All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘fabric crafts’

Wedding Welcome Bag Basics: Fill ‘er up!

Your guests have risked plane food, swollen ankles, hire cars, rocky boats, Sunday drivers, or any combination of the above to make it to your special day. So how do you thank them for their trouble, welcome them with open arms and make them fall in love with your wedding destination in one fell swoop? With incredible welcome bags, of course!

The best kind of welcome bag (basket or box) makes guests feel comfortable and loved while introducing them to a new place and keeping them informed. In other words your wedding welcome pack should consist of practicality, sentimentality, and souvenirs.

Here is a quick go-to list of the best wedding welcome bag fillers, arranged from least to most expensive(ish)*:

The practical essentials:

Eye mask and ear plugs

An information booklet

You want your guests to know what’s going on, when it’s going on, who knows what’s going on (and how to reach them), and what to do when it’s not going on. This is where you should put hotel and bridal party information, contact and emergency numbers, bus and ferry plans, and any other get-to-know-you events that you may have planned.

Here’s a handy tutorial on how to make a nifty wedding welcome booklet.

Maps and brochures

Information is power. It’s also best not to have your guests walking around lost and helpless. If you have special people coming from far away, let them know what they can get into while they’re visiting.

Tea, coffee and sugar

It’s a well-known fact that guests – especially those blessed with jetlag – will love you dearly if you supply them with a source of hot caffeinated beverage. All you need to do is put one or two satchels of tea or coffee and a sachet or two of sugar to be best buds forever.

Water bottle

It may seem like a simple thing, but mini-bars in hotels have been ripping wedding guests off since the dawn of time (or at least close). Don’t let your visitors fall pray to the thirsts – especially in countries or regions where tap water is dubious.

Eye mask and ear-plugs

Foreign hotel rooms can be so bright and loud and not very much like home. Light sleepers will feel much more refreshed if they can have a good night’s sleep. Plus an eye mask and ear plugs will add a luxurious touch to your wedding welcome bag.

The sentimental touch:

Photo credit: Claudia Assad

Sweets for the sweet:

If you’re a whiz in the kitchen and have a minute or two to spare, you could bake your guests a delicious treat. Cookies, muffins, bread, fudge, or nougat will all be much appreciated, especially if they’re made by you.

Something to dry the tears

Weddings are wonderfully soppy affairs – make sure your guests are prepared by throwing in a little packet of tissues. If you want to get more creative, you could pick up vintage handkerchiefs at a thrift store or make your own personalized pocket-sized tissue holder.

Real magnetism

Do you know what’s easy to make, simple to transport, and will forever remind your guests of your special day? A neat DIY magnet. Just include a photo of the two of you, a sweet message or quote, or a pretty graphic, and your guests will be thrilled to put it on their fridge when they get back home.

Picture perfect

Help your guest to build special memories of your special day and their trip by giving them a disposable camera to do with as they please. They can take photos of the things around them and document their trip in a special way.

The souvenirs:

Photo credit: Lundgren Photography

Postcard

So simple and yet so ingenious! Your guests will love having a postcard from a place they’ve been to and if you buy it for them, so much the better! That way they’ll get to keep it as a memento. If you want to make it extra special (and sentimental) you could even write a personal note for each wedding welcome bag.

Magnet

Your guests have a few things in common. For one they can’t wait to see you marry in a fabulous destination. Secondly, they all have fridges, and all of those fridges have a space for a special wedding memento – something to remind them of a fun place, incredible holiday and memorable occasion. That is precisely why magnets make a great addition to any welcome bag.

Bottle opener

When souvenirs and practicality combine you get a bottle opener. Not only will it be a memento of a great destination, but your friends and family will always think of you when cracking open a cold one. You could even go one step further and get a magnetic souvenir bottle opener (enter choir of angels). You know why. You know why.

Local goodies

Each region, area, and even some towns have a special spot filled with deliciousness – a famous bakery, brewery, distillery, butcher, winery, chocolatier, patisserie, and so on. Figure out what that is for your destination and give your guests a taste of the culture or area. Plus it’ll double-up as an awesome late-night snack should they get peckish in the night.

Get personal!

Now all you have to do is personalize it. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1) Replace generic labels and tags with your own custom-made ones.

2) Make as many of gifts as you can yourself – tissue holders, passport covers, luggage tags, magnets and eye masks are all achievable with a bit of imagination.

3) Pick items that work with your wedding theme or are a personal reflection of you and your spouse-to-be.

*the order may vary depending on quality and location

How to make a felt pomander for flower girls

For my wedding I decided against real flowers and opted for something a little different instead. Felt pomanders are a great alternative to having flower girls throw petals, they help keep little hands busy and, best of all, they’re nearly indestructible. The night of our rehearsal, one flower girl was batting hers like a tetherball, and, the day of our ceremony, another decided that it would make the perfect foot rest as her feet didn’t quite reach the ground. Both pomanders survived and still looked great afterwards. If you’re planning a destination wedding these pomanders are light and won’t get crushed along the way. So, now that you know how awesome they are, let’s get started!

What you’ll need:

4 inch styrofoam ball
Ribbon
Colored felt (any colors; I used 3 shades of blue felt)
Corsage pins
Glue gun and glue sticks
Scissor
Circular object to trace

Estimated cost: $15

Directions:

Step 1: To start this project, trace circles onto the felt and cut them out.

Step 2: Cut a spiral shape into the circle using a scissor.

Step 3: Using the glue gun, create the rose by gluing the center down and continuing to glue around until the spiral is used up. Continue steps 1-3 until you have the desired amount of flowers. Note: I used eight 9 x 12-in. felt pieces to complete one pomander.

Step 3

Step 4: Insert a pen or pencil into the styrofoam ball to create a small hole. Use a marker and divide the styrofoam ball into fourths. Cut a length of ribbon, fill the hole with glue and insert the ribbon into the glue to make the handle.

Step 4

Step 5: Now, it’s time to attach the flowers. Use the corsage pins to attach the felt flowers (Note: the flowers can also be hot glued on if you’d like to have a button or sequin center instead). I found it best to first attach the flowers along the lines and then fill-in from there.

Step 6: Continue attaching flowers until you have a nice full pomander.

Felt Pomander Done!

Multi-color felt pomander from Amanda’s wedding

We’d love to know what you think of this project? Do you have any ideas for embellishments?

Wedding photo by Jeff Sampson Photography

Leanne’s Love-Filled DIY Bridal Shower

Brides, I think we can all learn a valuable lesson from this post: Make friends with an extremely creative photographer RIGHT NOW. Photographer Jamie Delaine planned a fun and cozy bridal shower for her friend and bride-to-be, Leanne!

Jamie decorated her British Columbia home, inside and out, with clever and thrifty DIY projects that made a dramatic impact. And, BONUS – the bride took some of this decor with her to use at the wedding! That’s a win-win situation if I’ve ever heard one.

The rest of the narrative below is from the hostess, Jamie.

The front door was fancied up with some yellow bunting made from cloth napkins/tablecloth found at a local thrift store. For $6 we had enough yellow fabric to make three table runners and six strands of bunting! We decorated the porch with potted mums and the poster was designed by me and printed at Staples. The frame was found at a thrift store for $2.

In the entry way we showcased an engagement photo of the happy couple, a love quote and a candle I already owned.

The bride to be banner was made from card stock which was attached to some burlap with hot glue. then attached the burlap squares onto twine with more glue, and boom! The paper mobiles below the banner are really neat. I bought a big package of card stock and my friend Arielle cut them all into mismatched strips of paper. Then I fed them through the sewing machine and sewed big long strands into a paper mobile! So fun.

All of these vases were found at thrift stores. Arielle and I spent three hours one morning zooming all around town, literally in and out of 10 stores. We were superwomen.

Mmm, the dessert table! I saw this ribbon idea online & thought it was so whimsical and fun! I bought 10 rolls of ribbon in different colors, tied them onto a piece of twine and hung it from the ceiling! It made a great backdrop. And the table runners, as mentioned earlier, were from an old tablecloth we found at a thrift store. I cut it into three pieces and sewed it up!

Congrats to Leanne on your beautiful shower and upcoming marriage, and thanks to Jamie for sharing your creativity with us!

DETAILS:

Photographer: Jamie Delaine Photography

Venue: Private residence

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Romantic bouquet with satin and lace flowers

What you’ll need:

2 spools of 5/8′ satin ribbon
1 roll decorative lace trim (9 feet)
Bouquet holder with round styrofoam top
Pearlized round or corsage pins
Glue gun and glue sticks
Pearl necklaces or old chain (optional)

Estimated cost: $30

Directions:

Step 1: The first thing you’ll want to do is decorate the handle and underpart of the bouquet holder. I started by wrapping them with ribbon and then adding the lace so the white of the holder wouldn’t show through.

Step 2: If you’d like to add the necklace embellishments to your bouquet, now would be the time. To do so, remove the styrofoam top of the holder and thread the necklaces through the holes. Once you’ve got them where you’d like, put a little glue on to hold them in place.

Step 3: Next, the ribbon and lace flowers need to be made. To create the ribbon flowers, cut a length of ribbon (approximately 9 inches for small and 18 inches for large roses), and tie a knot on one end. Put a spot of glue on knot, twist the ribbon, and place it in the glue. Continue to twist and wrap the ribbon around until there is only a small end remaining, tuck that tail under the rosette and glue it in place.

Step 4: For the lace flowers, cut a length a lace (approximately 12 inches for small and 24 inches for large flowers). Take one end of the lace and fold it over, then glue it in place. Next, make a star-like shape around the glued end, glue it in place, and let the glue dry. Wrap the the remaining lace around the shape until you’re happy with the flower you’ve created.

Step 5: Use the pins to attach your flowers. For the bouquet I created, each large flower had three pins and each small flower had one. I organized the flowers in an alternating pattern, using the ribbon and lace flowers. Simply push the pins through the flowers and into the styrofoam, but not all the way in, and create a round shape. If you find that the flowers seem loose, simply add some glue at the base of the pins to keep them in place. Continue to add flowers until your bouquet is nice and full.

Step 6: Enjoy your hard work!

We think the combination of pink, ivory, and white satin and lace, and the extra embellishments with pearls make this bouquet very romantic with a bit of vintage flair. Tell us what you think!

Lace Bracelet Tutorial

Today’s project is from our new contributor, Amanda! You’ll be seeing many more budget-friendly crafts from her in the coming weeks. Take it away, Amanda…

Creating a lace bracelet is an easy way to add a romantic touch to your wedding day accessories. With just a few items, this bracelet can be completed in a couple of hours. So, turn on your favorite show, gather the supplies and enjoy some crafting!

What you’ll need:

Lace (1-2 inches in width, approximately 6 inches long)
Fabric stiffener
Chain, jump ring and clasp
Needle nose pliers
Paint brushes
Metallic paint

Estimated cost: $10

Materials

Directions:

Lay your lace on a piece of plastic or wax paper and use a paint brush to cover the lace with fabric stiffener. Let the stiffener dry for an hour before moving on to the next step.
Lift your lace from the wax paper and move it to an unused dry spot. Color the lace with metallic acrylic paint using a paint brush.
Cover a glass or water bottle with saran wrap and drape the painted lace around it to help give the lace a round shape while it dries.

Step 3
When your paint is completely dry, attach the chain, jump ring and clasp through holes on the lace.

Step 4

I found my bracelet to be bigger than I’d like, so I simply cut around the shapes and ended up with two. It’d also be easy to add rhinestones or a silk flower to your bracelet with hot glue. Have fun and enjoy making it your own!

Felt Flower Wreath From Purl Bee

Have I mentioned how wreath-crazy I am? I love wreaths year ’round, for any and every occasion. When I saw this uber adorable felt wreath over at Purl Bee – I admit it – I squealed. Wouldn’t this look adorable at your wedding? Perhaps on the church/venue doors. Or mini ones on the backs of the bride & groom’s chairs? Hmmm…. Check out the full tutorial at Purl Bee: http://www.purlbee.com/felt-flower-winter-wreath/