Long Islanders take to DIY banner trend to mark special occasions

It’s a sign of the times: Hand-painted kraft paper banners are now all the rage for marking milestones — birthdays, graduations, engagements, back-to-school, any occasion under the sun.

Ask Kenia Gomez, 22, who lives in Brentwood and works as a nursing assistant at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore. She’s happily wrapped up in this trendy paper chase.

“The first banner I made was for my boyfriend’s sister’s engagement,” says Gomez, adding that her mom was inspired by a banner-making video on TikTok. “It was in the spring. She knows that I like to paint, so she asked me if I could make one. I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a shot.’ ”

Equipped with the social media how-tos and key materials — heavy-duty brown paper, acrylic paints, brushes and imagination — Gomez got to work. She used Canva, an online design platform that came in handy in college at Farmingdale State. She passed on using a mini projector, as many do-it-yourselfers do.

A few hours later, the finished work of art read: “The Future Clarellis: Congratulations John & Teresa.” Flowers, leaves and clinking goblets added whimsical touches.

“I was a rookie, so I was just kind of free-handing the cursive lettering,” Gomez says. “But everyone loved it. After that, my mom begged me to make a poster for a graduation party. It’s been really fun.”

Reams of Long Islanders agree. When Newsday issued an Instagram callout via Let’s Craft in Westbury to gauge the level of interest and participation in DIY banners, it sparked over 1,100 responses.

In a deeply digitized world of screens and pixels, Long Islanders embracing something hands-on, super personal and absolutely analog is refreshing. But what’s fueling the fad?

“Part of the reason it’s so popular is that it’s affordable,” says Let’s Craft owner Karrie Anne Vitti. “Anyone can try it and make a big visual impact for any occasion with basic supplies. There’s also a unique charm in the hand-painted look. Each one’s customized.”

Alongside parents, crafters and others, schoolteachers have really rolled up their sleeves and leaned into the concept. Count Allyson Uttendorfer, 49, an art teacher at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, among them.

“I’ve really been doing hand-painted decorative signs my whole career as a teacher,” says Uttendorfer, who lives in Babylon Village. “If anybody needed a sign, they would come to me.”

Her first “official” banner celebrated her sister Rachel’s 50th birthday with curly, pink-and-white lettering plus a heart, a star and a cowgirl boot and hat. Her latest, with a fishing theme, was for her husband Shawn’s big 5-0.

“People like the artist’s touch,” Uttendorfer adds. “I love painting them. It’s therapeutic for me. I get in the zone.”

Interest in her banners has grown through word of mouth and social media posts. Like some others we interviewed, she’s turned painting special occasion banners into a side hustle. Depending on the size and complexity of the design, prices vary. Banners can cost anywhere from $40 to $100.

Kristen McLeod, 26, who teaches fifth grade at Shore Road School in Bellmore, says she’s always been “the go-to crafter” in her family. Since her first banner — for a graduation at her aunt's request — she’s been on a roll. She has her own take on why they’re so popular.

“Banners make really cute picture backgrounds at parties,” she says. “You don’t need a special photo booth. Just put a couple balloons around the banner and call it a day.”

Hope Campbell, 28, an assistant teacher at South Shore Children’s Center in East Islip, has been creating paper banners and table runners for the holidays for several years.

Like others, she recommends heavy-duty X-Paper from home improvement stores, which costs around $30 for a 36-inch-by-100-foot roll. “It holds the paint so well,” she says. “It doesn’t wrinkle when the paint dries.”

Jenna Kilkenny, 28, a fourth grade teacher at the Bayport-Blue Point School District, discovered hand-painted paper banners on TikTok in April through multiple posts.

Inspired, she created her first banner to celebrate the end of the school year. She’s made 10 more since then and invested in a small projector — it cost around $30, she says — to make her handmade masterpieces even more polished.

“People really appreciate the personal effort that goes into this,” she says. “It’s right there on the paper.”

Kate Keegan, 27, a fifth grade teacher at Maplewood Intermediate School in Huntington Station, marked her and her boyfriend’s Holbrook housewarming in August with two of her banners. She designed them to complement the home’s color scheme, flowers and other party elements.

“Everybody likes things that are personalized,” she says. “Myself included.”

Banners strike another appealing note: They’re sustainable. A simple HAPPY BIRTHDAY or WELCOME banner can be used again. That’s an alternative to single-use balloon arches also popular at parties.

Vitti’s tip: “Roll the finished banner backwards before storing,” she notes. “This helps remove the curl from the paper so it hangs flatter when it’s displayed.”