Like a Colonial Look to Your Centerpieces?

Photo courtesy of Kimberly at It's So Pretty It's Cute

Kimberly at It's So Pretty It's Cute  has a tutorial for a Williamsburg style centerpiece that even a novice DIY'er can do.  Kimberly calls it 'the traditional Williamsburg Apple Cone.' 

Apples are attached to a nail-studded wooden cone, so they last a long time.  This makes them perfect to make ahead for your wedding, no fading or drooping flowers.  The scent of the apples alone will enhance your wedding.

This centerpiece requires apples, a pineapple, and greenery (boxwood and magnolia leaves), as well as a wooden cone and nails.  Be sure to visit Kimberly at her blog and see what other incredible ideas she has for you. She is one creative lady!

DIY Cakes?

There is one easy way to have a DIY cake. Instead of having a traditional wedding cake, go for several layers cakes displayed on tiered cake stands. You can rent or buy these stands and put a traditional layer cake that is easy to make at home and easy to transport as well. You can buy decorations for you cakes that make them look like you are a pro, or consider a simple easy to do yourself decoration. The cake stands shown are available on http://www.weddingfads.com/. The decorations on these cakes are available at the same site.

Cupcake Topiary Tree

Photograph courtesy of Food Network Magazine/Taken by Tara Donne

Considering using cupcakes in lieu of cake at your wedding? Why not have them do double duty as decorations as well? This Cupcake Topiary Tree was featured in Food Network Magazine in their May 2010 issue.

To make your Cupcake Topiary Tree you'll need:

1 Terracotta pot

Floral Foam

12 inch floral foam ball

12 inch dowel

Brown Paint

Pink Paint

Mini cupcake liners 24

Straight Pins

Toothpicks

Directions:

Fill the terracotta pot with floral foam, and insert a 12 inch dowel or thick stick in foam. If you're using a dowel you'll need to paint it brown before placing it. Paint a 12 inch floral foam ball pink and let dry. This can take an hour, be sure it's all the way dry. Push the ball down onto the dowel that's already been anchored into the pot. Using straight pins and cupcake papers to plot your cupcake design, then place real cupcakes in each spot removing the pins and papers used for plotting as you go. Attach cupcakes using 3 toothpicks poked halfway into the bottom of each cupcake and press them into the ball.

DIY Autumn Centerpieces

Materials


Assortment of Walnuts, pinecones and acorns
Vases (1 small and 1 large)
Succulents
Scissors
Ribbon

How-to

Step 1 Put succulents in the small vessel filled with water.
Step 2 Place small vessel inside the large square vase.
Step 3 Fill the vase with your natural mix.
Step 4 Finish off with the ribbon.


Idea and Photo courtesy of http://www.mydiyweddingday.com/ where you can find lots of great ideas if you're a diy'er.

DIY Rustic Floral Designs

                    Photos courtesy of treasureagain on Etsy.com

Interested in a rustic look for your flowers? Having an outdoor picnic reception? Try these wonderful jars with flowers shown on Etsy.com. Easy to use, lets you do you flowers yourself for next to nothing. These are unique and pretty accents for your wedding.

Photo link below.

Photo Link Below

All photos courtesy of treasureagain on Etsy.com

Making Your Own Wedding Gown

Making your own wedding gown or having a family member make it can be a way to either save money and/or make your wedding even more of a family affair. While there are not as many home sewers now as in previous years, there are still patterns out there. You can find patterns at www.habermanfabrics.com or http://www.weddingpatterns.com/. You can also find a tailor or seamstress who can design one just for you. What better way to have a truly unique wedding.

Photo courtesy of weddingpatterns.com

Photos courtesy of Vogue and http://www.habermanfabrics.com/.

Photos courtesy of Vogue and http://www.habermanfabrics.com/.

Photos courtesy of Vogue and http://www.habermanfabrics.com/.

Photos courtesy of Vogue and http://www.habermanfabrics.com/.

McCalls offers patterns that are not as complex as Vogue and may be easier for the home sewer.

Photos courtesy of McCalls and http://www.habermanfabrics.com/.

Chocolate Covered Apples

DIY Chocolate Covered Apples

Ingredients


2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 can sweet condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
24 granny smith apples (bought from Costco wholesale $7 dozen)
3 lbs. butter at Costco $7

pointed wooden round sticks at local craft store or candy making supply company online

ribbon from Costco ($8 for 50 yard roll at Costco)

Instructions
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Add the sweet condensed milk, continuing to stir. Bring the mixture to 245 degrees F. Once off the stove, add the vanilla and stir. Cool down to about 210 degrees and dip your apples or pears.

Twist off the stems on your apples and put in the wooden sticks.

Place your dipped fruit on a sheet pan which is lined with parchment paper. Let dry and then dip in melted chocolate. While the chocolate is still wet, dip in toasted coconut, chopped nuts or add pieces of candy. Place back on the parchment paper to thoroughly dry. Melt some white chocolate and place into a zip lock bag, cut the very corner off and drizzle over the apples for detailing.

Package up in clear cellophane and tie up with a pretty ribbon. These make for incredible gifts from the heart. Store in a cool place or refrigerate. To enjoy, let them sit in room temperature for 1/2 hour. Place on a cutting board and slice.

What to Throw at Your Wedding? Confetti, bubbles, sparklers?

If your venue won't let you throw any of those they may be happier with these lavendar buds. Toss on your path, for a wonderful fragrance as you walk down the aisle... Remember fragrances evoke memories like nothing else. Use lavender in your wedding and your guests, forevermore, will think of your wedding and smile anytime they smell lavender! Seal in glassine envelopes. Both buds and envelopes available at http://www.ecoparti.com/. You can seal them into the envelopes yourself and make provide your guests with a fragrant option of things to toss to celebrate your wedding.

Lazertran Waterslide Decals Can Turn Any Object Into a Work of Art

(Photo Courtesy of Sweet Paul's Blog at http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/)

Want to make a personal favor for your wedding?  Look for projects using Lazertran Waterslide Decals.  You can use these great decals to put your artwork or photos almost anywhere.  You can transfer photos or artwork (art can be scanned or digitally produced).  Make coasters, candles, bowls, vases, glasses anything you can think of! 

This revolutionary new product lets you transfer any design to almost any surface with incredible results.  You can use Lazertran by inkjet or photocopying your color images onto Lazertran paper, then just heat set or seal the toner or ink, cut it to the correct size, soak and slide onto your project.  Smooth out air bubbles and let dry for a day. 

If you want to transfer the image to a fabric just iron on the decal, let it cool off, and then soak it until the paper falls away. 

Lazertran make three types of waterslide decals. The original Lazertran was designed to work with dry toner color and the decals are applied to hard surfaces. If you don’t have a laser printer, this means having color copies made at your local copy center or finding a friend with a laser printer. Take the package instructions with you in case the copy center personnel object to printing on your Lazertran paper.
Because most transfer papers are heat-activated at fairly low temperatures and the glues can melt and jam the copier some copy centers may not want to do the job. However, Original Lazertran, is specially designed to be used with color copiers. The film and glue won't melt when run through the hot copier.

For hard surfaces, the company has introduced Lazertran Inkjet; now you can make decals using your desktop inkjet printer. Lazertran Inkjet has some special qualities or quirks. There are some trade-offs for the convenience of being able to print decals on your inkjet printer in the comfort and convenience of your own home.

Lazertran Silk was made for closely woven fabrics. Like the Original Lazertran, Lazertran Silk is designed to work with dry toners.

Unlike Original Lazertran, Silk does not have a thin film that carries the color to its new home, so it’s not technically a decal. Rather Lazertran Silk is ironed onto the silk or other closely woven fabric. The iron’s heat melts the toners and deposits them onto the fabric. Since there is no decal film and no gooey glue, the original hand and softness of the fabric are preserved.

There is no glue to gum up the copier’s works. Still a good idea to take the package instructions with you to the copy center, in case there are any questions. Lazertran Silk decorated fabric is washable if the fabric itself is.

(Photo Courtesy of Sweet Paul's Blog at http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/)

 

(Information on using Lazertran from http://www.theartfulcrafter.com/ and Sweet Paul's Blog at http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/)

Monograms

If you're looking for a monogram design go to http://www.idooriginals.com/. They have a large selection of monograms you can customzie by color and initials or they can do a totally custom order.  They send them in a pdf file so you can download them and use them on all your DIY projects, invitations and other wedding related projects.

Decorating Wedding Cupcakes and Cookies the Easy Way

Think making those fancy cupcakes and cookies is too hard? Actually with the help of the company Fancy Flours at their web site http://www.fancyflours.com/ you can easily add those creative touches that are usually the hallmark of elite bakers.  The site offers everything from wafer paper that you apply on top of cookies or cakes to fondant decorations, to stencils and sugar flowers.  Photos here are courtesy of their web site.

Pretty Cupcake Wrappers

This web site has some fabulous cupcake wrappers for your diy wedding cupcakes. http://www.fancyflours.com/. Prices vary, but all of them seem well worth the price. Note that prices are for different numbers of cupcake cups depending on the style. The website also has lots of other fun decorations for cakes, cookies and candy.

Butterflies To Decorate Your Cupcakes, Cookies or Wedding Cake

Thirteen 8" X 11" wafer paper sheets printed with 155 assorted butterfly designs in hues of blue and lavender,orange and pink, green and earth. Sizes range from 2" to 3" wide. Decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies or any edible product with these beautiful butterflies. Apply to buttercream, fondant or royal icing covered cakes/cookies/or cupcakes. Wafer Paper is edible and is a starch based confection, made from potato starch, water and vegetable oil. All ink is food safe and edible. If you are making cookies, spread a thin layer of light corn syrup to the back of the paper and then apply to the cookie. To ensure a smooth finish, turn the cookie over, wafer paper side down, on a piece of parchment paper for approximately 30 minutes. To completely dry, turn the cookie design side up for 12 hours. You can add a 3 dimensional effect by adding small sugar pearls, dragees, sugar decorations or edible glitter. To adhere, just use a small dot of clear piping gel. To adhere to cupcakes and cakes just use a dot of clear piping gels to hold the butterfly in place. Information and photos courtesy of http://www.fancyflours.com/ where you can purchase these beautiful butterflies! Butterflies All Hues in Set $46.00.

Making Individual Cakes - A DIY Project

Interested in making individual cakes for each of your guests for either your wedding or a shower you are hosting? Try these great cake pans from William Sonoma. The pan they sell has two different cakes shown above which you can decorate to match your color scheme. See your craft or party supply store if you're using them as favors for guests to take home for some convenient boxes.

Great Site for DIY Supplies

Wisteria and Vine Garlands

Go to http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ for great flowers, vases, ribbons and everything else you need to make your wedding gorgeous! 

Right: Silk Purple Phalaenopsis Orchid Wrist Corsages with 32" long x 1/2" wide satin ribbon ties $2.99

Left:

12" Lily of valley and calla lily clutch silk bouquet with blue satin bow (photo shows white ribbon) and pearl accents $13.40 each; 6 for $12.29 each

                                       

Photo Kio Kreations

Regular price $4.99 each

Measures: Height: 2.5"  Top Diameter: 3"  Bottom Diameter: 3"

Use 12(or more) of them to make a cake stand -place some floralytes in the middle to light it. Place your cake on a sheet of glass and place on top. Design idea only,vases do not come with flowers or lights.

(Unless otherwise noted photoand craft ideas are courtesy of http://www.save-on-crafts.com/. )

Easy and Inexpensive Centerpieces You Can DIY

If you're interested in doing your own centerpieces, just purchase these square glass vases either with or without monograms, I've seen them for less than $4 and the monogrammed vases are three for $29. Just pick a variety of colored roses, some glass marbles, cut roses to fit and go! Use five roses per vase.