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10 Exquisite Handmade Touches for your Wedding

dena — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:58:02 +0000

It’s frustrating when you know just what you want but can’t find it anywhere. That’s when sites like Etsy are simply amazing– you can find someone to make just about anything, just the way you want it! From gowns to veils to slippers to invitations, these talented artists and artisans can bring your vision to life.

Here are just a few of the gorgeous wedding things I’ve found by browsing Etsy!

1. Custom Alencon Lace Wedding Jacket – Short or Capped Sleeves by GlorybyJeannieLee: “The Alencon Lace jacket is my favorite bridal accessory, as it will dress up even the most simple gown.”

2. Collette Lace Shoes with Hand Singed Roses and Rhinestone Buttons Marie Antoinette Style Ballroom Slippers by ShatteredPrincess. New, but enhanced with vintage lace, definitly one of a kind.

3. Wedding Sign Directional Wedding Shabby Chic 24 x 12 by tcart2010: Hand painted signs direct your guests in the right direction!

4. SPARKLING CHAMPAGNE on ICE – Hand Knit Spiraling Twist – Pearl and Crystal Bangle by SerebaDesigns : Creamy 8mm ivory and 8mm champagne glass pearls are mixed with 6mm soft white glass pearls… all hand knit onto light silver durable metallic cord.

5. Martha Stewart Replica – Wedding Cake Butterfly Packs by clearcutcrafts2007: Pack of 30 butterflies in 5 different colors and many designs.

6. Men’s wedding ring shiny classic finish 14k solid gold by havalazar: This beautiful stylish hand made band from 14K recycled gold can be customized according to your request.

7. Retro-Tulle Headband with Hand-made Chiffon Flower with Button center by FascinatingCreations : Soft and pretty, a little bitty hippy but 100% sophisticated!

8. Chandelier Earings, Crystal Quartz Little Wings by SarahHickeyJewellery : Available in Sterling Silver or 14K Gold Filled

9. Flower Girl Fancy Tutu Dress Custom Colors by CHICLILLOVEBUGS : This Elegant Design will be recreated in any size ranging from newborn to size 6 girls, in your choice of color, fabric type, and extra embellishing.

10. Bridal Bouquet Turquoise Fuschia Fiesta Wedding Flowers by AmoreBride : This silk bouquet and others can be customized to your specific color and floral needs!

Ring Pillows: A special touch

dena — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:20:20 +0000

I’ve never given much thought to ring pillows, but after seeing these sweet creations at Martha Stewart Weddings, I think they deserve more attention! And of course, a homemade ring pillow has lots more charm than most store-bought options. Choose a pretty fabric and sew your own (or enlist one of your crafty friends) from a pair of squares. Then create a tufted effect (which provides a spot for the rings to nestle) by adding a button and stitching all the way through. Attach the rings by tying them to the button with a thin ribbon. If you really want to get fancy, craft the sides of your pillow from wide, pretty ribbon.

For an outdoor or nature-themed wedding, this moss pillow is lovely. Glue green ribbon around an ice cream-pint top, and glue green felt to bottom. Arrange spikemoss in top. Anchor ribbon to moss with floral wire. Slip rings through ribbon; tie a bow. For a fall wedding, this pillow with embossed velvet leaves, made with a rubber stamp and an iron, dress up a silk ring pillow. So pretty!

In the same spirit, if you love flowers, you can make your ring pillow into a flower… or out of a flower! The pillow below on the left is made from a silk flower! The one on the right is actually made from flowers! Cut a block of floral foam to size and poke ‘Kermit’ chrysanthemum stems into top and sides. Push a U-shaped piece of green floral wire through foam; bend tips flush against bottom of block. Tie rings to wire with ribbon.

For a vintage look, make a pillow embellished with an heirloom handkerchief or another meaningful bit of linen. A few stitches keep everything in place and can be snipped later. Another idea that’s warm and cozy is a knitted pillow… maybe you can ask Grandma for help with this one!

And if your ringbearer is an ever-faithful canine friend, sew a special collar with the ring pillow attached, like this Lab’s gingham collar!

Visit Martha Stewart Weddings for even more ring pillow inspiration!

Going green: Tree-free wedding invitations

dena — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:52:48 +0000

At Green Field Paper, it’s all about style and environmental responsibility. They offer a beautiful array of wedding invitations, using both handmade paper and machine made hemp paper. Or, if you’re into the celebrity wedding trends you can follow the likes of Alicia Silverstone and husband Christopher Jarecki, who sent out invites printed on Green Field Paper’s famous 100% recycled paper embedded with seeds. Once the wedding took place, guests could plant the paper and add a little more greenery to our planet! Now isn’t that awesome?

“Our wedding collection combines the most environmentally friendly ingredients with modern design and centuries-old papermaking techniques. The combination of fine Artisan-crafted papers with distinctive designs lends a unique flair to each and every invitation ensuring that they are exceptional and inviting. Choose from the classic panel card, fold-over with natural deckle or the All In One which does not require any envelopes. Our progressive designs can be adapted to all formats and customized in any color combination. We specialize in individual, personalized attention and will work with you to create a memorable invitation for your unique celebration.”

Here’s a sampling of Green Field Paper‘s gorgeous wedding invitations and announcements. Visit their site for more lovely options, all made from 100% natural and recycled materials.

Unique Wedding Centerpieces for the DIY Bride

dena — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:58:57 +0000

When it comes to DIY wedding flowers, there’s one woman on the web who really knows her stuff. Louann has been a florist for over fifteen years, and her website, Wedding Flowers and Reception Ideas, shows you how you can create your own amazing bouquets and flower arrangements! “Will it be hard work? Yes. Will you save money? Yes. Will you show me how? Yes . . . that’s what this site is all about.”

After buying some books on the subject, she began making her own silk wedding flower creation from her home. After some time, she took a job with a local florist and fell in love with fresh flowers, and moved on to become the manager of a busy flower shop and the head florist designer…. and the rest is history.

What it all comes down to is that Louann has tons of experience she wants to share with the rest of us about flowers, from ordering them to making gorgeous wedding arrangements. I suggest you check out her site, Wedding Flowers and Reception Ideas, for ideas, pictures, advice, and tutorials, to get you started on your own wedding flowers!

Here are a few of my favorite ideas. Your guests will “ooh” and “ahh” over these unique and beautiful designs, in addition to being astounded at your creative genius!

Centerpieces in a Bag!

Something as simple as a brown paper bag, adorned with a cheerful bow can hold a blooming plant as a simple, attractive (but cheap!) wedding centerpiece!

Fish Bowl Centerpieces

Create quick and elegant centerpieces using fish bowls , Oasis florist foam rings, and flowers. You can add colored water and floating candles to the fishbowl, or delight your guests with real goldfish! (Photo courtesy of John Henry.)

Dainty Candle Centerpieces

These small candle centerpieces can be tucked most any where – on supper tables, near dinner reservation cards, bridal showers and more. Here we have a small candle nestled in the center of a rose, (with center petals removed) and an unusually pretty, rustic-looking candle holder made of fresh leaves, such as ficus or lemon, glued to the sides of a candle cup.

Delightful, Fruity Centerpieces

When life hands you lemons… make centerpieces! These over-the-top centerpieces are certainly out of the ordinary! (Photo courtesy of John Henry.)

Black Magic Bouquets and Centerpieces

These dramatic black magic roses create quite an impact, both in your bridal table centerpieces and in your bouquets. When using these flowers, use some bright red or hot pink for contrast.

If you are interested in designing your own flowers, be sure to check out the Easy Tutorial pages and the Supply Store, where you can find all the products you need, from bouquet holders and stands to centerpiece supplies. These products are sometime difficult to find, as they are usually only available to professional florists.

You can also find galleries of inspiration for the following wedding-related themes: Wedding hair styles, bridal bouquets, flower girl baskets, corsage and boutonnieres, wedding cakes, bridal shower ideas, church decorations, weddings by color and season, invitations, and more! Check out Wedding Flowers and Reception Ideas for hundreds of photo galleries full of wedding-inspiration!

DIY Wedding Favors, too!

Are you interested in making your own wedding favors to go along with your hand-made centerpieces? Check out American Bridal’s Wedding Favor supplies for incredibly creative, unbelievably cheap wedding favors your guests will love. Whether you’re looking for edible goodies or luxurious aroma beads, American Bridal has an impressive selection of cheap and discounted wedding supplies to create wedding favors that are fun and functional!

American Bridal also has candles and tea lights that you can use as wedding favors or as part of your centerpiece designs!

Do-it-Yourself Hand-painted Wedding Gifts

dena — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:27:48 +0000

Everyone loves getting a personalized gift, especially one that’s hand-made… with love. I just recently discovered the joy of hand-painting my own gifts for people, which is a fun, relaxing hobby, a chance to get the creative juices flowing, and, of course, a way to show your friends how much they mean to you! A hand-made gift shows that you put extra thought into their gift, not to mention the time and attention you devoted to putting it together.

In particular, I’ve been loving these wooden items that you can paint yourself. Mirrors, picture frames, door plaques, wall hangings, keepsake boxes, bowls, trays, mezuzahs, and more! Check out your local crafts store to see what other kind of fun things you can make yourself.

Here are some things I’ve recently made for friends…

Another fun idea is a door plaque. This one says simply, “Welcome,” but you can also put the couples names, such as “Bill & Laura” or “The Smith’s”…

For your Jewish friends, a hand-painted mezuzah is a nice gift! (I actually used a wedding invitation I found online for the design inspiration… I am sorry but I don’t know where the original picture came from… But isn’t that a great idea for a friend who’s getting married… using their wedding invitation as the inspiration?!)

For a gift with extra feeling, add a personal message or favorite quote. I love these personalized frames from Etsy:

What will you need to get started?

unfinished, wooden piece you want to work on
acrylic paint
paintbrushes (thick one for the base color and a slender one for details)
varnish
rhinestones, beads, sequins, ribbons, for extra bling!

Have a great time! The bride and groom are sure to love it!