Wrapped Vases

Jayson Home & Garden has some of the coolest chairs but they also have these lovely flower arrangements. Looking at their selections makes me realize all the things you can do to dress up a vase. Rich fabrics (velvet) or ribbons wrapped around a piece of fabric would be lovely on any table, any season. I love the wrapped approach because it gives you the ability to change last minute and bring in color where and when you want. Ultimate control.   +-+-+ Via: Creature Comforts

Table Numbers (via poppytalk)

Table numbers are one of those projects that can be last minute or done months ahead. (I say go for it months ahead buuuut we were doing it literally day of *cough*) They also can be really pretty without being super complicated. This vintage frame tutorial over at Project Wedding illustrates that. Speaking from personal experience, Goodwill always has a half dozen small (4x6ish) metal frames. Paint them or use them as is. Our table numbers looked a lot like the "5" in this photograph but with much simpler typography. An absolute GREAT use of all that paper you (and by you I mean me) have been hoarding.

Blog trail: poppytalk, Project Wedding

Paper Leaves (via Once Wed)

Hello paper leaves. The bride (and um paper artist), Katrine, and her mother made a bunch of these to hang up in their tent and between two trees for photos. Awesome.

Photography: Jim McGinley  -+-+-+- Via: Once Wed

Hurrah Cards on Store Bought Cards

Most of the thank you cards I stenciled onto trimmed, 12x12 craft paper. However, when I was cleaning out my card file I realized what I really should be doing is stenciling onto pretty store bought cards I already owned. I have a bad (good?) habit of picking up sale items in craft and stationary stores. I have more than I need. This is a great way to use them! I must remember this for upcoming holiday cards.

Seating Chart (via Laurie Peacock Photography)

What a creative seating chart! Erin and Nitsu put each guest's name with a New Yorker cover, which corresponded to a cover on the table. So great! 

To see more of Laurie Peacock's great photographs of this wedding (and it is a pretty one) go here.

Black and White Bridesmaids Dresses (Via WeddingBee)

What a great choice for bridesmaids dresses. This is from Mrs. Stiletto's wedding on Weddingbee. There are so many places to be creative at a wedding. At times I think that can be overwhelming (and maybe controversial within your family) but yeah. I would love to be a bridesmaid and wear something like this!

Photography: Laurie Peacock Photograph  -+-+-+-  Via: Weddingbee

Heart Punch Scrap Project (Tutorial)

I punched out a bunch of hearts recently and when I threw the scraps into a drawer they plopped onto some pretty paper also lying dormant in my pile. "Hmmmm..." I thought and put aside the Sunday night cleaning and got creative.

The result is a great way to use scraps, as embellishments for envelopes. Simply carefully cut around the outside of the punch, glue onto a piece of scrap fabric or paper, trim and wallah. There you have it.

Flower Bracelet (tutorial)

At some point in a wedding it feels like you're trying to put flowers on anything that moves. You corner groomsmen near the beer and grandmothers at the cake. If they hold still too long you get them with with boutonniere or corsage. It's a fun way to mark the people either in the wedding party or part of the family.

This flower bracelet from Sarah True and Chase Rivers (via SMP) is a great option for your flower covering needs. They use live flowers but I think it would work with a few adjustments with fabric flowers.

Idea: Make these at your bridal shower as either take homes or for the wedding. OR make them before the bridal shower and give them as favors.

(Via: Style Me Pretty)

Hurrah!

Thank you cards are in full production. (And no I did not spill a bottle of acrylic paint all over my parent's cherry kitchen island. What are you talking about?)

Cocktail Party Invite Tutorial (Via 100 Layer Cake)

This would be a great bridal party invite. Or really a fantastic invite to any type of party. Just change the colors of the paper according to the season. Check out the tutorial instructions at Martha Stewart.

Blog trail: 100 Layer Cake, RIFLE, Martha Stewart.

Crayon Table Numbers (Tutorial)

I love the letters, but instead think table numbers. Great for a grammar school theme wedding or bridal shower.

Find the tutorial over at Frugal Life Project.

Blog trail: Indie Handmade, Frugal Life Project

Thank You Cards

Martha Stewart Weddings says that if you want to follow proper etiquette, you should thank someone for a gift within two weeks. This seems like an odd standard. It means that couples are expected to spend their honeymoon writing thank yous. As a guest at a wedding, I don't want my friends spending a single second of their honeymoon thinking of me or some waffle iron I bought them. Silliness!

Jessica Hische (via Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Z and I have started our life as wedding guests. In a way, it's nice that we had our wedding more or less at the beginning. We will be much better guests because of it. But it also allows us to think about what kind of things we would have liked as gifts (not that we did gifts...but you get the idea.)

These Jessica Hische prints pop up as a great possibility. Or they'd be a nice bridal shower gift. Anything really. You can't go wrong with a beautiful letter (or two.)

(Via: Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Erin Ever After Shower

This is the lovely work of one of the bloggers I follow, Erin Ever After. Such a pretty design and execution.

I love that she used the table as it was. Too pretty of a piece to be covered, and it goes so well with the yellow ribbon and the value of the tags.

Via: Erin Ever After (Go there for more pretty pictures and just a cool blog.)

Drink Label Genius

Labels are one of those last minute details that have you running around like a madman.  Print, cut, fold, place. Not to mention sending them off out into the world and hoping they get to the right place while you're putting on your dress. I found a whole stack of drink labels that I never managed to get past the print stage. I realize now this meant none of our guests knew what any of our drinks were. Delicious mystery!

But why don't you just by pass the crazy with this little genius idea? So simple. So pretty. Write directly onto the containers. And don't worry about sharpie on glass. You can clean it off with some warm water and Bon Ami cleaner. (One of our monoprint artists at work taught me that trick!)

Genius from the Tom and Jess (engagement) Fest.
Photography:  Stacy Newgent
Via: Design*Sponge

Animal on a Stick

These are the incredibly cute Felt Stick Animals over at Wisteria. When I first saw them on Oh Happy Day I thought, "Oh FIMO animals! How perfect!" I thought they were for cupcakes or something. Drink swizzles. But they're not. They are the perfect childhood toy. But then it got me thinking, "Hmmmm...now back to those tiny animal heads." And some day soon I will break out the FIMO (or the felt/paper mache) and make teeny tiny animals or teeny tiny animal heads-on-sticks . Maybe birds for a bridal shower. Maybe turkeys for Thanksgiving cupcakes. Endless. Possibilities.

(Via Oh Happy Day)

Birds!

Time to start cutting out the bird silhouettes for the Halloween party. All you need is a bare room, a raw-feeling chandelier and those birds. Mood Success!

You may need vinyl cut decal birds to get the blur flapping effect. If you can't spring for vinyl but are willing to use some serious black ink and about $50 worth of ink jet overheads you might tackle the wings as well.

This incredible work is from Geremia Designs.
Blog Trail: Paper Schmaper, Desire to Inspire