstock circles to save time (and sanity). The words are handwritten, but you could use stencils, or a cutting machine (like a Silhouette), or even create something on Pic Monkey that could be printed out.

I kept this simple and only added a little decoration by brushing the edges with distressing ink and applying a stamp here and there. But you can go totally crazy with it if that pleases you.

Once the circles were created I fixed them to a piece of burlap using small brads (from my rarely used scrapbooking collection). The circles could also be glued on.

Instead of burlap, feel free to use a wide ribbon or piece of fabric cut to size.

Kid’s goals banner


{My son’s banner of goals}

My children listed a few things they wanted to work on or achieve. They added one goal to each triangle and had free reign to decorate as they pleased.


{One of my daughter’s stamped banners. Not sure about the grammar on that one . . . }

These are hung in their bedrooms with the hope that seeing their goals and dreams regularly will encourage continued work on them as the year progresses.

Have you found a decorative way to remember your new year’s goals?