Click the links below to go directly to each of our DIY projects — pick one to do with a group of friends and put a personal touch on your wedding. Each one includes materials, instructions and an idea of the finished product or what to do with it, although we highly encourage experimentation and would love to see you use these projects as a starting point for something entirely your own. As always, we LOVE pictures and comments, let us know what works and what doesn’t, and always feel free to submit your own ideas, we always give credit to the creator.
Yesterday, in Welcome to the Country, we posted a photo of our welcome bag idea for a wedding in Prince Edward County. Today, we’re dishing on just how easy it is to create something so pretty and personal (and how cheap).
To start, we’re going to presume you already have some kind of image you want to use, ours was a free online image that we added the word Picton and the date to complete it, but yours could be anything: your names, your monogram or an image of an icon which identifies those in the know with your big day. It can be created on any software from Illustrator to Word, whatever you have available to you but we suggest picking something with a solid border that’s easy to trim closely.
Materials:
-Canvas tote bag (ours is from Creative Bag $1.40).
-Iron-on Printer Transfer Sheets for Light Fabrics @ any local craft store (approximately $13.99 for 5 sheets).
A blank canvas bag, a photocopied transfer sheet (image reversed) and a tag to trim the final bag with
Steps:
-Run a tester of your image by printing it onto regular paper and testing to see if it’s the size you want.
-Set your printer’s options to Mirror Image or horizontally flip your image, and print it again on transfer sheet, there are instructions on the back of the package for correctly using the transfers.
-Allow ink to dry.
-Set iron to Cotton setting and turn any steam function off.
-Cut out design , leaving an even ¼ inch margin around image.
-Place transfer sheet on your bag with the print side facing downwards.
-Using a dry iron (with no steam) press transfer for 15-20 seconds on a hard surface.
-Allow it to cool completely, and then peel off the release paper on back.
-Stuff your bags with the tissue or shredded paper and add your gifts, a ribbon and a tag you’ve printed or handwritten.
I have the great pleasure of owning my own button maker, it’s a wonderful tool and what you can do for your wedding with it are endless.
For this particular button DIY, I chose to make buttons from an old Vogue pattern book I bought years ago. I always loved the sketches and colours in the book but didn’t really know what I was going to do with it until this project came along. These buttons are the perfect inexpensive favour or name tag, you can even match the sketch with the personality of each guest at your shower, engagement party or rehearsal dinner, or use a specific colour palette to identify which table someone belongs to.
Real photos of your guests are a great idea as well especially if they’re gathered from over the years: high school yearbooks, summer camp snapshots or university pictures. You do not have to use the original image, photocopies work just as well and don’t be afraid to experiment by selecting details or parts of an image for a button — the space is fairly small so cropping can be creative!
The button-maker at Toronto's Workroom
Materials:
Button Maker: Available for rent ($30 overnight) from The Workroom in two sizes: 1” & 1 ¼”. They sell the button parts $10.00 for 100 buttons and the rental includes professional circle cutter
Magazine or pictures, fabric, decorative papers
Tags, available at office supply or specialty paper stores
It might not feature hearts in the literal sense but there’s a sweetheart behind this project from paper n stitch! We love it as a valentine but also as a beautiful way to propose (maybe include the ring at the end of the message, or tied to the loose end of the ribbon? Also as a sweet way to ask a friend to be a bridesmaid … the possibilities are limitless.
Materials: Fabric or ribbon (length will vary depending on length of message), wooden spool (from craft store or recycled), rubber letter stamps, stamp pad, craft glue (as a substitute for letter stamps that can be hard to find, try stenciling your message)
Process:
1. Cut a long strip of fabric about 1.5 wide and at least one yard long depending on how long you want your letter to be. You can also use ribbon as oppose to fabric (cotton webbing works great).
2. Begin stamping your message leaving a few inches untouched left at the end of the ribbon or fabric.
3. Once the message is complete, glue the end of the message (the area that you left blank) to the spool using craft glue. Ravel your message around the spool. Place in a decorative box and you are all set.
*We’ve borrowed the images and the general outline from paper n stitch but made one or two changes to the directions so that the message can be read as it’s unraveled.
Before trudging out to get the tree, or hitting the skating rink with your sweetheart or friends, take 10 minutes to plan a cozy and personalized cup of hot chocolate, chai tea or a homemade caramel latte and dress up your takeout cups with something a little more than the ordinary.
These coffee jackets would also be a gorgeous detail at a wintery wedding, especially if some of your wedding day occurs outside in a snowy winter wonderland!
Materials
Cardstock paper
Printer
Scissors
Glue Gun
Coffee Jacket from local coffee shop
Takeout cups
Search the Internet for pictures of images you can manipulate in a photo-editing program; this project used jewellery but you can use your logo, a photo or your names and date – whatever suits your fancy! Reduce the image to a size no larger than 1.5” tall. Drag and drop to a new document (standard paper size) and place the image in the top centre using landscape layout. You can make two jackets per page by placing a second image about 5” below the first. Print!
Open the jacket from your local coffee shop and trace it over the cardstock with your selected image in the centre. Cut out new jacket and use a high heat glue gun to adhere the jacket together.
Use scraps of ribbon to create these little pyramids — Masterstroke’s Steven Fraser originally created the sachet to be a beautiful Christmas ornament that was cut open to reveal the gift inside but we love the idea of hanging these little cuties from glasses or whimsical branches at a wedding for your guests to take home to discover their gift
Materials:
ribbon scraps at least 4″ wide and 2 x wider than they are long
narrow ribbon for hanging
needle and thread OR sewing machine
Technique:
Fold the ribbon in half and sew the selvage edge of the ribbon and the cut ends of ribbon together with either a decorative stitch with a sewing machine or a simple blanket stitch by hand.
To create the pyramid effect, align the (sewn) cut edge with the folded edge of the length of ribbon. Insert a loop for hanging and a small gift and stitch it closed.
Create whimsical name cards that add to your décor.
This is one of our favourite ways to easily and inexpensively tell your guests where their seats are without being predictable. Love Doves are easy to customize by changing their colour, size or even their shape: use our white dove design to inspire your own flight of fancy for the project. At the end of your event, your guests will eagerly pocket the doves, they make adorable mementoes of an evening.
Make your guests a delightful token to take home with them at the end of the night.
This classic origami fold, which your guests will fold up to tuck in a pocket or purse, beautifully opens up again when they get home. By adding your wedding date, names or special message, the gift becomes even more poignant. Traditionally associated with good health and well wishes, the crane makes a lovely mix of traditional meaning and modern simplicity.
Remember that the best cranes are made with origami paper which comes in many styles and colours to suit your colour palette. For your first attempt, you might want to start with a six inch square piece of paper, or something larger. Once you get the hang of the fold, try a range of sizes to find what you like the best.
A sweet handmade touch that will brighten any table.
Gorgeous for a sit down dinner, this variation on the fold of the paper crane becomes the perfect size to fit and beautifully display a name card. Play with colours and themes to make it ultra personal and you’ve got yourself another decor element that becomes a take-home at the end of the night.
One of our all-time favourite DIYs tastes as sweet as it looks and leaves guests with a tiny memento of your day – in honour of Paper Week: The Wedding Co.’s Sweet Paper Purses.
These miniature purses are the perfect tote for a little something sweet, leave them at every lady’s seat as a token of your affection.
For someone with a little time on her hands or with a pack of dedicated ‘maids, this DIY project is straightforward and tons of fun as you watch a set of customized mini purses take shape. We guarantee they’ll be snapped up at the end of the night as tokens of the day. As always, let your imagination guide you and make any adjustments to our design to customize them for yourself. Fabulous for weddings, showers and rehearsal dinners!
To start, we’re going to presume you already have some kind of image you want to use, ours was a free online image that we added the word Picton and the date to complete it, but yours could be anything: your names, your monogram or an image of an icon which identifies those in the know with your big day. It can be created on any software from Illustrator to Word, whatever you have available to you but we suggest picking something with a solid border that’s easy to trim closely.
Cardstock paper
Materials:
Create whimsical name cards that add to your décor.
This classic origami fold, which your guests will fold up to tuck in a pocket or purse, beautifully opens up again when they get home. By adding your wedding date, names or special message, the gift becomes even more poignant. Traditionally associated with good health and well wishes, the crane makes a lovely mix of traditional meaning and modern simplicity.
One of our all-time favourite DIYs tastes as sweet as it looks and leaves guests with a tiny memento of your day – in honour of Paper Week: The Wedding Co.’s Sweet Paper Purses.
