Do it yourself

More and more couples are realizing that many of the items needed for the wedding are simple things they can do themselves and for a lot less than retail price. Why pay $35 for a garter when you can make your own garter? Here are some great do-it-yourself projects- from favors to centerpieces to everything! Also, be sure to check out the other do-it-yourself pages: make your own cake topper, make your own cape or shawl, make your own bouquet, make your own veil, and make your own crinoline.

Ring Bearer Pillow

A do-it-yourself ring bearer pillow, made by Kristatheangel.

First, select what fabric you want for the pillow. Some people wish to make a plain pillow and then have a decorative pillow cover while others simply make the pillow itself decorative. If you choose to make a plain pillow, buy a simple fabric (like muslin) for the pillow itself and then the decorative fabric for the cover. You'll most likely want at least 1 yard of each so that you will have extra fabric if you need it.

Next, make the pillow. Decide how big you want the pillow, then add at least an inch of fabric all the way around for the stitching.

Sewing together the edges of cloth using a sewing machine.

If you're using decorative fabric to make the pillow, make sure the fabric is inside-out when you sew it (i.e. the less decorative side of the fabric is facing you while you're stitching.) Use a sewing machine or hand sew the fabric together on 3 of the edges and 3/4 of the way on the 4th edge. Use short stitches close together in order to ensure strength of the stitch and to help the stiches from being seen. Once you've sewn these together, turn the pillow inside out by pulling the opposite edge of the pillow through the hole left by the edge you only sewed 3/4 of the way. Once it is turn inside out, add the stuffing to the pillow. For an even, soft filling use synthetic stuffing- this can be found at any craft store. Once you've filled the pillow with stuffing, you can sew the rest of the edge shut. You may want to hand sew this part since it may a bit tricky to make it look right.

Your pillow is now complete so it's time to decorate. In this example, Kristatheangel wrapped a ribbon around the pillow, tied a bow, and then sewed both it and the flower to the pillow. It is recommended to sew on decorations, rather than gluing them, in order to have a more firm bond.

Decorative Bubbles

Many couples enjoy using bubbles as a way for guests to send them off after the reception. Bubbles have become one of the most popular wedding favors for weddings. However, with all the other numerous costs of a wedding, pre-decorated bubble bottles may not fit into the budget. However, it is very simple to decorate your own bubble bottles.

This crafty bubble decoration idea and the step-by-step pictures for this section were done by rlwyatt.

Plain, undecorated bubble bottles.

First, obtain some bubbles with bottles. Some couples prefer to buy undecorated bottles with bubble solution already in them. Other couples prefer to buy empty bubble bottles (just make sure the bottles have wands included!) and fill them with bubble solution. Either way you decide is more cost-effective, you will end up with a plain and undecorated bubble bottle.

Tulle, cut into squares.

Next, procure some fabric to wrap around the bubbles. In this example, tulle in one of the bride's wedding colors was used. The fabric was cut in a square shape, though brides may want to make ovals, circles, or doily-like designs. For simplicity of doing this for several bubble bottles, it is best to cut a few pieces of fabric at once rather than one-by-one.

After the fabric is cut, the ribbon or item used to secure the fabric on to the bubble should be cut. In this example, thin ribbon was used. As stated in the last example, it is easier to cut a few pieces of ribbon together rather than to cut it one-by-one.

Finally, it's time to put it all together. Center the bubble bottle, upright, in the middle of the fabric. Pull the edges of the fabric up around the bottle so that the fabric fully covers the outside of the bottle itself. Right beneath the lid (before the bottle opening), secure the fabric with the ribbon. If you wish, you may attach a small note to the ribbon. Your decorate bubbles are complete!

Flower Girl Basket

Flower girl baskets are also relatively easy to make. First, buy an undecorated basket. When choosing baskets, keep in mind the size and the age of your flower girl. Also consider staying away from darkly colored baskets unless the fabric and rubbon you wish to use to cover them will be dark as well. Once you get the basket, you need to get the basic fabric with which to cover your basket. If the basket is particularily hard or if you'd like a softer look, you may want to consider a quilted fabric or putting stuffing between the basket and the fabric. You may also decide not to use fabric at all but to paint the basket whatever color you'd like.

After procuring your basket and fabric, it's time to shop for accessories if you plan on using them. In this example, I used white satin on a pastel-colored basket. I also used two types of ribbon- a wide translucent ribbon with tiny white roses printed on it and a silver wired ribbon so I could shape it into curls. I also used baby blue satin rosettes for trim.

Once you've gotten your supplies, it's time to put it all together. I cut my fabric into a large rectangle. I folded the edges into the center of the basket and hand-sewed them together (though gluing the fabric to the basket would also work. I then folded over the remaining edges over the edge of the basket and sewed those in place (once again, a heavy bonding glue could also be used). I then wrapped a thin strip of fabric around the handle of the basket, sewing it to the rest of the fabric and the basket on both ends. Using the wide ribbon, I layered it over the top of the handle. I folded the fabric over the handle so it encompassed it and sewed the edges of the ribbon together every few inches. I secured the ribbon by sewing the ends to the basket and fabric.

Finally, I sewed on the rosettes and the silver ribbon. The rosettes were sewed on first- I sewed those simply on the fabric since the fabric was well-attached to the basket at this point. When the rosettes were secure, I added the ribbon. (It's much easier if you sew on the flowers first, as the ribbon could get in the way of sewing on the flowers properly.) I tied the ribbon around the handle where it met the basket and then tied a bow. I left plenty of ribbon coming down of the bow so I could wrap it around my finger and form candlestick curls. Since the ribbon was wired, it was very easy to do this.

Favor Bags

Many times the couple would like to give an edible gift that is symbolic of the location or a long time favorite- such as cookies, pies, cakes or homemade jams and jellies. A new trend is to have a candy buffet filled with candies of a certain color, nostalgic theme, or holiday theme.

Some couples choose to put these favors in gift bags. Pre-made ones are available in many colors, sizes, styles and shapes. Many of them can be personalized with the couples' names and wedding date in the color or font of their choice. However, many other couples decide to make and decorate their own bags.

To make your own bags, first choose the material. If you're new to crafting, you may want to go with a paper-based gift bag first as this will be easier to decorate. However, if you have access to a sewing machine, organza gift bags are a popular favorite. Other materials that can be used are tulle circles, fabric circles, and colored plastic wrap.

Paper-based gift bags

The easiest way to make these is to start with blank, pre-made bags. You can generally get these very inexpensively from a party supply company. Next, choose what kind of things that you want to put on it. Hot glue works well for appliqués (such as physical objects- charms, rhinestones, etc) but regular school glue works best for pictures and text. It's best to place it on the back of the paper you're gluing on to the bag in small drops on one end and smooth it down on the bag to the other.

Once you've finished decorating the bags, a bit of ribbon on the handles helps make them look festive. In addition, wrapping paper or tissue paper can be added to protect the contents as well as to add an extra bit of decoration.

Circle cut-out gift bags

The easiest gift bags to make are circles that you then fasten towards the top with rubber bands and ribbon. To make these, first cut out a pattern. The circle needs to be twice as large as the bulk of what you'll be putting inside (on all sides/dimensions). Make sure the contents fit and the pattern works before cutting out more. Once you've found the side that's right for you, cut out the rest of the circles. Place the favors in the center. Bring up the edges of the circle towards the middle- grab it so it creates a little bag. Fasten this with a rubber band and add a ribbon around the rubber band to create a more elegant touch.

Organza/fabric gift bags

If you're good with sewing, fabric gift bags may be just the thing! They are similar to the circle cut-out bags except you will be cutting the fabric into squares. Once you have the squares cut, sew along 3 sides of the bag. This is the inside of the bag.

If you'd like to add a drawstring, make sure you cut it longer on what you want to be the top of the bag by an inch. BEFORE you sew the squares together, fold the extra inch over the square and sew it down. This should create a little "tunnel" for the ribbon or string to go through. Then sew the squares together as stated above, but be sure that the stitch for the "tunnel" is on the same side that you're sewing.

Turn the bag inside-out, run a ribbon or string through the "tunnels", and you're done!

External Links & Sources

• Engaged2Married community on LiveJournal
• Wedding Plans community on LiveJournal

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