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July 22, 2010
Weddings are a great excuse to be a little bit whimsical, especially when it comes to those happening during the summer. These ideas can add a touch of fun to your day -- from homemade soap bubbles to feathery headbands -- without making it too ostentatious. Enjoy! 1. Embossing on paper. This may not be the easiest DIY project, but the results are just gorgeous! If you're doing your own invitations, but still want that luxe feel, you've just got to try this craft for embossing. Done with invitations? Then use this for your thank-yous. (Food & Wine ModPodge) 2. Vanilla Soap Bubbles. Blowing bubbles as the bride and groom exit the church (or leave the reception at the end of the night) can be gorgeous in photos. Make the event just as sweet on the nose with this recipe, for scented bubbles. Tie on a ribbon in your wedding colors and your done! (Soap Queen) 3. Earring Loop Display. This classic idea is perfect for your mom or your bridesmaids -- and it's so easy to customize by choosing your own fabric or even painting the embroidery hoop. You could even attach a pair of earrings you picked out to add something extra to the gift. (Little Treasures) 4. Wooden Wedding Sign. Perfect for the couple who just can't get enough of the great outdoors, this wooden sign even has added lights (not visible in this daytime photo) that give it a warm, welcoming glow as the reception goes on. (Sonya Animri) 5. Feather headbands. Make your bridesmaids really stand out with these cute feather headbands. This is a great project for just about any wedding because you can make it as wild or keep it as classic as you want. You could even buy a child's headband and give a special one to your flowergirl, too. (Craftzine.com) Get even more great DIY ideas from our photo gallery. July 15, 2010
We're getting back to nature with this week's Link Love. The projects are inspired by flowers and leaves and would make a great addition to any earthy, outdoor wedding. 1. Fabric Flower Boutonniere. This little flower is easy to make and perfect for the groom and his groomsmen. The contrast stitching is such a cute idea, and you won't have to worry about this flower wilting or being out of season no matter when your wedding is. (The Storque) 2. Flower Centerpieces. These days, centerpieces can come in all shapes and sizes, even like the ones seen here, that feature a shallow wooden bowl of water and floating blooms. It's all about color here, and you could go bold and bright with fuchsias and reds, or more demure, like this example. (Project Wedding) 3. Fabric Corsage. Looking to give the mother of the groom or bride something special, but don't want them to have a small bouquet? Why not try this cute fabric corsage, made with a little stitching and some pinking sheers. (The Object Project) 4. Treat Boxes. Fill them with nuts, candy or even small charms or lockets -- these treat boxes are only limited by your ideas. Pick the fabric, ribbon and tags in your wedding colors to help everything tie in. ({frolic}) 5. Floral Numbers. You can download these awesome floral numbers and make them into just about anything. Print them out as is on a thick card stock for some earthy-themed table numbers, or use them to write out your wedding date on programs, invitations or even the dinner menus. (ReadyMade) Bonus craft! Make your own unity candle and personalize it just for your ceremony. Check out the project via Craftzine.com. Get more DIY ideas in our photo gallery. July 07, 2010
The old-fashioned notion of the newlyweds driving off together to clanking of tin cans is just as romantic as ever. Create your own just married sign (or have your bridesmaids surprise you!) with just a few short steps. With scissors, cut rounded edges onto a large piece of white poster board to give it a cloud-like shape. With a thick marker, write JUST MARRIED on the card and decorate with hearts. Or if you're more particular, use stamps or stencils in a style you love. Attach the poster to the back of the car's bumper or hang from the trunk with ribbon. Adjust so it's right over the license plate and so that it hangs without touching the ground. Cut four ribbons (matching your wedding colors) at least five feet long. Tie those with a large bow onto the bumper beside the sign, letting the ribbons lie as streamers on the road. Peel off the labels of tin cans and carefully cut off the tops with a can opener. Take a hole-puncher and create a little hole in each of the cans. Tie a string onto the can, then onto the bumper. Let the ribbons and tin cans drag along the road as you drive away for the first time as husband and wife! See more photos from Melissa and Brett's wedding. Get even more great DIY ideas from our photo gallery.Photo courtesy of Jessamyn Harris By Leticia Frazao June 17, 2010
While most women will spend an average of $1,500 on their wedding gowns, some brides have other ideas. The annual toilet paper wedding dress contest, held by Chip-Chic-Weddings.com awards one lucky bride-to-be each year for the most extravagant dress she can make out of toilet paper. OK, we know you're probably laughing, but just check out these photos! Some of the dresses look pretty amazing to us! Entries come from all over the world, and this year's winner was Galit Zeierman of Ramat Gan, Israel! She made a short and chic creation with a toilet paper bird on the shoulder and a matching headpiece (photos above). Galit won $1,000 for her dress, but check out some of the other runner-ups below. So what do you think of the toilet paper dresses? Just tacky or wildly creative? Tell us below! Browse 100s of dresses in our gown gallery. What would you do if a friend bought you a cheapo wedding gift? Find out on SavvySugar. All images courtesy of Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com May 14, 2010
We spotted this on YouTube.com today and just couldn't pass it by. The entire wedding got together and made a pretty hilarious wedding music video! So, creative? tacky? hilarious? ridiculous? In our opinion, it's definitely the funniest YouTube wedding video since Jill and Kevin's "Dance Evolution" sensation. So watch this new music video of Brian and Eileen's wedding and then let us know what you think in our poll. May 12, 2010
Want a dress that's so eco-friendly you can literally make it disappear after the ceremony? This new gown, from British researchers at Sheffield Hallam Unniversity does just that. It actually dissolves in water, reports the U.K.'s Telegraph. The dress is made with polyvinyl alcohol -- the same stuff found in laundry bags and washing detergents -- sewn into the fabric. That basically makes it water soluble, and dissolves it without harming the environment. Now, there are a few obvious catches to this gown. For one, researchers admit that if it rains on the big day, brides would be forced to cover themselves in order to not destroy the dress. But the concept is still pretty interesting: toying with some of the more traditional ideas about wedding dresses, namely, that they should be preserved and passed on to the next generation. "The students wanted to challenge the notion that a wedding dress should only be used once and aimed to explore modern society's attitudes towards throwaway fashion," Jane Blohm, a fashion lecturer tells Britain's Telegraph. The dress isn't for everyone, but as the Blohm points out: "In order to reduce fashion's impact on the environment, the fashion industry must begin to challenge conventional attitudes and practices." No word yet on whether the dress will be manufactured for purchase. So you tell us, would you wear a disposable wedding gown on your big day? Weigh in below! -- Amy E. Browse 100s of gowns in our gown galleries. April 22, 2010
In honor of Earth Day -- we're doing a few DIY earth-friendly favors! Grow Your Love. Instead of giving traditional favors, why not try something that will stay with your guests throughout the season? Give them a packet of seeds with a cute little pot or even a small seedling to plant. They'll always remember you as they watch it grow, and what could be better than planting a tree? Try Plant a Memory (No. 4) or Green World Project. Plantable Paper. If you're not into giving your guests a real live tree (which could be tough to transport on a plane, we admit), why not try these plantable paper favors? You can pick from several designs, customize it with your name and date and even choose colors to match your wedding party. We love it. Try Botanical Paperworks (No. 3) and Green Field Paper Company (No. 1) Box It Up. By now, most of us know that bamboo is the way to go when you're going green. So why not try out this cute bamboo trinket box? The material is completely eco-friendly, and you can fill it with something you made or small pieces of candy. You could also use the seed paper to make a custom tag. Try Little Things Favors (No. 2) and Beau Coup. Are you doing eco-friendly favors? What are they? Tell us below! Get more eco-friendly wedding info Make your ceremony more eco-friendly 5 popular eco-friendly registry picks What makes a favor eco-friendly? Go green! with your color combo Great favor ideas at WeddingChannel.com April 16, 2010
Sorry for the delay with Link Love, but we've been swamped with Bridal Fashion Week since Saturday! Make sure you check out all of our coverage here and here. Now, on to Link Love: 1. Love this vintage book planner tutorial. Perfect for your bridesmaids! (Just Something I Made). 2. An amazingly simple DIY candle favor your guests will really use. (100 Layer Cake via guest blogger Sarah from Truly Smitten). 3. Look what we found! If you're making invitations yourself, you can download and print templates here. For free! (Download and Print). 4. Always on the lookout for something a little more non-traditional than the usual rose boutonniere, I'm loving these cute flowers made out of cupcake liners. How creative! (Intimate Weddings) 5. These cute tissue paper brooches are so perfect for your flower girls of even the mother of the bride. (Salsa Pie). -- Amy E. April 07, 2010
We know that not every bride wants to have a wedding a la Grace Kelly -- with hundreds of guests in a giant cathedral. That's why it's so refreshing when small boutiques like Lovely open up. This cute wedding boutique opens tomorrow here in NYC and is targeted at the bride who wants to feel special, but maybe want a more personal experience than what some of the larger bridal shops offer. The coolest part? The gowns at lovely are mostly made by small, boutique designers who handmake every detail and they range from $500-$5,000! (And let's face it, when you consider the dress Sarah Jessica Parker wore in Sex and the City was over $20,000 -- that's a steal!) Most of the gowns are around $2,000 and have a romantic, airy feel to them. Designers include Elizabeth Dye (who I love!), Alix and Kelly, Badgley Mischka, Watters, Cynthia Rowley's new bridesmaid line and accessories from places like Lo Boheme and Twigs and Honey. Even if you're not in the NYC area, I think you're probably able to grab some inspiration from these designers or read their blog for some homemade (and super chic) fashion ideas. So what do you think? If you haven't gotten your dress yet, would you opt for something a little more non-traditional, like these gowns? Or if you have gotten your dress already -- but could do it over -- would you choose something like these instead? Share your thoughts below! Image via Lovely/ Sarah Seven, photo by Zachary Bascom April 06, 2010
DIY Editor Bride here! As I've mentioned before, one of the big DIY crafts I've taken on for the wedding is sewing our reception dinner napkins. I found this really amazing fabric (at Joann's Fabrics) and figured, since our wedding is small (about 75 people) I could handle it. It's going OK so far (I'm about 40 napkins in), but I will say that if you're going to attempt something like this, leave yourself plenty of time. My project has gone on for about 3 months now and because of the time frame, I also haven't burned out on other DIY projects. So -- to the napkins. There are lots of variations on how to make a simple dinner napkins, this version is just what works out easiest for me. Feel free to share your own tips and tricks in the comments section below! Step 1. Wash and press your fabric so if there's any shrinking, it happens prior to cutting. I am actually using a soft upholstery fabric for my napkins, but other great choices are linen, or a brushed cotton or even cotton sateen for an expensive feel. Traditional sizes: Dinner napkins are 20-22" squares, Luncheon napkins are about 18" squares, and cocktail napkins are about 6" squares. (For the purposes of this post, I'll be making a 20" dinner napkin.) Start with a piece of square fabric that's about 1" more than what you want the final size to be, a 21" square. You'll mainly be working on the wrong side of the fabric. For me that's the side that's mainly white (instead of mainly green). Step 2. Fold the square diagonally so you've got a triangle with the wrong side facing out. Using a straight stitch on your machine, sew across each corner, 2 - 2.5 inches in from the pointy edge, as shown above. Stop your stitch just a few centimeters from the edge. It may look like the stitch will come undone, but that's OK. Repeat on all four sides. You should end up with something like the left part of the photo below. Step 3. Snip the pointed edges off of all four corners, so you end up with your seam being just a few centimeters from the edge of the fabric. Step 4. Flip each corner inside-out, so the correct side of the fabric is now showing on the edges. (And by now you might be able to guess what comes next). Step 5. Pin down the rest of the fabric between the corners so it lines up with the edges, creating a seam that's 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick. Stitch around the entire square, sewing as close to the interior edge as possible. If you're doing this on a machine, remember to lift the presser foot at each corner and simply rotate the fabric so you get a nice 90 degree angle. And voila! 5 Steps to an easy, chic napkin! Now repeat 75 times... Are you working on a project for your own wedding? Or would you like to learn how to do something? Post it below and we'll try to figure it out! WC Amy!  Get up-to-the-minute celebrity wedding news and Hollywood-inspired planning tips and tricks at CelebrityWeddingBuzz.com.  For expert etiquette and planning advice, visit WeddingChannel.com -- the number one wedding and gift registry website!  |
