Colour combination we love: aqua, yellow and charcoal

We're in the midst of designing our first DIY design for our clients, Erin and Donovan, who have chosen a refreshing colour combination of aqua, yellow and charcoal for their wedding. I just LOVE how bright and fresh this combination looks, and I think they're going to have a stunning wedding. Here's an inspiration board I found to share with you so you can see just how great these colours look together:

{Photo via bride.net}


We're just finishing up the final design samples for Erin and Donovan's DIY designs, so we'll have those posted to share with you as soon as they're done!

DIY picture frame centrepiece

Here's a great and inexpensive DIY centrepiece idea. Take four wooden IKEA picture frames from IKEA, put glue along the sides so the frames form a square, add pictures into the frames and voila! Or, if you want to put a candle in the middle to make it look like a luminary, print the photos out on velum paper so they're translucent. So easy AND inexpensive!

Photo via DIY Bride

DIY twine lanterns

Today's DIY is a little messy, but the end result is totally worth it! I think these twine lantern would look perfect hanging from the ceiling or rafters if you're having a ranch or autumn wedding with a "natural" look to it. I found the idea on Pinterest, but the tutorial originated from http://www.craftynest.com/.


The tutorial says to hang them over a lightbulb or electrical fixture, but I think these would look really cool just hanging above at a wedding. Here are the different steps to make the twine lanterns:

Images via Crafty Nest

Supplies and tools

- bouncy balls of various sizes
- clear drying craft glue (about 1 bottle per ball) such as Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue
- hemp string 20lb. weight
(estimated amounts needed):
16 inch diameter ball—400 yards
14 inch diameter ball—300 yards
9 inch diameter ball—100 yards
- plastic gloves (optional but highly recommended)
- trash bag or small drop cloth
- permanent marker
- ball inflating needle

To view the step-by-step tutorial, visit the Crafty Nest website. 

When NOT to DIY

It’s no secret that DIY is all the rage for 2011 weddings. But sometimes you need to step back and think about the golden question when it comes to weddings: is it really worth it? Here are some signs that it might be best NOT to DIY:

1) You have to buy too many supplies. For example, for invitations, you would need a variety of cardstock papers (at least 100 if you’re having 100 guests); a scoring board; a bone folder; several different types of adhesive; ribbon; ink for your printer; envelopes; embellishments; and ink and rubber stamps if you are getting crafty. If you're looking to buy pocketfold invitations, you're looking at $1.70 each for blank pocketfolds. For all of these supplies, you would be looking at $200 - $300 minimum, and that’s not counting your time.



2) You have a large quantity to make. For example, it might seem like a great idea to make your own packaging for your wedding favours, but if you have 250 to make, your time is better spent elsewhere (unless you have a long assembly line of family and friends, of course)



3) You’re not crafty. Sometimes you just need to accept the things you cannot change. If you’re not “naturally” crafty, chances are it’s going to take you waaay longer to do things than it should and they might not turn out the way you want them to, costing you more time and money in the end.



4) You just don’t have the time. When it comes to weddings, there is a never-ending to-do list. Time is money, so sometimes it’s worth it just to fork over the cash rather than saving $15.



5) You’re willing to pay a professional who can get it done right and save your sanity. Some things just need to be left to the wedding pro’s who do these things day in and day out.

DIY Envelope Guest Book

I stumbled across this great idea for a DIY envelope guest book on the Martha Stewart weddings website a few months ago and thought I would share it. The steps and materials are really basic and cost-effective for the bride on a budget:

Image from Martha Stewart Weddings
1) Buy a blank scrapbook, envelopes (a 3 inch by 3 inch size would probably work best) and cardstock that coordinate with your wedding colours

2) Cut the cardstock into blank pieces that will fit inside the envelopes

3) Glue the front side of the envelopes down onto the blank scrapbook pages with the flap facing up so guests can insert the card

4) Make a sign that tells your guest to fill out a card and insert it into an envelope and voila! Your guests' messages will be kept safe forever inside each envelope.

DIY Bird Seed Favours

Another cute DIY guest favour idea to share with you. Super cute and super easy! Makes approximately 21 two-inch hearts





Ingredients
3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)

3 tbsp corn syrup

4 cups birdseed



Step 1: Spray the inside of a heart cookie cutter with vegetable cooking spray. (You could also wipe it down with veg. oil.)

Step 2: Place cookie cutter on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture inside of cookie cutter, pressing mixture firmly with greased fingers. (The more you press it down, the less shedding of seeds you will have.)

Step 3: Using a chopstick or bamboo skewer, make a hole near the top of the heart.

Step 4: Remove chopstick.

Step 5: Carefully pull cookie cutter away from birdseed heart. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. (You should spray the cookie cutter after every six hearts, that way it won’t stick.)

Step 6: Let dry 6-8 hours or overnight for best results. Cut 10-12 inches of jute for each heart. String jute through heart and add a tag. I created my thank you tags by using a rubber stamp, card stock and a rounded corner punch. Tie the jute in a knot after you have added the tag. (You can tuck the knot inside the hole so it doesn’t show.) You can hang these from branches at your wedding, or place inside bags or boxes.

 

 Tutorial and photos from intimateweddingdetails.com

Wedding DIY - sugar scrub

Here's a cute idea for all you DIY brides out there. I came across this posting from Smart-Bottom Enterprises for a homemade sugar scrub. What a great idea for wedding favours, as part of your bridesmaids' presents or even for the welcome packages for your out-of-town guests. Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own sugar scrub:

Ingredients:

- Turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)



- Brown sugar


- Olive oil


- Sweet orange and peppermint essential oil


- Aloe vera gel


- Mason jars

Directions:

Mix together a 50/50 ration of sugar to olive oil. Add in essential oil drops until desired scent is reached. Add aloe vera gel to achieve desirable texture.
It doesn't get much easier than that! Here are some pictures of the finished project:

{all images from Smart Bottom Enterprises}

DIY Cheescake Pops

Yummmm! I came across this delicious post on the Wedding Chicks website and just had to share it with you. Here are instructions on how to make your own cheesecake pops. Since this is an American site, they're obviously talking about using these for American Thanksgiving, but what a great idea to give to co-workers for Christmas. Or for all you winter wedding brides, using different coloured sugar crystals to make it look like coloured "snow" on top and having them as part of your dessert buffet. Enjoy!

Instructions:

Supplies

1. Lollipop Sticks

2. Ice Cream Scoop

3.1/3 Cup of Sugar

4. Cookie Sheet

5. Colored Sugar

6. 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese

Preparation:
1) Mix softened cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Gently scoop cream cheese mixture and drop onto your cookie sheet.

2) Gently scoop cream cheese mixture and drop onto your cookie sheet. Put a lollipop stick through the center of the cream cheese ball.
3) Time to decorate!  Sprinkle pretty colored sugar crystals on the cheesecake pops.  Place your cookie sheet into your freezer for 3 hours or until they are firm.  Remove the cheesecake pops from the freezer 1 hour before serving them.


{all images from www.weddingchicks.com}