Tired of the typical sign-in albums? Try out these new ideas for your guest sign-ins. The best part? All of these can easily be turned into memorable additions to your home.

• Use pebbles instead of a guest book (left photo). This bride and groom used them as seating cards, but we think you could just as easily ask guests to write a little note and then set out a large vase or bowl for guests to place them in. You could also use sea shells or sand dollars -- whatever fits with your home decor or wedding theme.


• If you're an outdoorsy sort of couple, try using a pair of wooden Adirondack chairs (middle photo). Offer guests a few permanent markers, a little note of encouragement and let them graffiti up your chairs with signatures, drawings and notes. After the wedding, finish the outdoor chairs for protection with a lacquer or other water resistant spray.


• For a more whimsical look, try out this guest book tree idea (right photo). Provide guests with small pieces of paper lined to match your color theme, with ribbon loops tied through one end. Lay out colored pens, markers -- whatever you want to give your guests to decorate the cards with -- and make small card instructing them to write a few sweet words and then hang it from the tree. You can easily make the guest book tree yourself by collecting a few old tree branches and planting them in a bucket of sand or dirt. No old tree branches near you? Try a craft store for fake versions. You can even spray paint the branches white or silver (like this couple in the photo did) to get them to match your color theme.

Images (from left): Kim A. Taylor Photography, Katelyn James, Our Labor of Love.

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You already know that DIY wedding success is all about the little things -- even if you think they may not be noticed by your guests, trust us, they will be. These projects are all fairly simple and fairly small, but I'm sure they'll still make a big impact.

1. Vanilla Sugar Cookies. Normally, I wouldn't add in a recipe that this simple, but the icing and designs just make these too cute (rack it up to just having a sweet tooth today). (WhipUp)

2. Craft Table Runner. If you're going DIY and quickly finding the price of fabric can really add up, try this -- a simple runner. It's a great way to dress up your table without looking like you just cut back on fabric. (100 Layer Cake)

3. Pennant Bunting Card. Talk about an exciting way to announce your engagement! Spell out your names on a fabric pennant and tuck it in your card along with a save-the-date. (Just Something I Made)

4. DIY Macaroon Bags. I'm probably never 'over it' when it comes to macaroons. And these cute little bags are no different. The best part? You could easily print out the labels and use them on a variety of favors. (Green Wedding Shoes)

5. Paper Favor Cups. These cute cups are just the thing to hold mini M&M's, bite-size brownies, or even small saplings for your guests to take home. Use old scraps of wrapping paper, magazines, or even old newspapers to try it out. (JustSomethingIMade.com)

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We've seen loads of mason jar centerpieces -- but making wine bottles look chic? Now that's another story. These minimalist centerpieces have plenty of style, even without tons of flowers. Here's how to try the look:

Start saving your empty wine bottles now. Soak them in hot water and a little dish soap to easily remove the labels. (Or, if you're going for a more rustic feel, buy wine from only one country, like France or Italy, and leave the labels on as part of the look).

But maybe the best part about these centerpieces is that you won't need to buy a lot of flowers for them to look fabulous. Like these calla lilies, any long stem, large blossoms (sunflowers, roses, or orchids) will look great on the table. Use only one to three flowers per bottle to keep the minimalist look.

Want more DIY ideas? Check out 100s of DIY photos in our gallery.

by Kendall Pfeffer

See more photos from Katrina and Andrew's wedding.

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Coordinate your place card display table with your centerpieces, all while giving your wedding decor a unique rustic touch with this simple DIY idea.

Use a different fruit or vegetable to designate all of your tables. Arrange each type of fruit or veggie below a numbered table card and simply pin each place card to the appropriate artichoke, radish, carrot -- or whatever else happens to be in season. If you like the earthy look for your table numbers (pictured above), try a hardware or craft store for broken pieces of bark or wood scraps that could easily be turned into table number holders.

Just remember -- live vegetable or fruit seating cards won't last long -- you'll need to have these done the morning of or the day before the wedding so that your vegetables are still smelling fresh.

Not into the rustic feel of fresh veggies? Substitute them with marzipan fruit escort cards for an early spring wedding (they'd also be great for a bridal shower). These are easier to work with, since they can last months when properly refrigerated. Either way, you'll have a sweet or savory idea to help show your guests to their seats at the reception.

by Kendall Pfeffer

See more photos from Brandi and Lee's wedding.

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Fall may be on it's way (and it's totally raining here today in NYC), but these crafts have us thinking it's an endless summer....

1. Colorful Mason Jars. We'll admit -- we're a bit tired of seeing the mason jar centerpiece again and again and again. This new twist however, puts it right back on our trendlist. (100 Layer Cake)

2. Lace Cutout Laterns. These ethereal lights are so simple -- and they're just the thing you need to set the mood as the evening winds down. (Kootoyoo.com)

3. Herbal Boutonnieres. So after flowers, buttons, fabric and paper -- what's the next new thing to do with boutonnieres? Use some sweet smelling herbs, like the lavender and rosemary seen here. (OnceWed.com)

4. Pink Drink Parasols. Maybe this one is more bridal shower than wedding reception, but we love the delicate cutout in these drink parasols. (Can you just imagine them making an appearance alongside those DIY lanterns from #2?) (Papermash)

5. Rose Petal Chandelier. Chandeliers like this one set an instant mood and they're so quick and simple you won't feel bad if you can't keep them forever. (The Country Cottage)

Have a DIY question? Email me here.

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