Category Archive for: ‘Ceremony + Reception Decor’
DIY Tutorial: Flower escort cards
Spring has finally arrived and it has got me in a spring mood. So much so that I spent all afternoon putting together rose escort cards. Sure maybe I could have had a picnic instead, but then again they only require three things (cardboard, scissors and a glue gun), are super easy to make, and pretty adorable. In fact I think they’d make a starling addition to any spring wedding (and a spring afternoon well spent).
Materials:
- Paper for roses (I used red and pink)
- Paper for leaves (I used green and taupe)
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
Directions:
Step 1: Draw roses
Draw squiggly circles on the paper that you’ve chosen for the roses. If you want all of your roses to be the same size and shape, you can make a pattern and trace it. Otherwise just draw them freehand. Try to make them as circle-like as possible (they’ll be much easier to roll later if you do).
Step 2: Cut out roses
Cut out the shapes you drew in step 1.
Step 3: Cut roses into spiral
Starting from the outside and working your way into the center, cut the roses into a spiral. Cut out a little hole in the middle.
Step 4: Roll roses
Starting from the outside and working your way in, roll each rose spiral as tightly as you can.
Step 5: Draw leaf
Draw a leaf. If you want for all of your escort cards to be the same, make a pattern and trace it, otherwise just draw each leaf separately. Make sure to include a stem on the end (you’ll need this to peg your flower escort cards when they’re finished).
Step 6: Cut leaf out
Cut out the leaf. If you’re not great with a pair of scissors, you can order pre-cut leaves from somewhere like Etsy or even use rectangular or other-shaped tags.
Step 7: Hot glue gun!
Whip out your hot glue gun and go to town on either the leaf or the base of the rose (whatever works for you).
Step 8: Glue rose
Allow the rose to unfurl until you’re happy with its size. Then press the rose into place and repeat until all of your escort cards are done.
Step 9: Finish
Write the names onto the leaves, pin them up and you’re done! If you — like me — don’t have the greatest handwriting, you could also print the names or use a stencil.
Mix it up
Don’t be afraid to suit the roses to your wedding color scheme – they can be green, yellow, blue, brown or any color you like (and attached to any leaf you like).
DIY Tutorial: Crêpe paper flower place cards
Spring is finally here and that means spring weddings! Glorious events full of color and light. Get right into the spirit and transform your wedding venue into a spring paradise by making these DIY delicate crêpe paper flower place cards.
They’re a breeze to craft, easy to adapt to your theme, and will turn your wedding tables — or escort table — into a garden of spring magnificence.
Materials:
- Crêpe paper
- Floral wire
- Floral tape
- Glue
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Green cardstock
- A small glass, vase or bowl (for shaping the base)
- PDF printable
- Wire pliers (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Cut out flower petals
There’s no real science or precision to this step – draw elongated petals on the crepe paper and cut them out. If you’re gifted — or confident — you could also cut the petals out without drawing them first. You’ll need four petals per place card.
Step 2: Place petals
One by one, place the petals around the tip of the floral wire.
Step 3: Prepare the tape
Cut a small (approximately one inch) piece of floral tape and stretch it lightly.
Step 4: Wrap tape
Stretching the floral tape as you go, wrap it around the base of the flower, then softly twist to fasten it into place.
Step 5: Shape the petals
Using your thumbs, gently stretch each petal from the center out, then smooth out the curve with your thumb. Slightly vary the length of the curve on each petal to create a more interesting look.
Step 6: Shape the wire
Using a small glass, vase, bowl or some other round shape, guide the wire into a circle.
Step 7: Twist the wire
Twist the floral wire around the stem of the flower to close off the circle shape.
Step 8: Print the leaves
Type your guests’ names into the printable PDF (or leave it blank if you’d rather write them in yourself), save and print onto green cardstock. For an extra special effect print some names onto dark and some onto light green cardstock.
Step 9: Cut out the leaves
Cut out all of the leaves – big and small – from your printed template.
Step 10: Glue leaves together
Place glue on the inside of the smaller leaves and glue the larger leaves on top at a slight angle. For an extra special effect, pair light and dark green leaves together.
Step 11: Prepare floral tape strip
Cut strips of floral tape measuring the same length as the small leaf.
Step 12: Glue tape to floral wire
Using craft glue, carefully stick the floral tape to the additional wire on the flower place card.
Step 13: Glue leaf to wire
Glue the smaller leaf to the wire and allow for the glue to dry.
Step 14: Trim the tape, clean the glue
Once the glue has dried trim the floral tape (and additional wire) around the top of the leaf, and wrap the floral tape at the base of the leaves around the stem. Scrape off any glue that has snuck out where it doesn’t belong.
Step 15: Repeat
Make more petals, shape more wire and glue more leaves until you have a spring flower place card garden.
DIY Retro Straw Vase Centrepiece for Under $20
While browsing for centerpiece ideas on Pinterest recently, I came upon a pin which really caught my attention. It was a cute idea to make festive vases using red striped candy canes to decorate a plain vase or jar. One thing which I had been searching for was a unique yet relatively cheap way to add some color and focus to our table arrangements without having to expand on our flower order. So, I had a play around with the concept and looked to make this candy cane idea a little less seasonal yet just as simple to do. So here for you to copy is my short, and incredibly easy tutorial to make your very own “Retro Straw Vase.”
Materials:
- 1 small glass vase or jar (washed and cleaned) – a cylindrical vase or jar about 7” in height works well
- 2 small rubber bands
- 2 packs of retro striped paper straws (1 pack = 25 straws)*
- 1 length of ribbon
- 1 pack of tissue paper
Using a clean jar or vase, arrange your straws around and secure with a rubber band
Directions:
- Get the vase or jar and stretch one band over the top of the vase and one at the bottom, each about 1 1/2 inch from the edge.
- Feed the straws between the rubber band and vase until it is completely covered all the way around.
- Gently re-position the top band towards the center of the vase and remove the bottom band.
When the vase or jar is completely surrounded by straws, cover the band with a decorative ribbon
- Get your length of ribbon and tie around the center of the straw covered vase on top of the rubber band.
- Ensure your ribbon is tied securely and carefully trim any excess length.
Make the tissue flower by folding into a fan, tying the band at one end and carefully separating the sheets to create your bloom
- To make the tissue paper flower, take your tissue paper and place 3-4 sheets on top of one another.
- Fold the tissue paper layers in half, then fold to make a fan with the folded edge along the bottom.
- Using your spare rubber band, tie the band at one end about 1 inch from the bottom.
- Holding the tissue fan, gently separate the sheets of tissue paper layers (as you would do to make a tissue Pom Pom) creating a half sphere.
- Arrange the tissue layers to resemble a large flower bloom and simply set in the vase.
Of course, you can go ahead and fill your new vase with real flowers if you so choose, or even use it to house the weight for a balloon centerpiece Or, if you’re after a more rustic looking centerpiece, you could substitute the straws for small twigs cut to about 8-inch lengths.
{Sponsored Guest Post} The L.A. Table Shares a 1920s-Inspired Tablescape
My husband and I had a DIY wedding in 2006, and seven years ago, there was very little available in the way of disposable plastics which were also beautiful. We had tons of family coming from all over the world for the weekend before our wedding, and let’s just say, I had to re-glue a fingernail the night before my wedding because of all the dishes I washed. It made sense to us that beautiful, disposable plastic dishes were something that other people might want and need, and so the idea for The L.A. Table was born.
I am lucky enough to spend every day working with all kinds of brides. They all have different visions, different tastes, and different budgets. But the one thing they all have in common is they all come to me for help in planning the most fabulous day of their lives.
For most brides, after getting the shiny diamond on their finger, the first order of business is planning their engagement party—the kick-off, the homecoming, the beginning of their “Wedding Season.”
Our friends, Jason and Melissa, came to us a few months ago looking to plan an engagement party that was as much a party as it was an engagement event. They were both into vintage, and looking for a 1920’s-themed black and gold evening.
They were on a budget, but also wanted to make a statement and have an evening that was all them.
I immediately heard Ella Fitzgerald playing in my head, soft candle light, and wine aplenty.
We began by collecting wine bottles from our friends and family to use as centerpieces. I had an idea if we spray painted them with black paint, we could get that whole bootleg effect without having to spend much money on them. We had 210 guests coming, so we needed to collect 21 wine bottles. I did some research (thank you, internet) and watched a video on You Tube about how to spray paint a glass bottle. I found that the best way was to use acrylic paint, which cost less than $4.00 per can, and we needed 3 cans.
I spread garbage bags on my garage floor and sprayed them one evening, let them dry, and re-sprayed the next evening. I found that removing the label wasn’t necessary, but that if you concentrated on the label, you wouldn’t see it, whereas if you took the label off, it was incredibly time consuming and looking bumpy under the paint. I had found some beautiful gold floral decorations that were on sale for $1.00 each at a Christmas Tree Shop, so I bought two for each table and thought they would be perfect for the wine bottles.
Continuing with our bootlegger 1920’s theme, I thought we should have mason jars with candles inside of them. I found them at Walmart for $1.40 each.
I went to my local dollar store and bought gold lace ribbon $1.99 for 5 yards (I needed 5 rolls to cover the jars), and dug out my hot glue gun. I also bought 100 yards of faux white pearls to drape on the tables.
A few days before Jason and Melissa’s party, I got a few of my friends, poured some wine (we were still collecting bottles) and started gluing. I had one friend measuring ribbon, one cutting ribbon, and I glued the ribbon on. It didn’t take long, and we had a blast. Melissa loved them, and is also using them to decorate the wedding ceremony.
The day of the engagement party was here, and it was time to set the tables. The venue was the local community center in Melissa and Jason’s neighborhood, so they got a good deal on the event.
To make the table number signs (which I put on the wine bottles), I downloaded a cool font called “Another Typewriter” free from the web. It had a real 1920’s feel to it. I downloaded some sepia colored paper and printed on mailing labels I got at Staples. The end result was pretty cool.
Melissa had spoken to her caterer and found that it be less expensive to use our china-like disposable dishes than it would be to rent dishes from him, which also meant not having to use plain white dishes, and no worrying about plates breaking! We have a lot of beautiful patterns at www.thelatable.com.
She also wanted the evening to be explicitly Melissa and Jason, so Melissa chose our Casino Gold Collection for the dinner and appetizer plates: http://www.thelatable.com/casino-gold-10-25-dinner-plate-pack-of-10/.
To add a little contrast, we decided on the Empress Gold Collection Bowls for all of the nibblers she would have on the tables for her guests: http://www.thelatable.com/empress-gold-soup-bowl/. She had also seen a prototype of the new disposable chargers we have in production. Since they were samples (we only had about 50 of each), and they all matched the black and gold theme, she thought it would be cool to vary the tables.
With the tables set, the candles softly, and Ella Fitzgerald crooning, the evening was pure magic. But the best part of the evening was easily the love between Melissa and Jason. They were at the beginning of an incredible journey, and we at the L.A. Table were so lucky to get to be a part of it.
We would love to help you plan your own magical evening. Whether it be your engagement party or your wedding reception, we are here for you! As one of our brides so aptly put it, we are for brides with champagne taste and a beer budget.
We also offer a bulk discount when you buy by the case.
The L.A. Table would like to offer something special to all of you DIY Brides. Until March 21, 2013, we are happy to offer 25% off everything site wide at www.thelatable.com with coupon code with coupon code DIYBRIDE25! You can also contact Emily directly (see below) to order samples!
About the author: Emily Tamir was a DIY Bride and is now a DIY Wife and Mother who help brides by day, and glues and colors with her two little girls by night. Having spent 10 years working in the fashion industry, Emily has a flair for style which translates into her work helping to style events. She is an avid reader, and loves cooking and baking. She and her husband started The L.A. Table two years ago after the birth of their second daughter and feel blessed and lucky to get to work together every day. You can reach her directly at emily@thelatable.com or by calling 
646.580.1615
Related post: {Product Review} The L.A. Table Makes Your Table Look Good
Disclosure: DIY Bride has a financial relationship with The L. A. Table, meaning we may have received compensation for this content and/or related content. We firmly stand behind our review and recommendation, and are committed to promoting only those companies we feel offer our community excellent products, ethical business practices, and outstanding customer service.
Rustic Winter Wedding DIY Centerpiece
It’s a new year, and we have a new contributor to introduce! Meet Jessica – she’s stolen our hearts with her DIY flair! Take it away, Jessica…
Being a person that loves all things mason jars, burlap, and winter, this centerpiece has won my affection, and will become a centerpiece on my tables for winters to come. I normally adorn my tabletop with a holiday themed centerpiece which would have to be taken down and put away after December 26th. But this year, I challenged myself to come up with an idea that would long surpass the holiday season and bring me well into March. Therein lies the birth of this little gem. I must admit that this was the easiest DIY thing I have EVER done. I swear, I kid you not, this will take you five minutes and you will asked a million times exactly how you did it. I didn’t even have to leave my house to go to Target or the craft store. All these supplies were just lying around, begging me to use them. And so I did…and you can too!
Materials:
- Mason Jar
- Epsom Salt Votive Candle (flameless would work, also)
- 2 Pieces cut from fake evergreen wreath
- Burlap String or Rafia
Directions:
STEP ONE
Fill mason jar with Epsom Salt to the desired height. I filled mine about half way.
STEP TWO
Place your votive candle in jar. I did not want my candle to just sit on top of the salt so I wiggled and wedged it into the salt. Be sure not to bury it too deep, you want the top of the glass candle holder to be above salt level.
STEP THREE
If you haven’t already done so (I had, so I didn’t get any pictures), cut 2 small pieces from either a fake wreath, garland, or christmas tree. I used a wreath I had lying around and used a pair of wire cutters to snip two 2-in pieces.
STEP FOUR
Using the two pieces of cut evergreen, place them in the jar beside the candle. Make sure the candle, when lit, won’t singe these.
STEP FIVE
Cut a few strands of burlap string, long enough to tie a bow in them. I make my own burlap string by fraying burlap and saving those strings. You can also buy Burlap String from Amazon. I used about three or four pieces to tie around the top into a bow.
Voila..Isn’t is pretty?
Snow-Covered Pinecone Centerpiece
If you are anything like me you have searched Pinterest for creative decorations and pinned hundreds of inspirational ideas. When you find it comes time to make these projects many amazing photos lack fall short when it comes to what they used. Well I have found countless holiday and Christmas Wedding decorations and have fallen in love with the simple and stunning pinecones and snow decorations.
Here is my favorite pin: a large vase with snow and pinecones. It has just enough snow scattered around the base to create a truly stunning, classy and simple decoration.
See more Pinecone & Snow Holiday Decorations on Pinterest!
Unforunately, the pinecone and snow centerpiece pictured above didn’t link back to a tutorial; it only had the photo, so my search for the supplies to create my own began. I found wonderful scented pinecones at just about every store. The best deal was $4.99 at my local grocery store for a large bag of pinecones. The vase was also an easy purchase at Michael’s craft store, with my 40% off coupon it only cost $6.99 and looked pretty similar to my inspiration photo above.
Being a few weeks before Christmas it seemed like I should be able to find fake snow in every store but all I could find was pretty pricey plastic snow that looked like shredded plastic grocery bags. No light fluffy snow at all. I hate plastic, fake-looking anything, so my options were less than impressive and many stores said I could order it online but what if the same shredded plastic bag snow showed up? So I got creative about thought about what I could possibly use for “snow”… FOOD! I ran to the cooking aisle and searched for cheap white powered sugar which I could buy a lot of and use as snow.
Now beware, not all food is a good idea. First off, sugar is always a bad idea. You never want to pour mounds of sugar on the table or anywhere really because you don’t want to attract any uninvited guests, like ants. Next I thought flour, well then realized I would have “clouds” of snow blanketing everything in sight including the person setting up the centerpiece, and who would possibly want to set up and clean it up? It would be such a mess.
Then I can across a great idea – salt – and happened to find super cheap store brand Kosher salt. It looked snow-white, so I picked up a good-size box of salt that looked to have white color and hopefully would give the same effect without the huge price tag of ordering fake snow online.
To make this centerpiece it was quite simple you will need the following:
Materials:
- 1 large vase
- several pinecones
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
Estimated cost: Approximately $9 per centerpiece
Here is the break down for the cost for this centerpiece: The vase was $6.99 (saved 40% with coupon), pinecones were $1.24 (1/4th of the bag), salt used as the snow was approximately $. 65 ($2.59 for the box and I only used about 1 ½ cups salt to make the centerpiece; the 48-oz box would be enough to make 4 centerpieces) for a total centerpiece cost of $8.88.
Instructions:
1) Pour a little salt in the bottom of the vase to cover the bottom.
2) Place the pinecones in the vase to your liking; I prefer placing the pinecones rather than just dumping them in to get the best effect.
3) Then pour a little more salt over the top to give the pinecones a snow-covered look.
4) Last sprinkle the remaining salt on the tablecloth around the outside of the vase.
There you have it a super simple snow-covered pinecone centerpiece made with salt.
PLEASE NOTE: Salt can kill plants and flowers so be advised: DO NOT USE SALT WITH PLANTS OR FLOWERS.
I love the idea and of using pinecones as decorations and if you are lucky enough to live near pine trees you could collect all the pinecones for free. You can also add pinecones to the back or chairs for an added touch. You can tie some together to make bunches to hang on doors or around for added decorations. I created a Pinterest board or all these great pinecone pins. Feel free to check out all the pinecone and snow pins here: http://pinterest.com/christa00/pinecone-snow-holiday-decorations/
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