Category Archive for: ‘Miscellaneous Projects’
DIY Tutorial: Flower girl headbands
Your flower girls are probably pretty cute already, so just think how cute they’ll be when you put these ribbon flower headbands on them. Prrreeettty darn cute. Yup. Plus you’ll get to use a hot glue gun and that’s pretty fun.
Materials:
- Two lengths of ribbon
- Material
- Thumbtack or button
- Material scissors
- Pencil
- Hot glue gun
Directions:
Step 1: Draw a flower
Draw a five- or six- petal flower on the left (ugly) side of the material.
Step 2: Cut out flower
Cut out your flower and turn it so that the right (pretty) side of the material is facing up.
Step 3: Glue ribbon
Using the hot glue gun, stick one end of the ribbon to the center of the material flower.
Step 4: Fold and repeat
Fold the ribbon over and direct it onto another material petal, gluing it in the center as you go. Repeat this step until you’ve made ribbon petals that match all of the material petals.
Step 5: Make stamen
Stick the thumbtack or button to the center of the flower.
Step 6: Stick ribbon
Using the hot glue gun, stick the second length of ribbon to the back of the flower. You’re done!
Step 7: Repeat
Make more, until your flower girls are as adorable as adorable can be.
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 Tutorial: Put Your Stamp on it!
While there is a little competition from a certain diamond ring, stamps are pretty much a DIY bride’s best friend. And now that you’re about to learn how to make them yourself (in any shape you like) things are about to get pretty exciting.
It’s just that you can do so much with stamps – decorate your wedding invitations, escort cards, welcome bags, napkins, table cloths, and just about anything else you can get your hands on (leave the groom, animals, and all small children alone, please)
Of course finding the right stamp for your wedding can be difficult, and setting up an extensive stamp collection can be pricey – not to mention it has the potential to make you drool, hunch, and stroke your new wedding purchase with a disturbing, feverish enthusiasm. No? Just me then…
Happily, it need never come to that, because making a DIY rubber stamp is super easy!
Materials:
- Rubber/eraser
- Pencil
- X-acto knife or similar blade
- Shapes to trace around (optional)
- Ink or paint (depending what you plan to use the stamp on)
Directions:
Step 1: Select your shape
If you’re going to trace around a shape, secure it to your rubber/eraser. I’ve chosen to use a cute confetti leaf that I love, but just about any shape will work – from basic hearts to elaborate filigree patterns, chevron stripes and flowers. If you’re going to draw something freehand, you have a few extra seconds to chill out.
Step 2: Trace or draw your design
Trace around the shape you’ve chosen. Try to be as accurate as you can. If you’re drawing freehand, this is your time to shine – draw your design onto the rubber/eraser.
Step 3: Fill in the details
Get in touch with your perfectionist side and fill in any details that you’d like to include in your stamp – this can be as simple as the veins in a leaf and as elaborate as details on rose petals or even writing.
Step 4: Carve for your life
Using your X-acto knife or other carving blade, carefully work around the stamp to cut away about a ¼ of an inch from all sides of the shape. You’ll get the best results if you work in sections and rather than cut around the entire shape at once, do it piece by piece.
Step 5: Smooth out the edges
Once the entire shape has been carved out, use your X-acto knife or carving blade to smooth out the edges and make the entirety as smooth as possible.
Step 6: Cut out the inside details
Now slowly begin to carve out the details you drew inside of your shape. Work slowly and carefully to make these as smooth as possible. And remember that any surface that is raised (left untouched) will be the coloured part of your stamp, while any surface that you carve away will be the white part.
Your first stamp is done. Now play with other stamp shapes and concepts until you achieve exactly what you want. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself with more elaborate designs – or try simple polka dots or waves for fun borders.
When you’re all finished, dip your stamp into an inkpad or cover with paint (I used textile paint) and go nuts – your thank-you cards, place cards, bags, door hangers etc will thank you for it.
Easy Lovebird Guest Book Card Tutorial
One evening when I was elbow deep in cut-outs from Bridal magazines, I finally succumbed to Pinterest. I already had enough commitments, social-media wise, so I thought, do I really need another online addiction? Apparently, yes.
Let’s be honest: there is nothing better than Pinterest for seeing how a scheme is really coming together. And hey, my computer is running an awful lot quicker now I’m not constantly right-clicking on inspiring images and saving them to my wedding folder, and my living room floor is free of magazine scraps, too. Most of the time.
This is not one of those times, and Pinterest – I hold you responsible. For I have been unable to scour the wedding section of late without coming across a lovebird here and a vintage birdcage there, to the point where I was becoming a little concerned that I had not hopped onto the lovebird trend. So I hatched a plan (pun intended) and looked to create both a fun guest book alternative and incorporate a birdie element into my own wedding plans. So, my living room floor was once again covered in cut-out pieces of paper.
These little birdie cards are ideal to leave at each of your guest’s place settings for them to fill out a “tweet” for your alternative guest book.
Materials:
- A few pages from an old book (I had a spare Twilight book which will also be dutifully sacrificed to make confetti)
- Scissors
- Black pen (biro or other such pen with a fine tip)
- Red felt pen (or Sharpie)
- Pencil
- Kraft card
- Glue stick
- Ruler
- Letter transfers
Step 1- Simply use your home printer and print out this swallows_template onto a few pages (each printout will contain enough birds to make 6 cards).
Step 2- Along the bottom of the page, draw and color six small hearts.
Step 3- Cut out the birds, leaving a few millimeters, or about 1/8 inch, around the bird and carefully cut out the heart shapes.
Step 4- Divide your Kraft card into your desired size – I cut an A4/Letter card into six equal pieces for ours.
Step 5- Arrange your pieces along the top of the Kraft card - two birds facing one another with a heart between them – until you are happy with their spacing, and then glue into place.
Step 6- Taking your letter transfers, and using a pencil, carefully print your names underneath the birds.
Step 7- Using a ruler, draw several lines across the card leaving a small gap at each end.
Step 8- Again, using your transfers, print LOVE along the bottom center of each card.
And there you go – your lovebird guest book cards ready to be filled in by your guests.
To tie the theme together, why not provide a vintage birdcage for your guests to post their complete cards, and make a small sign with instructions “be sweet and leave a tweet” in front?
How to Make an Inspiration Board with Microsoft Word
Happy Valentine’s Day lovers! What a fantastic day to get married. Yup, V-day has gotten us all inspired, so we thought it’d be fun to put together a special wedding inspiration board to honor this most loved-up of days.
It’s just the thing if you’re planning to tie the knot on February 14th with cupid at your side. And if you’re not? No worries! Just put together your own inspiration board. Here’s how:
Quick disclaimer:
I used a German version of Microsoft Word to craft my masterpiece, but don’t be scared off — you can achieve the same sort of magic by following the visual cues on your own computer.
Step 1:
Open up a new Microsoft Word page and insert a photo you’re inspired by – it can be anything, just make sure that it features your wedding colors. For the Valentine’s Day inspiration board I started with this photo of a gorgeous headpiece by Teeki.
Step 2:
Now draw a color swatch by selecting the shape of your choice from the start menu. Since it’s Valentine’s Day I went with a heart (cupid is thrilled). Next, using the format menu, turn your shape into a solid color.
Step 3:
Look at your inspiration picture and change the color of your shape to match one of the colors in your photo. Make sure to get rid of the outline using the option in the format toolbar.
Step 4:
Create three more hearts (or circles or squares; we don’t mind), and change their colors to reflect those in the photo.
Step 5:
Look around the internet and fill the space with other images that match your color swatches. Try to get a bit of variety — flowers, hair, shoes, cake and details — for the best results.
Step 6:
Fill the area with seven or so images, save and grin; your inspiration board is finished!
Valentine’s Day Inspiration Board:
Sources:
First row: Red Riding Hood Poms - Pom Love, Red White Heart Rattan Lover Fairy Lights - Marwin Craft, Love sign — iTagStudios, Flowers – Aaron Phillips Second row: Headpiece – Teeki, Red bow shoe clips - Maryanka Studio, Table setting – Blush Printables Third row: Wedding shoe heart stoppers - Mon Amour Boutique, Raspberry stripe straws - Pebbles in my Pocket, Teacup – High Tea For Alice, Stationery – Parrot Design Studio
But there’s no need to stop there. Play around with different color combinations and pictures until you’re all inspired out.
Warm pink tones:
Sources:
First row: Table setting – Blush Printables, Bouquet – Jessie Owen, Table setting – Midwest Family Life, Flowers – Aaron Phillips Second row: Orchids – Venson Kuchipudi, Jewelry – High Tea For Alice, Headpiece – Teeki
Cooler pink tones:
Sources:
First row: Headpiece – Teeki, Cupcake – Incredible Toppers, Invitation – Parrot Design Studio, Headpiece – Teeki Second row: Boutonniere – Flower Factor, Rustic love pendant - Vanessa Handmade Unconventional Jewelry
Many, many thanks to all of the wonderful creative minds who’ve allowed us to use their images.
Valentines Day Indoor Picnic Wedding Theme: Inspiration from Matthew David Hopkins
I had the pleasuring of interviewing Matthew David Hopkins, creative director of Matthew David Celebrations, on his inspiration for a Valentines picnic inside. Matthew wanted to create a Valentines surprise with not only good food, but also romance. This picnic is about treating your Valentine to their favorite things in an intimate setting.
This is a great DIY project that takes planning and thought. Matthew suggests collecting elements from the home and using them in a different way. For example, instead of a blanket he used a tapestry. Create a flower arrangement with your Valentine’s favorite flower or do something unexpected like a flowering plant. (He pointed out that just because it’s Valentines Day it doesn’t have to be red roses. Which I was glad to hear someone else say, because I’m not a big fan of roses and love to receive orchids.) Make the setting cozy and romantic with pillows and candlelight. Matthew used clear trays from CB2 for the place settings to let the decor and tapestry shine.
Now of course, the food for any picnic is important. For this special occasion it’s all about the person you are entertaining. Serve their favorite meal, rather you cook or order and replate it. Have a few courses; appetizer, main course, and desert. Plate the meal on something special, and not your everyday china. Matthew’s plates are eco-friendly bamboo.
Do you love this idea so much that you are wondering how you can incorporate this into your wedding day? Well, Matthew shared a few tips for bringing this vision into your wedding activities.
- He believes this would create an elegant rehearsal dinner theme.
- Prepare guests for picnic style dining by having them dress in a relaxing way.
- Hint to a fun and relaxing dinner.
- Give each guest a tray so that that they may sit where they like.
- Have tables available if they prefer, and inviting floor areas with flowers and candles.
- Low tables with pillows are another intimate vision.
While I had the opportunity, I had to get his opinion on wedding trends and inspiration. Creating memorable and romantic settings inspires Matthew. One way he brings this into the space is by color. In 2013, he sees emerald (Pantone color of the year) will be a big influence. Darker colors are coming into fashion. He likes contrast, such as black and white, or deep tones of rich blue and champagne. You can play-up formality with contrast or add a playful aspect with less symmetry.
Matthew says, “The great thing about weddings is you can break the rules.”
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