DIY: Paper Flower Escort Cards / Name Settings

Nella from www.lostmykitty.etsy.com has generously shared more of her creative DIY wisdom with us in the form of these delicate paper flowers to use as escort cards or name settings.

They are such a pretty decoration, I am planning on giving these a go over the weekend- would love to see yours if you try them to. Have fun! xxx

And over to Nella....

What you will need:

• Craft paper 4” square
• Fabric leaves 2”
• Skeleton Leaves 2”
• Adhesive Glue
• Scissors
• Needle and Thread

Instructions:

Step 1: Draw a spiral on a 4 inch square. I’ve used 90 weight paper purchased at Jarrold’s though regular coloured craft paper would work equally well.

Step 2: Cut out the spiral along the lines you’ve drawn. If you’re really clever, cut out the spiral freehand. It will keep you from hunting down an eraser as I forced my husband to do for me.

Step 3: Roll the spiral from the outside.

Step 4: Use a spot of adhesive to glue the body of the flower onto the round bit left.

Now you’re finished with the flower!

Step 5: Use a pencil to faintly write your guests’ names in a pretty cursive. I’ve used pen for emphasis and don’t forget the table number for escort cards.

Step 6: Follow the lines using small stitches. You could also use paper if you are not so keen on sewing.

Step 7: Attach the skeleton leaf and your personalised leaf to the flower.

Martha Stewart may be able to make 100 of these in 15 minutes but for us mere mortals make a party of it with a bottle of champagne and a few friends – nothing like the promise of food and a mimosa to corale some slave labour - or you can always contact me through Etsy (Nella, www.lostmykitty.etsy.com).

Details we love: bottle escort cards

A thirst quenching alternative to a table plan.

Photo credit: Jonas Peterson via 100 Layer Cake

DIY: Seed Matchbook Favours

These floral favours make a pretty decoration for your tables and symbolise the beginning of a relationship that grows over time, a unique memento for your guests. The free template to edit and directions can be downloaded here.

Found on Martha Stewart via iDIY

Photo credit: www.mathastewartweddings.com

DIY: Vintage Style Flower Cans

I’ve found finding these vintage style tins can be incredibly difficult and once you do the cost soon adds up. An alternative to hunting flea markets is using this free Flickr set of images to print straight on to large stickers and use on any tins or cans you have. I found via iDIY who have a whole host of goodies on their blog. A tutorial on making cans vintage pretty is also available via iDIY by clicking here

Photo credit: http://www.marthastewart.com/

DIY: Sparklers, Straw and Matchbox Wedding Projects

Are you getting married close to Guy Fawkes night and looking for some final DIY projects to personalise your evening celebrations? Or you may not be celebrating on Bonfire night, but you are having fireworks and would love to add some more fun into the mix? I saw these 4th July pieces a couple of months ago and have been saving them to share for the approaching Autumn brides. Click here to visit the post from Twig and Thistle with instructions and a pdf to download- they are so simple and cheap to make, but brilliantly effective.

Twig and Thistle Via Wedding Caberat

Picture credit: All images from www.twigandthistle.com

DIY: Bridal Party Invites

Anna of Rifle Design has created a fantastically simple step-by-step DIY guide on Oncewed.com, it is such a fun and special way to ask your bridesmaids- click here to view. Enjoy! x

Photo credit: Anna @ www.rifledesign.com for www.oncewed.com

An abundance of great DIY tasks...

If you haven't already, pop over to Once Wed's new look website to see some fantastic DIY projects amongst other great wedding features...

www.oncewed.com

DIY: Cupcake Flags

Over at Une Deux Senses there is a simple tutorial on how to make these, click here to read the steps.

They are such a cute and easy DIY piece to make. Get creative and use various wedding messages and your names/wedding date and stick them in your canapés, starters, evening buffet, wherever you fancy for a pretty touch...

Perfect Parasols and Unique Umbrellas for Rain or Shine!

Pretty ivory umbrellas are part of our wedding day emergency kit to tackle the unpredictable English weather. Although they have been known to come out for posing under on the driest of days! At the same time as protecting you and your guests from the elements they have an equally important function of looking gorgeous in your wedding photos. Some of the parasols and umbrellas we have seen are so pretty they could be used as an alternative to bridesmaids bouquets or to decorate the venue, setting a vintage or exotic feel to the day. We love the last photo to copy for a quirky thank you note. There are step by step instructions on the wedding bee blog here.

Picture credits:

1 & 3- www.brolliesgalore.co.uk

2-www.rhembein.com

4- www.idooriginals.com

Pillow Talk- Free Valentines DIY Present

Wow February already which means less than a fortnight to Valentine’s Day!

If you are wondering what unique, romantic and extra wonderful gift to get for your special person, then wonder no more! Ez at Creature Comforts has saved the day with this perfect pillow invention- for two pillows to place side by side the words dreamily read 'U COMPLETE ME'.

The ever resourceful and creative Ez over at Creature Comforts has created this fantastic free project and download. Click here for her step by step guide.

Images from http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com

Simple DIY Steps for Gorgeous Wedding Trees

Branches are a fantastically effective way to decorate a venue or have as a table centre. We were inspired by the picture above to have some fun with spray cans and hanging crystal garlands for a winter wonderland effect. They can also serve a purpose as well as being a pretty embellishment; why not use branches to hang luggage style tags for guests to write their messages on in place of a guest book? Or a wishing tree is an ideal whimsical task for such a dreamy decoration. The latest blog from the wonderful Wedding Chicks is dedicated to this very topic; the girls with good taste have looked into how guests can leave you meaningful messages here.

Together with decorativebranches.com they have put these six easy steps together for creating a decoration with branches. Click here to look at their blog for more details and enjoy what may be one of your first DIY projects for 2009!

Picture credits: 1. www.etheraldecor.com 2. www.weddingchicks.com

Make your Own Christmas Cracker Favours

The talented Nella from http://www.lostmykitty.etsy.com/ has kindly offered to share her DIY tips for making crackers- these are such a personal favour option and ideal for a festive wedding. Check out her Etsy shop that has unique wedding crafts all made with love and care. From mini photo albums to silk corsages, I am sure there is something that you will fall in love with as an individual piece for your wedding day.

What You’ll Need- Makes a 10 ¼ inch cracker with a 5” x 2” cylinder for filling.

1. Wrapping paper (cut to 7” x 12”) – It is important to use a thicker paper as crackers made with thin sheets will tear apart too easily while being constructed.
2. Center tube (5” x 6” sealed with glue or tape) and ends (cut into 2” x 6” strips) – I purchased a sheet of handmade 90 weight ivory paper.
3. Cracker snaps
4. Fillers: fortunes, jokes, riddles, or a Christmas themed cutout; small gifts; and chocolates – I’ve used Sterling Silver Christmas charms and pretty silver ornaments for mine.
5. Organza ribbon (two 12” and one 5” strips)
6. Jingle Bells – It just wouldn’t be Christmas without that particular little jingle!
7. Utility Knife
8. Scissors
9. Metal Ruler
10. Cutting MatGlue Stick and Tape

Instructions:

Step 1 – Divide your 12” Wrapping paper sheet lengthwise at the intervals 2” 1.5” 5” 1.5” 2”. Draw lines along those intervals. Now mark ½” up the sheet in the 1.5” space and then score on each side. This will make it much easier to close your cracker ends without it tearing.

Step 2 – Glue and tape down your Cracker snap to the lengthwise center of the sheet.

Step 3 – Tape one end of the paper and roll the paper onto the center tube using the center lines you’ve drawn as a guide. Add a strip of glue to the edge of the wrapping paper and seal.

Step 4 – Tie off one end of your cracker with the 12” strip of organza ribbon. Be careful not to tie it too tight so as not to rip the paper. Now you are ready to fill your cracker!

Step 5 – Here I have all the items I’ve put in my crackers I’ve attached the Sterling Silver Snowflake to one of the Christmas ornaments using the 5” strip of organza ribbon. Fill the cracker and tie off the other end using the remaining 12” strip of organza ribbon.

Step 6 – Now that your cracker is complete, roll the 2” x 6” strips into the ends of the cracker to keep them nice and stiff.

Step 7 – To add the jingle bells, thread each bell to each end of the organza ribbon. Push the bell down the ribbon and then tie a pretty little bow.

Step 8 – Your cracker is now complete! Fight the urge to make it snap. I unfortunately couldn’t help myself with this one but it was the best two seconds ever!

What it will cost:

Paperchase Wrapping Paper 2m 3.50 25 Paperchase Round Ornaments 3.50 72 Paperchase Jingle Bells 3.50 90 weight Ivory paper from Jarrold’s 1.70 Roll of Ribbon from Jarrold’s .99 25 Cracker Snaps on Ebay 2.40 Sterling Silver Charms on Ebay 17.99 Chocolates from M&S 1.98

Total 2.40 per cracker. Can’t beat that price for Sterling Silver!

A Perfect Website for DIY Inspiration

We blogged recently on some of the wonderful Martha Stewart’s DIY projects, that was the start of the DIY frenzy- admittedly nothing has been created in the real world, yet, but in our virtual world we have saved lots and lots of great ideas to try! Now is the perfect time to start practicing with these ventures now the nights are starting to draw in- what better way to spend the evening than cosying up with a glass of red wine and a pile of ribbons/crepe paper/glue… surely that is not just our idea of a great time! Visit this website for masses of absolutely fab ideas www.oneprettything.com

Martha Stewart has the Dreamiest Wedding Ideas…

We have just spent five fun packed days in Toronto- it is such a hip city with a relaxed vibe, we would definitely recommend it. Anyhow, no holiday would be complete without purchasing a whole heap of wedding magazines for fresh ideas on alternative traditions and styling. What we have just discovered, and I am so eager to share, is Martha Stewart Weddings, mentioned repeatedly in the magazines for a very good reason- she is a wedding guru with absolutely exceptional taste. All of the pictures on this blog are from her site, but the best bit is they are all DIY projects you can make yourself. Visit here to become as equally addicted as us!

Love Fortune Tellers

These are a quirky keepsake that can be used in a number of fun ways- an alternative wedding breakfast menu, a trivia quiz on you and your new husband or uncovering romantic love quotes. We adore the ‘Love Origami’ by Cox & Cox (image above) that have French phrases underneath the colourful hearts; a pack of 30 is only £10.00.

They look pretty displayed piled up in vases or scattered over the tables during the wedding breakfast.

If you have the time why not try making them yourself, as possibly the simplest form of origami they are so easy to do we can recall making these in the school playground! Click here for a useful template to use. If you do decide to get creative and do them yourself we would love to see the end results- email us at enquiries@sugarblossom.co.uk

Image on left from Martha Stewart Weddings