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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

BRIDE AND GROOM VOTIVES


While I decided not to use this idea for my daughter's wedding, I did think they were cute enough to share.  These are my "bride and groom" votive wraps.  



Personally, I love the look of the wing tip collar and bow tie on a groom, and of course the garter is one of the traditional touches for the bride.    These could compliment the decor at a bridal shower, add candlelight to the tables at the rehearsal dinner or provide a special touch near the guest book table at the wedding reception.

Here's what you will need for the groom:
  • non-fusible interfacing
    •  cut to 1 1/2" wide x 7" long
  • 7/8" wide black single faced ribbon
    • cut to 4" long
  • 1/8" wide black single faced ribbon
    • cut to 2" long
  • stapler and glue gun
Once you have cut the interfacing (the reason I went with interfacing is you don't have to finish the edges and yet it is nice and crisp..just what you need for a good wing tip collar!)  to the dimensions listed above.  Find the center by folding the interfacing in half horizontally.  Now, cut vertically to within 1/4" of the bottom edge; fold the edges and crease firmly to create the collar points.    

Next, knowing that the final tie dimension is 2" wide; hold the ribbon right side facing you; fold 1" on the right and 1" on the left to the back (wrong sides will be touching one another).  Pinch the top and bottom together horizontally and staple together.  The last step is to use the 1/8" wide ribbon as the bow tie knot; first add a dollop of glue to hold the edges of the ribbon together at the backside of the tie; crimping the staple at the same time.  Once dry, add a dollop to the interfacing and press the tie firmly in place.  

Finally, I used a sewing machine to sew the collar together (that way you can just slip them over the glass and use the votive for other events as well) overlapping the edges 1/4" If you don't have a sewing machine you could hand stitch them.  A semi-permanent solution that eliminates the stitching would be one of the many options for glue dots, or if you don't mind a permanent solution, you could of course use the trusty glue gun to adhere it into place.  I have a love hate relationship with my glue guns (yes, I have more than one)....I love them, but I generally end up with at least one glue burn with each project I work on.

For the bride, you will need the following: 
  • sewing machine, glue gun
  • embellishment (your choice)
  • 7/8" wide white or ivory double faced ribbon
    • cut 12" long
  • 1/4" wide white or ivory lace
    • cut 12" long
  • 1/4" wide white elastic
    • cut 5 1/2" long
The first step is to sew the lace to the edge of the ribbon using a straight stitch.  The elastic will be sewn at both the top edge and the bottom edge of the elastic.  Align one edge of the elastic with the stitch you just made to attach the lace to the ribbon; the second stitch line will be at the top edge of the elastic.  The trickiest part is pulling the elastic taut from one edge of the ribbon to the other; as I'm sure you noticed, the elastic is less than half the total length of the ribbon to create the gathers of the garter.   Be sure when you are pulling the elastic; once you get the first few stitches past the pressure foot to grab it from behind...now pull like crazy from the front and the back while you are stitching.


When you've finished sewing the elastic it will look like the picture above.  Now, fold the edges right sides together; overlapping 1/2" and sew in place.  Trim the seam allowance to approximately 1/4".    Slip the garter on the votive and place whatever decoration you like for the finishing touch.  I added a white flower I had on hand, but you could use a flower to match the color scheme of the wedding, or a charm (like I added to the one below); rhinestone button, etc.
 
 

Monday, February 27, 2012

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Knowing that many of our wedding guests are from out of town, I wanted to share something which would be a memento of the day and also capture the theme of the wedding which is a combination of "Fall" and the very unique features of Colorado.

With that in mind, I came up with the idea of making Christmas ornaments; these aren't actually the favors that ALL guests will receive (I'm still toying around with ideas on that one), but rather it would be available for the guests who may want one.  I realize this concept may not necessarily "melt everyone's butter" like it does mine!

I get a charge out of pulling my ornaments out each year to trim the tree; especially since the majority are from our travels over the years.  It's a nice opportunity to reminisce about those special vacations that we took over the years. 


What makes them unique for the wedding is the ribbon I ordered via one of the many online stores which sell ribbon, favor boxes, favors, etc.   I ordered a continuous spool of ribbon with the bride and groom's names and wedding date printed on it.

Anyway, this would translate well for those of you who are just looking for a creative idea for Christmas gifts, simply substitute a nice Christmas ribbon and you're in business.....happy crafting!

The first thing that you will need are pine cones.  This was easy for me since all along the walks I take with our dog, there are all sizes and shapes of pine cones.    Depending on the day, I would either come home with a few stuffed into my jacket pockets, or a full plastic bag (given the bag wasn't used for something else, if you know what I mean!).


Since I wanted a bit of sheen to mine, they were sprayed with a semi-gloss clear lacquer (thanks to my husband).






In addition to the pine cones, you will need
the following items...all of which I purchased
at my favorite craft store:
  • thin gold cord
  • iced cranberries (seasonal)
  • bag of moss
  • gold/silver ornaments (seasonal)
  • glue gun
  • artificial snow (I used Snow Tex which comes in a plastic jar)



Add the artificial snow to some of the cone edges, as much or little as you would like.  I used a plastic knife versus a paint brush due to the consistency.  Let that dry nicely before moving to the next step.  Next, cut a length of gold cord long enough so the cone will hang nicely from a tree branch.  Use the glue gun to attach one edge to the top left and the other to the top right of the cone, pressing the edges down into the cone itself.

The next step is to take a bit of the moss and secure it to the top of the cone covering the points where the cord is glued.  

I took just two of the iced cranberries and glued them to the top right of the cone (since you only use two of these per cone, you don't need many of "seasonal picks" that tend to go on sale in August/September/October). I used a wire clipper to remove the wire stem.      The final two step are the ornamental "topper".  Again, I only used half for each ornament, so the little box I bought still left me with extras.   That gets glued down into the moss; leave a bit of the stem and press securely after applying the glue.

Finally, the last step is the beautiful ribbon, front and center... voila~


Sunday, February 26, 2012

WEDDING CENTRAL


Look out Kate and William.....we have our own wedding of the century coming up this September!

For some time now, we have been in a "Do-It-Yourself" mode due to the upcoming wedding of our daughter.  Fortunately, she and her fiance' gave us plenty of time for planning, prepping and creating for the big day; their engagement will have been twenty months long....plenty of time to make their special day, very special with lots of personal touches along the way. 

Many of the upcoming posts will highlight the wedding projects we've created along the way.   

My husband has questioned my sanity on many occassions, wondering why I'm doing what I'm doing, and how big of a truck we will need to haul all the goodies up to the venue, but he has also been a good sport in chipping in when asked.  

What are all the D-I-Y projects ?  There are just a few:
  • "Save the Date" notices
  •  Invitations
  •  Centerpieces 
  •  Cake stand
  •  Table numbers
  •  Luminaries
  •  Christmas ornaments
  •  Wedding cake pedestals
  •  Wedding gown (I'm a former pattern maker/fashion designer by trade and a seamstress since Mrs. Wilkerson's 7th grade home economics class)