Vintage Wedding

DIY: CUTE packaging ideas

Materials:

1-2 yards of ribbon in various tones, about 2″-3″ in width
Miscellaneous material, such as burlap, knit sweaters, etc…
Twine

1. Cut several pieces of ribbon in 3″-5″ increments, depending upon desired size of your finished pom. Do the same with material, sweaters and burlap.

2. Make a large stack, alternating each color and type of material. Using your twine, tie a very tight knot around the center of the entire stack.

3. Cut your ribbon into smaller strips, keeping the center uncut. Separate and pull strips apart to make your completed pom!

DIY: Candle Holders

Materials:

- Soda cans
- Tin Snips (or exacto knife)
- nails and hammer
- spray paint
- sanding paper
- permanent marker

Step One: Collect all soda and beer cans you can get. Fill the cans with water and put them in the freezer. If you have something to hold the cans as you are puncturing it, the can will dent unattractively. If you are using a drill and a workbench, you can probably forgo this step and just stabilize the jar somehow. (freezing idea from Miss Cherry Pie on Weddingbee). With a permanent marker, draw a line of where you will be cutting the top half. You can cut them to your desired height, but I recommend having them tall enough to avoid fire hazard (hello venue managers).

Step Two: Spray paint the inside of your cans in yellow. This will help the tealights shine brighter. Paint the outside in the color desired. I highly recommend doing this before making holes on the can, so the inside and outside colors don’t mix.

Step Three: With the use of star paper punch, or hole paper punch, decorate the cans as desired. You can also use nails. Et voila! You got yourself some really cute tealight holders! Just make sure you make enough holes so the light can shine through

DIY: Wildflower Seeds - Wedding Favors

What you’ll need:

- Plastic test tubes and corks from Etsy.com
- California Native Wildflower seeds from Eden Brothers
- Beeswax
- Cardstock paper.
- Hemp Twine from the craft store
- Metal printing press letters- put together to form our initials (repurposed from a vintage fleamarket)
- Stickers (made by my husband who is a graphic designer) to put on the tubes.

Fill each test tube with Wildflowers. With a large needle or awl, punch a hole in the cardstock and run hemp twine through. Tie it in a knot. push the ends of the hemp twine down into the tubes, then put cork on to secure the poem cards. Heat the beeswax. Dip each cork into the beeswax and let cool slightly. Stamp the tops with the metal printing press letters

DIY: String Chandeliers

What you will need are: balloons, glue, yarn, tray for glue, corn starch 1/2 cup of Corn starch, 1/4 cup of Warm water, clear fast drying spray paint, hanging lamp cord or fishing line (depending on your desired final product), and a lighting kit if you’re looking for a fully functional lantern. Jessica recommends using a sharpie to mark on the inflated balloon how much room you need to leave for the lighting cord. She also recommends coating the balloon with vaseline prior to wrapping the yarn coated with glue so it doesn’t stick on the balloon once it’s dry.

Are you getting excited to try to do this at home as much I am?

Instructions:

1. Inflate the balloon to a medium size so the shape is a little rounder.
2. If you’re looking to make a lampshade out of the string chandelier, use a sharpie to mark around the knot on the balloon.
3. Before you start working, we recommend using a tarp.Mix corn starch, glue and warm water together until it has a smooth texture.
5. Smear the vaseline all over your balloon until it is completely coated so th twine wet with glue won’t stick on the balloon after dry.
6. You can start a little assembly line with friends by one of you feeding the yarn through the glue mix and giving to another person to wrap it around the balloon.
7. Start wrapping the balloon vertically, slowly changing to wrapping. For a seamless look, tuck the ends of the twine under one of the wrapped strings.
8. Wait 24 hours until the balloon has completely dried before popping the balloon.
9. Spray the string chandeliers with clear fast drying spray paint et voila!