Gumball Wreath

Gum Ball Wreath! Ingenious! Michelle Paige's blog, called simply Michelle Paige, has the total tutorial for this incredible looking wreath. Not for every bride, but for the bride who is young at heart!

Use lots (and I mean LOTS of glue sticks) and lots of gum balls. A Styrofoam wreath from the craft store for the base and some primer and spray paint (yes these gum balls are PAINTED so they are NOT edible!!!!!) But the spray paint lets you choose your favorite color or have it color coordinate with your wedding or decor.

Michelle warns this is one heavy wreath, so be sure to hang it securely (and use some strong ribbon as a hanger.)

I'm envisioning the other things I can use spray painted gumballs for... topiary, that would look so cool! Round ones, tree shaped ones, the options are only limited by the foam designs you can come up with!

Would love to see this in metallic too. So if you're a bride who gets to this before I do, send pics and I'll post it for everyone to read. 

Let's see, glue, check; not enough gum balls, hit the store; primer, check; metallic paint, check; Styrofoam shapes, hit the craft store... well see you later! Have some errands to run!  Thanks Michelle Paige, these look great!

Handmade Pots

Handmade Pots from Fellow Fellow

Handmade Pots! Perfect for shower or wedding favors, these beauties are made from oven bake clay.  They are easy and perfect what we call "warm fuzzies"--for those times when you want to take or give a gift without expectation or the desire to receive one in return.

Make them in any shape you like, but Fellow, Fellow provides you with templates for the ones in her photos (which makes them even easier!) Her site tells you all the products and tools you need to make these 'pretties' and gives you a step by step tutorial making it simple and easy to follow! Ah! A woman after my own heart!

Fellow, Fellow made her handmade pots for succulents but you could add your favorite flower or self-rooting plant to keep the costs down. Your other option? Plant some seeds and watch them grow! Not so easy to do if you're planning to use them for a shower or wedding favor, but if you are making them with your kids (or face it, just for fun yourself) you have the option and leisure of taking the time to watch them sprout.

Fellow, Fellow also made some plant stakes from the same products, similar tutorial, by using cookie cutters and tongue depressors! I will never match her creativity! So head over and see all the details on her site, as well as some more great DIY projects. Fellow, Fellow, I am in awe! You  make the most creative projects and make them so easy! (and we all know easy is my middle name (when we are talking about crafts.)

How Easy Can It Get?

How Easy Can It Get?

How easy can a centerpiece get? These are easy enough even Bill can do it (EEEBCDI) centerpieces! Floating candles, some faux tropical helicona blossoms and leaves. Wow, I told you, SIMPLE! They are quick to put together and will look great for your fall wedding. (I know it's not fall yet, but if you're having a fall wedding you'd better be planning those centerpieces now.)

This photo and idea  from Save-On-Crafts take a few simple pieces and pulls them all together for a classic fall look.

Don't forget the one thing that makes this centerpiece pop-a Vase Illuminator. What's a vase illuminator? I've linked you to vase illuminator, it's easier to see than explain, and you'll have to buy them somewhere! Or you could use light up glass ice cubes in each vase. Cover the illuminator with a circle of tulle to match your linens or wedding colors. (I vote for linens.)

So if you are a DIY bride who is all thumbs (like the Vecchione's are) try this simple fall centerpiece. Or adapt it to fit the wedding season and flowers of your choice. Save-On-Crafts is a great resource for both the items you need and for ideas.

Easy Decorating For Your Wedding Shower

Source: ohcrafts.net via Rosemary on Pinterest

OK, I'm not the craftiest person around, but even I can manage to make this garland for a wedding shower! Just be sure not to use a really flimsy needle to thread through these, you'll kill your fingers!

Decorate With Yarn? Oh YEAH!

Photography: Jackie Wonders / Concept and Design: City Cradle Design

Don't you just love this idea for a background for a bridal shower? Perfect for behind your punch table or buffet.

Show off your DIY chops by taking all that leftover yarn from your craft room and turning a wedding shower into a wowser! See other yarn ideas at Style Me Pretty.

Crafted and designed by City Cradle Design and photographed by Jackie Wonders, it just goes to show that you can totally transform what you love and have in a closet into a super chic, fun and original party design.

DIY Wedding Cookie Tutorial

Source: sweetsugarbelle.com via Vickie on Pinterest

Planning to make your own cookies as favors for your wedding? Here's a tutorial for you to try out ahead of time so you can decide if you want a baker to do the hard work or if you're willing to do it all yourself.

Candied Pretzels and Popcorn

Photo and idea from One Charming Party

Use this combination of popcorn and chocolate dipped pretzels, and take it up a notch by using some color in your chocolate and adding some nonpareils in a darker shade as an accent.

Dip pretzels into melted blue candy melts then sprinkle with purple nonpareils. Let your pretzels cool on parchment in the freezer. For candy coated popcorn, put just popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Using the leftover melted blue candy melts, drizzle over the popcorn and mix together with a rubber scraper until all of the popcorn is coated. Serve in a paper cone.

Giant Paper Flowers?

I saw these and gasped... incredible! What a great way to decorate for your wedding! And you can do it all yourself! You'll be surprised at the very basic everyday things used to make these unique flowers. 

These oversized flowers were created by Josh, the CFO of Ruche, and then created in their warehouse.

Materials

• plastic cups
• cement
• approx. 5” wide stucco corner
• approx. 20-gauge tie wire
• gloves and wire cutters
• tape, glue, and scissors
• tissue paper
• dried moss
• zip ties

Head over to Designsponge for the rest of the directions. I listed the materials just so you could judge if these were something you could make yourself.  As usual, be sure to read all the comments for great solutions to any questions you might have.

So if you're feeling Alice-in-Wonderland-ish and want that look for  your wedding without breaking the bank, here's the answer. Some people are just soooo creative (nope I did not mean me!).

From Designsponge site:

Our creative team brainstormed ways to turn our spring lookbook, Enchantment, into a daydream. When the idea of oversized flowers came about, we couldn’t wait to make them a reality! Josh, the CFO of Ruche, used his engineering background to design the stems, and with the help of additional Ruche team members, they created them by hand at our warehouse. Surrounded by tissue paper and scissors, our talented set-design interns designed and created the rest of the flower pieces at our warehouse. Once they were finished, the whimsical daydream came to life. — The Ruche Team