getcrafty :: popular topics :: crafts :: favors

View entire thread: Seattle--Art Auction for volunteer publishing venture

Posted by maggierosie on 2005-08-17 19:29:12      Post Subject: Seattle--Art Auction for volunteer publishing venture



On Tuesday, August 30 from 6:30-9 p.m., Crawl Space will host the Rivet Magazine Art Auction, a fundraiser designed both to show and sell work by Rivet contributors and other local artists. The auction will emphasize affordable art. Funds raised will support improved production and increased color in the magazine in order to better showcase work from visual artists.

Crawl Space
504 E. Denny Way, #1
Seattle, WA 98122

Rivet is a 100 percent, volunteer publishing venture that turns the notion of niche inside out. It’s a DIY dream that favors a big-picture perspective, not an isolating, singular interest.

R14: The Union Issue hits store shelves on 9/24/05.

For more info go to: http://www.rivetmagazine.org

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View entire thread: Craft Supplies Yard Sale Sunday 3/20 Los Angeles GREAT DEALS

Posted by supercrafty on 2005-03-14 15:12:25      Post Subject: Craft Supplies Yard Sale Sunday 3/20 Los Angeles GREAT DEALS

The Crafty Girls and Boys of Stitch n' Bitch Los Angeles bring you their first ever

Craft Supplies Yard Sale
Sunday, March 20th, 2005
10 am - 2pm
1327 South Stanley Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Several members of Stitch N Bitch Los Angeles will be selling some of our vast stashes of knitting, art, crafting, sewing, craft and crocheting supplies. Many items are brand new and are priced cheap to sell, sell, sell!

Yarn - TONS of YARN!
Iron-ons
Picture frames
Fabric - Vintage and Brand New!
Beads
Magnetic snaps
Glue guns and sticks
Candles
Appliqués
Trims
Latch hook yarn
Buckram
Roll of piping/cording filler for custom cord
20 lbs. of bath salts
Essential oils to make bath salts
Several rolls of cording with lip
Feather trim & patches
Bolts of plain cotton fabric, velvets & vinyl
Sewing patterns - new and vintage
Plastic baby safety pins (shower favors)
Silk flowers
Silk bags
Purse handles
Make your own lampshade kit
Ribbon
Some scrapbooking stuff
Painting & drawing supplies
Stickers
Postcards
Pencils
Buttons
Vintage bottle caps - all unused
Craft Magazines - Knitting, Budget Living, Crafts Report
...and more!!

It will be great - don't miss out! See you Sunday!

MapQuest Link:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=1327+South+Stanley+Avenue&city=los+angeles&state=ca&zipcode=

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View entire thread: Hi, I'm new and I need your advice on a business idea!

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-11-12 21:31:40      Post Subject:

Well- you could make favors that can be turned into something else. Maybe instead of favors, what yu want to make are keepsakes, items that people will keep for a long time because they're useful and beautiful. For instance, a nice wedding shower might be a potholder with a recipe (there could be different recipes) in the bride's colors. You ould even commemorate the bride's favorite recipes. For a baby shower, you could make some other useful item.

In the old days, people sometimes kept favors because they were unusual or intrinsically lovely. Maybe you could do some research on that and come up with some ideas.

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View entire thread: surprise wedding shower

Posted by erinina on 2006-05-02 13:52:51      Post Subject: surprise wedding shower

my co-worker is getting married soon, and i am in charge of the theme/crafts/decorations/favors (they couldn't just let me bake cupcakes, right?). anyway, i am thinking of doing a beach theme since she's getting married at the shore and going to the carribbean for her honeymoon.

any suggestions on decorations and party favors? this was dumped on me at the last minute so i haven't been able to brainstrom yet. :(

thanks in advance!

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View entire thread: Hi, I'm new and I need your advice on a business idea!

Posted by dreamergirl on 2006-11-12 18:23:53      Post Subject: Hi, I'm new and I need your advice on a business idea!

Hi everyone! I found this site a few days ago so I'd ike to introduce myself :) I love making things and currently do metalwork, knitting, painting and scrapbooking, and believe me I'll be learning more things :P

I'd like your advice on a possible business idea. I'm studying applied design, which is a BA in basically metalwork, pottery, woodwork and fiber. I'm working on starting a business selling my handmade jewelry and other accessories. I can't start this right away because it will take time to get all the tools I need (pretty expensive). So one day I thought about another business I can do in the meantime. This was to have make handmade invitations, party favors, centerpieces, etc for special occassions (weddings, religious, baby showers). Here's my dilemma:

I have tons of ideas and designs but what makes me hesitate is that most people don't keep these things. They usually end up throwing away favors and those corsages that are used in like baby showers and maybe keep invitations. People sometimes take centerpieces but they don't keep them forever. What I feel bad about is contributing to more trash making and wasting paper. I guess what I'd like from you is your opinion on this. Do you think it's bad to make things people are just going to throw away? I know it may sounds silly but I'm a person who likes to recycle and is concerned with pollution. Anyway, I look forward to your responses !

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View entire thread: should ideas be free?

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-11-14 10:30:41      Post Subject:

I think it is all about scale and reciprocity.

If a close friend or someone says hey, I want to make something special for my mom, she's really into gardening, do you have any ideas. And you can say, wait, I just saw something online, and spend five minutes writing an email directing her to a tutorial. No big deal. (And I suspect this isn't the sort of thing you are referring to)

If the coworker you barely know tries to get you to design her wedding invitations, and favors, and centerpieces and then wants you to help her shop and hold her hand and walk her through assembly, then that is unfair and would certainly make you feel resentful.

If it is another creative person asking for ideas, you have the opportunity of hitting them up for ideas sometime when you are stumped. When it is entirely one-sided, you can start to feel a little used.

Obviously there is a lot of middle ground, but I get what you're saying.

For friends and family, you may just want to go with an "I don't know" if it feels like they are starting to take advantage.

With your extended circle, maybe consulting is an option. A pre-emptive website may be in order. Maybe for $50, you can give a bride-to-be and her friends a supply list and personalized instructions for $2 favors that look like they cost $10 and everybody comes out ahead. (weddings always strike me as times when otherwise non-crafty people try to be crafty to save money)

If you establish the service concept and your boundaries in advance, you can direct the coworker to your website. Might be easier/nicer than responding to requests for help with "sure, for $50."

And as stella said, certainly in the case of people who want to sell your ideas, you should be compensated somehow.

But otherwise, you can always politely decline.

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View entire thread: Decals on Ceramic? HELP!

Posted by Gluey on 2005-03-25 12:02:58      Post Subject:

It's for wedding favors. I'll probably only blog if it goes well.

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View entire thread: Hi, I'm new and I need your advice on a business idea!

Posted by dreamergirl on 2006-11-13 20:39:52      Post Subject:

Thanks for all the suggestions! These got me started on more ideas :) I thought about renting the centerpieces too, only prob is that if people take them! I'd really like to do something like this because favors etc make events more detailed and special but it sucks that later they are thrown. I posted about this in theswitchboards forum too, to get as much input and got other great ideas. I figured the way to go was to make things as functional as possible and nice enough to keep.

I asked there as well, do you think soaps in organza bags and sachets are ok? I think people can still use them and they smell nice! Thanks again :)

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View entire thread: Wedding Centerpieces?

Posted by mrsnicolaray on 2008-03-11 12:00:49      Post Subject:

There are loads of great things you can do for your centerpieces. You could:
- use a floating flower head on each table
- name the tables after different flowers and have different flowers on each table - but all the flowers are white colored or match your theme
- pile up your favors in the middle of the table as your centerpiece
- use dried flowers or silk flowers as your arrangement
- use natural objects such as shells or small branches
- lantern with a tealight in the middle
- floating candles are nice and relaxing
- a bunch of different sized candles always looks impressive
- or just a simple small flower arrangement

Best of luck!

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View entire thread: Hi, I'm new and I need your advice on a business idea!

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-11-13 14:02:32      Post Subject:

For invitations and other paper pieces - maybe you can use recycled papers to limit the environmental impact. I have also seen papers with seeds embedded in them so that you can plant the paper after the event. I have never worked with these, so I'm not sure if you can write on them print on them or hos they could be used in a card making sense, but it might be something to explore. Environmentally-friendly materials may be a marketing point with many party planners.

Another option might be to make mainly re-usable centerpieces that you rent rather than sell. Candles in the party's colors or beautiful vases with one or two cut flower stems rather than $0.50 vases and dozens of flowers.

If you are making centerpieces for guests to take, anthrogirl's idea is great. Think about how you could package useful things so that they look festive for the centerpiece but aren't pitched when the guest gets home.

Same advice for the favors. What is useful while still being inexpensive and attractive? How can you limit the amount of packaging?

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View entire thread: free time at college-need project ideas

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-09-29 15:23:52      Post Subject:

For holiday favors, you could make decorative candle wraps. Buy cheapo votive cups and tea lights at the craft store. You can decorate them however you want.

I have used a decorative holiday hole punch through some vellum secured with wire before.

You could also decoupage. Or I've seen some cool things with beads and wire knitting.

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View entire thread: free time at college-need project ideas

Posted by TeriH on 2006-09-29 13:06:34      Post Subject:

Hi,
Have you thought about 'altered books'? You can buy either a second hand book or use an old empty journal.

Paste 5 to 10 pages together at a time. Add collage pictures, photographs, magazine cutouts. Use watercolor paint washes, ink washes, computer printed words, fabrics, fibres.

I guess it's a bit like scrapbooking but all you need are scissors, ink or paints, and a stash of bits and pieces.

Here's a few links
http://www.littlebit.com/ab/alteredmain.htm
http://www.creativity-portal.com/howto/artscrafts/altered.books.html

As for party favors, could you do something foody like ginger sugar cookies in christmas shapes and decorate with red, green and white ready to use icing.

Or what about these two glittery ornaments
http://joann.com/content/projects/projectsDisplay.jhtml?articlePath=%2Fcontent%2Fprojects%2Fstatic%2Fmaking_spirits%2Fsnowflake_ornaments.jhtml&CATID=25284
http://joann.com/content/projects/projectsDisplay.jhtml?articlePath=%2Fcontent%2Fprojects%2Fstatic%2Fmaking_spirits%2Fjeweled_fruit.jhtml&CATID=25284

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View entire thread: free time at college-need project ideas

Posted by dancediva731 on 2006-09-29 12:07:04      Post Subject: free time at college-need project ideas

I'm seem to have a lot of free time at school. I've been doing a lot of crochet work and cross stitch but need some other ideas of things to do. Anyone have any ideas of some projects I could do that don't require too much material. I'm living in a dorm room so I don't have too much space for craft supplies. I've thought of scrapbooking but don't want to bring all my supplies there....I figure when I really want to scrapbook I can do it at home on the weekends. I can't come up with any ideas of craft ideas for some reason.

I am also looking for a small Christmas/holiday project to give as favors for a party. Something cute, creative but cheap. My family has a party every year and last year I painted the plaster ornaments, a couple years ago I made candy snowmen. We have to make around 75.

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View entire thread: Awesome Thumbtacks?

Posted by sarabell on 2006-08-08 15:56:52      Post Subject:

i'll bet if you go to a party store, you could find nifty little party favors you could turn into thumbtacks.

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View entire thread: Special touches for thanksgiving dinner

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-11-09 11:57:54      Post Subject:

You've come to the right place.

First, the kids. You might want to put white paper with crayons on their table, and let them draw on it while getting ready for dinner. That will keep them busy. You can also give them brown paper, construction paper, a stapler and safety scissors so that they can make 'hand' turkeys to decorate the table. The grandparents can assist them. Everyone's name can be written on the turkeys, so they can also serves as place holders.

For decorations- you can fill little baskets with candy corn and decorate the basket handles with curling ribbon in brown, orange and yellow. You can also put tiny pumpkins next to each place setting, or use a larger hollowed-out pumpkin with an bowl in it as an impromptu soup tureen.

If you take rounds or squares of construction paper in Thanksgiving colors, turn them into cones (you can even layer the colors and shapes) and decorate the edges with a thin line of glue and some glitter. fill each finished one with candy (candy corn, little chocolate pumpkins, and maybe even a small toy or two). Make one for each guest and put them on the plates as favors to take home.

For the main table, you can buy inexpensive fabric that's about a foot to a foot and a half wide and use it as a runner down the center of the table. If you get two pieces in different widths and colors (or textures) layer them so you get a color contrast. You can drape the chairs too- which is a good idea with children anyway.

And finally, if you want to keep the kids busy, you can hide small pumpkins somewhere in the house or in the backyard and send the kids on a pumpkin hunt. The kids who finds the most pumpkins gets a prize, or gets to be king or queen of the the table and wear a crown during dinner.

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View entire thread: Year of the Pig - Lunar New Year

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-11-25 13:56:08      Post Subject:

I'd say ordering dim sum from a local restaruant (you can plan the menu with them) would be the best idea.

http://partysupplieshut.com/chinese-new-year/
http://www.plumparty.com/partysupplies/asia.html
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/foodfestivals/tp/foodsymbolism.htm
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/NewYearParty.htm
http://www.asianideas.com/chnewyesu.html

All of these should help- they're links to info on party goods, tradtional foods and their meanings, and ideas on entertainment.

Since you are in Seattle, why don't you find out if there is a kid's kung fu school or Chinese dance troupe that would be willing to perform for a donation? Or you could have someone throwing I Ching sticks and reading peoples' fortunes. For favors, you can give out red envelopes with 'Happy New Year' written on them; one of them could contain a gift certificate to a local Chinese restaurant.

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View entire thread: suggest a candle crafter for my wedding?

Posted by FunkyUtopia on 2006-05-01 02:12:54      Post Subject:

definately check out http://www.SparklePuss.com

i just ordered a bunch of her currant cascade scented soy candles as favors! they are amazing!! email the owner, michelle, she can do personalization, labels or even something custom for you.

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View entire thread: suggest a candle crafter for my wedding?

Posted by msfish on 2006-04-25 15:30:59      Post Subject: suggest a candle crafter for my wedding?

it's four months until my wedding day (gulp!) and i need to get moving on favors. originally i wanted to make travel candles for everyone myself, but given the ninety jillion other things i'm putting together already, i think i'd rather delegate the job to an expert. i do NOT want to go through a wedding favor website - i'd like to throw some business to an indie artisan. do any of you know someone who might fit the bill?

thank you for your help!

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View entire thread: chocolate party

Posted by ad_ho on 2004-07-19 16:16:15      Post Subject:

Check out the recent issue of MS Wedding for various 'chocolate favors.'

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View entire thread: wedding gift ideas

Posted by Pokey on 2006-01-29 14:24:28      Post Subject:

I have been in three wedding parties in recent years and the brides are always recruiting people to help with centre pieces for the tables, decorations for the reception, creating the "take home" favors (most don't go for the monogramed matchbooks anymore). There are all kinds of ways you can flex your crafty muscles to help out brides! One of my sister's best friends made her veil for her. The woman is great at sewing and couldn't believe the bridal shop was charging like $150 for a veil. So she made my sister's veil as her wedding gift.

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View entire thread: Quote book

Posted by canary on 2006-11-19 22:38:21      Post Subject:

have you ever been to quoteland?

http://www.quoteland.com/

a few of my favorites:
Fortune favors the bold
Fall seven times, stand up eight
Knowledge speaks while wisdom listens

I use quotes in my crafts alot, and I like the meaningful kind, too.

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View entire thread: I Just Did Something....

Posted by canary on 2005-06-14 09:33:38      Post Subject:

I can understand your reluctance to put yourself on the line. But, taking chances is part of building success, right? After you've put so much passion into your crafts it attaches certain emotions to anything that seems negative about it. Don't ever let critisism stop you, because you can use that energy to improve. The older I get, the less it (rejection) bothers me.

Be prepared---practice on your family or friends about how to approach people and talk about your craft. You'll find that you DO have confidence! You really had it all along...

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD---title of my most recent project.

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View entire thread: Confessions of a Bottomfeeder

Posted by Marina-Trilobyte on 2005-03-10 09:23:39      Post Subject:

I think the author of the first article is lucky that some people in her family choose the "drone" lifestyle

That's what bugged me about these articles. You can do sustainable living or frugal living without being a grifter or a leech. Equating dumpster diving with sleazing does dumpster diving no favors.

Also, I didn't like the sanctimonious "You're be fit and healthy and never need a doctor if you do this and if you do need a doctor, it's only because you're doing something wrong" tone.

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View entire thread: making your own tea?

Posted by itzie on 2007-10-15 18:13:07      Post Subject: making your own tea?

Hi All -

I am planning to have a dinner party and wanted to give favors out of tin of homemade teas...has anyone ever made their own tea and how/what did you make it with?

I have some camomille and lemongrass and mint that I bought in bulk or dried from my garden so I was thinking about making a mixture of that...but I'd also like to figure out how to make a heartier mix since it is that time of year!

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View entire thread: "RENT" theme party ideas

Posted by janesaintclair on 2006-02-02 09:35:43      Post Subject: "RENT" theme party ideas

Hi everyone! (and especially fans of RENT)

I'm looking for ideas for a RENT theme party I'm hosting. I'm lucky enough to be married to someone who works with a performing arts center where the touring company of RENT is rehearsing before their tour and performing a couple of shows. Since I'm a huge fan of the show (and now the movie!), we're hosting a party for about 30 people before one of the shows. So, I'd like to do a RENT-theme, and I'm looking for ideas... food, decorations, party-favors, whatever comes to mind. And, I knew this was the place to come! All ideas and thoughts will be appreciated!!!

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View entire thread: Frustrated with man, any advise?

Posted by Katrin on 2005-08-11 22:31:45      Post Subject:

I'm with Kissmyknitz on this one. Your guy sees that his friend is a "good person"? Good people don't verbally abuse their spouses, attempt suicide in front of their children or issue death threats to anyone. The friend is seriously disturbed and a danger to himself and others. He needs help, and not the kind of help an enabling friend can provide.

It's honorable that he wants to be a good role model for his friend's kids, but that's a self-righteous excuse to avoid making any unpleasant changes in the friendship. He's not doing them any favors by sticking with their dad through all his screwups. He's being a co-dependent doormat and sending the message that even if other adults don't do the bad stuff Daddy does, they still condone it and can't/won't make it stop.

You have the right idea, reporting the family to Social Services. It sounds as if the #1 priority is to get the mother and kids to safety away from the father. Of course if you and your SO are involved in that, he'll likely see it as a betrayal of the friendship, lay a huge guilt trip on your SO and blame you for "turning him against his friend". Well, TOUGH. The guy needs professional help, and if your SO really cares about him and his family, he'll realize that it's worth temporarily sacrificing their friendship to get it.

As far as your staying with him through all this behavior - It's up to you. Being the audience for someone else's trainwreck drama (and thereby "having it good" by comparison) is a lot easier than doing any work to improve his own life. It's telling that you recognize this friendship is holding him back that way. Ask yourself in what ways he is holding you back and what your relationship with him is helping you avoid. It may be that if this particular situation is resolved, he'll just move on to something similar. Could you put up with his pretending to save hopeless causes for the rest of your life?

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View entire thread: Need your input, por favor!

Posted by PamTheQueen on 2004-06-07 22:01:17      Post Subject:

Four times a year (each season!), you could feature wedding-inspired projects. For example: ideas for unique fall wedding favors or centerpieces. Or gifts to give your attendants. Or gifts to give a bride and groom. ETC. If you look at all the wedding idea books, all the schtuff looks like same. *YOU* could certainly whip up some niftier projects that are unique and cool!

I can only imagine what a wedding you could put on would look like!!!

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View entire thread: Speaking of weddings...

Posted by brdgt on 2005-01-20 22:06:16      Post Subject:

I was actually thinking Tiffany's Bakery's strawberry shortcake for our wedding cake. Mmmmm. It has the best icing...
But we may just have to have Tastycakes, too.

Our cake was white cake with strawberry jam between layers and buttercream frosting, yummy!

There's one other minor detail I forgot to mention: no bridesmaids! (Too many people to pick among, sisters, cousins and best friends. Plus, I'm not picking out bridesmaids dresses or expecting a large crew to fly to Italy. Not gonna happen.)

Some friends of our just had the Maid of Honor and the Best Man, no bridesmaids or ushers - it was really nice and very fitting for them.

I'm thinking maybe bowls of lemons and limes for centerpieces to go with our yellow and green colors. I'm making my own invitations and visitor-info packets, and the favors aren't expensive. Bulk teabags and honey sticks are pretty cheap, but at least people will use them. I hope I don't insult anyone here by raggin' on plasic swans with chalky mints in them.

I LOVE that idea (lemons and limes).

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View entire thread: Party this Sat: Last-minute help

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-02-21 15:30:50      Post Subject:

Party favors would be good, like maybe those paper tiaras for all the women and carnation boutonnnieres for all the men.

The menu sounds great, by the way. Are you serving martinis, or any cocktails?
I find pita dries out very quickly. Instead of bread, which you already have, how about vegetables for dipping? Baby carrots, celery, small tomatoes- that sort of thing. They also add color to the table.

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View entire thread: Speaking of weddings...

Posted by brdgt on 2005-01-17 19:02:25      Post Subject:

Congratulations! I got married in 2000 :)

For pretty much everything at your wedding, if you are trying to save money, keep reminding yourself that people are there to celebrate the joyous occasion with you, not eat steak, get expensive wedding favors, or drink at an open bar.

One of the prettiest centerpieces I saw at a wedding were single tapered candles in hurricane glasses (rented from the caterer). The candles were romantic and the hurricane glass made the centerpiece large enough to get noticed. Another great centerpiece idea I saw (and this really only goes for a small wedding) was that the bridesmaids bouquets doubled as the centerpieces. Before the ceremony they walked up, took them out of the vases, used them during the ceremony and then put them back.

Since my wedding was not religous and I refused to do traditions like tossing the bouquet and the garter, we did other things, like the guestbook table had framed photographs of as many family weddings that we could find (his parents, my parents, my grandparents, etc.) I didn't have a flower girl, but I asked my niece to hold onto the psalm book that holds my father's parent's marriage certificate during the ceremony. She felt very special and pointed it out to everyone.

My only regret from my wedding was the disc jockey. We should have just made our own mix cd, because he was horrible.

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View entire thread: Speaking of weddings...

Posted by Gluey on 2005-01-17 17:07:25      Post Subject: Speaking of weddings...

Hello!
I just got engaged and will be tying the knot in about a year-and a half. We live in LA, but will be having an immediate-family-only, no-frills wedding in Italy (who needs pew-wreaths when you've got the Collesseum?) and a reception in Philadelphia, which is where we went to school and is also halfway between my family in Pittsburgh and his family in Connecticut. We've already got some details down: the wedding colors are moss green & bright yellow, we will serve a light buffet of "Philly food" (cheesesteaks, water ice, pretzels, etc...) at the fun, informal reception, and our wedding favors will be gourment tea bags. But there is a lot of stuff I could use some advice on. Like...

Has anyone gotten married in Italy or overseas before and can you tell me ANYTHING that I could possibly need to know? We still need ideas for centerpieces and decorations that look expensive, but aren't at all. Or first inclination was to have the reception in a hotel ballroom, but now I think I might like it in a museum or gallery or some other kind of space (outdoors is ok, too)-- so long as they don't mind dancing and an open bar. What worked for you? What did you think would work, but didn't. What did you think wouldn't work, but did? Any fun traditions you'd like to share?

I've got over a year to plan this puppy-- I'll take all the advice I can get.

Thanks!

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View entire thread: Speaking of weddings...

Posted by Gluey on 2005-01-20 16:49:14      Post Subject:

Hah! Tastycakes! I love it!

I was actually thinking Tiffany's Bakery's strawberry shortcake for our wedding cake. Mmmmm. It has the best icing...
But we may just have to have Tastycakes, too.

Sewpunk-- can you tell me anything more about renting a room out at the park? That sounds like a really nice idea. Do they allow for a small buffet and dancing? Do they have an alcohol permit? How funny that we're doing the same thing, but in reverse!

I've been to Italy before-- Rome, Venice, and Florence-- and absolutely loved it. That's why I'm going back. I still don't know the best place to hold the ceremony yet. Rome is amazing, especially at night, and I'd get great pictures; Venice is quiet and peacful (who wouldn't want that on their wedding day?); but then again, I hear the countryside outside of Florence is absolutely breathtaking. The catholic thing isn't a problem for me as I'm catholic myself. And, yeah, it's also the honeymoon. What I'm more interested in is the technical details of a wedding overseas.

Oh, and has anyone ever used a wedding planner (the person-- like J. Lo (well... not exactly like J.Lo)-- not the book)? And how did that work out for you? I'm thinking that might be easier than pouring all of my time into long-distance arrangements.

There's one other minor detail I forgot to mention: no bridesmaids! (Too many people to pick among, sisters, cousins and best friends. Plus, I'm not picking out bridesmaids dresses or expecting a large crew to fly to Italy. Not gonna happen.)

I'm thinking maybe bowls of lemons and limes for centerpieces to go with our yellow and green colors. I'm making my own invitations and visitor-info packets, and the favors aren't expensive. Bulk teabags and honey sticks are pretty cheap, but at least people will use them. I hope I don't insult anyone here by raggin' on plasic swans with chalky mints in them.

And thanks for all the good advice (I'll be sure to choose my D.J. wisely)! Keep it coming!

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View entire thread: An Unlikely Bride

Posted by calicoon on 2005-08-14 22:08:13      Post Subject:

I made my own dress, mainly because I'd look like a small cake in tulle! If you want tons of white takeout boxes for favors, email me!

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View entire thread: HELP ME THROW A LAUI

Posted by Sewlittletime on 2005-06-23 00:11:15      Post Subject:

Check out Oriental Trading Company's website. They ahve a ton of decorations, favors, and paper goods w/ a Luau theme. Fun stuff!!

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View entire thread: i have a zillion baby food jars

Posted by Slinkster on 2005-03-04 10:52:54      Post Subject:

You can use them to put party favors in for your baby's birthday. Or just party favors for whoever has the next baby shower?

The snowglobe idea is adorable.

My sisters FIL uses them to make hanging candles, have you tried that? (yes, I know you don't need more candles)

Ebay them?

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View entire thread: Cool Handmade Gifts for Kids

Posted by mandykittie on 2008-05-07 11:52:54      Post Subject:

We made shirts with detachable capes as party favors for my daughter's birthday (small party=good favors!) I got some t-shirts at hobby lobby and some cool iron-on letters to spell out their superhero name on the front. I cut a cape shape out of jersey (no hemming since it doesn't fray, then used iron-on velcro on the shoulders and cape to keep them together. The kids LOVED them, and I think that they turned out really well!

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View entire thread: i have a zillion baby food jars

Posted by sarabell on 2005-03-04 13:32:12      Post Subject: aha!

You can use them to put party favors in for your baby's birthday. Or just party favors for whoever has the next baby shower?

The snowglobe idea is adorable.

My sisters FIL uses them to make hanging candles, have you tried that? (yes, I know you don't need more candles)

Ebay them?

i do like that hanging candle idea - i could actually USE those! i just can't have candles sitting around at this point because someone might decide to climb up wherever i have so he can blow them out. so what - use wire? i've got the gears working.... hmm.... and i've got a ton of copper wire i scrounged from some contractors working next door..... good one! thanks!

that also solves the problem i had with using the jars without the lids. planning on using those for something else.

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View entire thread: do you have crafty kids?

Posted by MRSM103 on 2005-05-20 12:10:46      Post Subject:

My ten year old and I often do scrapbooking together. We started when she was about 7 and we took some classes together when she was 8. Our latest project together was homemade pencil and pen holders that she gave out as favors to all of her girlfriends at her last sleepover. She is usually interested in any craft that I do and wants to help. (Wish I could keep her at this age, with me forever. :( )

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View entire thread: any nice bikinis for this summer?

Posted by illybang on 2005-06-10 13:47:11      Post Subject:

I don't think I could pull off the boy shorts. I have short legs to start out with, and boy shorts don't do me any favors.
hun, i'm 5'3 and i wear boy shorts all the time... great coverage!
don't worry about being short and wearing them, you probably look hot cha cha and are being too hard on yourself ;)

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View entire thread: any nice bikinis for this summer?

Posted by sallysunshine on 2005-06-10 11:54:59      Post Subject:



sallysunshine: congratulations on your first bikini ever, i like the idea of parisian scenes. does it look retro?


It's not so retro. It's the one on the left here.

I think my favorite one was the one on the right here. Unfortunately, they didn't have the top in my size, and I don't think I could pull off the boy shorts. I have short legs to start out with, and boy shorts don't do me any favors.

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View entire thread: Music/Drum Birthday Party Ideas

Posted by Selah on 2006-02-20 08:57:48      Post Subject: Music/Drum Birthday Party Ideas

I'm doing it again, planning for his birthday WAY in advance. My son is going to have a music themed (drums are his favortie) 4th birthday party. I've thought about making drum cupcakes with pretzels dipped in white chocolate for the drum sticks - any ideas for the icing? I'm saving playdough cups for shakie thingies, maybe oatmeal containers to make drums. For the party favors I think we're going to make mix cds of my son's favorite songs. Any other ideas for decorations, games, snacks, invitation, or anything? Thanks

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View entire thread: ridiculous dilemma, but has interesting discussion potential

Posted by brdgt on 2005-02-24 09:06:32      Post Subject:

I have single and childfree friends who have memberships to Costco and love it, but the few times I've been with them I just don't see anything that I would normally buy. It was handy for my best friend's bridal shower - we went and got bulk appetizers, drinks, and even party favors.

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View entire thread: Baby Showers

Posted by tootsiecat on 2006-02-08 08:19:39      Post Subject:

as a single person with no kids i hate showers. mostly because of the cheesey games. what i do find nice is offering nice food and drink and sweet, clever, little favors. now's your chance to be very crafty. my favorite shower was an afternoon tea!

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View entire thread: Guys gone wild!

Posted by kittensrme on 2006-01-31 20:43:55      Post Subject:

Wouldn't it be nice if instead of women ormen being exploited more porn was made that was erotic and good?

Argh, I know! I am a big fan of naked people, but there is so much awful, degrading porn out there that can really, erm, ruin the mood when I come across it. For instance, I have never seen Bang Bus, but I have come across something called Chick Tricks, which is based on the concept of getting girls into pornos... and then not paying them the money they were promised. I remember one that involved girls exchanging sexual favors for rent, too.

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View entire thread: theme parties

Posted by keeeen on 2005-04-20 15:19:18      Post Subject:

we've had lots of fun theme parties some of my fav's

- white trash party: food was bbq, but had pork rinds, spam etc scattered over the tables, dressed in a budweiser tshirt, cut up skanky of course!, got confederate flag temp tattoos, people had lots of fun dressing up, one guy came in a mechanic suit with his neck painted bright red...and the kicker to the party, we made a mud wrestling pit! We hauled in 2 tons of dirt, threw it in a kiddie pool and streamed water over it...that was FUN!!!!

- I Wish I was 5 Again: people dressed like they were kids, everyone had to bring a picture of themselves at 5 and we made a poster and had people guess who was who...had kiddie party favors

- post it party: hand everyone a pad of post-its and a pen when they come in the door...everyone posts on each other all night long, gets really interesting as the alcohol sets in! I had about 40 on me at the end of the night!


I still want to do :

- Voodoo Party: bleached chicken bones, voodoo dolls, crazy outfits,blood red drinks and of course a live chicken running around the yard!

- Super Hero Party: have everyone make up and come dressed as a super hero, this one has been tough to pull off since I figure I should give people at least a month to make their outfit and I never get organized to plan that much in advance

Have fun!

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View entire thread: cat food

Posted by msfish on 2005-06-21 17:30:44      Post Subject:

Aslan loves spinach and lettuce. He goes nuts for the stuff when I'm making salads, way more than for meat. I think it's because he's an indoor-only cat though, and cats are supposed to eat a certain quantity of grass. So I always leave him a few leaves.

funny how they choose their "greens," isn't it? my sister's cat goes crazy for bananas, and one of my guys favors our potted cacti, spines and all.

grass is primarily important as an emetic for cats - it helps them get rid of swallowed hair and excess food. that said, when i worked at an SPCA pharmacy, most of the really old (20 yrs and up) cats got a regular supply of veggies from their people (julian, a gorgeous 25-year-old tabby, ate boiled carrots with his dinner every day).

as for the premium food debate, it can be rough to wean a super-finicky cat from the cheaper stuff if it's been their primary diet for a long time - but the extra work and expense is certainly worthwhile. in addition to urinary difficulties, additives like ash can cause severe kidney damage - which usually isn't diagnosed until the cat's already a senior, and then it's irreversible (though treatable). unless a kitty repeatedly refuses the gradual introduction of healthy food (that above link from about.com is great for brand listings), it's ALWAYS worth it to make the switch.

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View entire thread: Bridezilla... help!

Posted by rmeb on 2005-01-03 16:50:43      Post Subject:

Thanks, del. I hope that you're right that it's circumstances that are making her act like this and not some major personality change. I guess it's good to get some perspective from other people because I was having a hard time understanding what is going on. I'm just not the type of person who really wants everything in my wedding (or any aspect of my life) to be perfect or even be a certain way, and I think that sometimes people get too carried away with planning every detail. I've been to lots of weddings, but if I try, I can't really remember what kind of bridesmaids dresses they were wearing, or what the favors were. What I can really remember are the ones where everyone had fun and the bride and groom really seemed truly in love.

I hope that my wedding is a place where everyone has a great time and I get a chance to celebrate with my friends and family that I love. I could care less what color my bridesmaids' shoes are or whether the guys wear a bow tie or a regular tie. BUT- I guess I have to keep remembering that there are people out there that do care, and my friend is obviously one of them. Thanks for all of your input.

*r

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View entire thread: Need Ideas for Handmade Wedding Favors

Posted by madepersonal on 2005-07-11 14:33:30      Post Subject: Need Ideas for Handmade Wedding Favors

Does any one have any ideas for handmade wedding favors? I'm looking for crafty ideas that don't look like they're mass produced in China. Thanks!

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View entire thread: DIY wedding ideas?

Posted by Marcie on 2007-11-13 18:32:32      Post Subject:

This is fun. My husband and I will have been married for 2 years in February. We couldnt afford much because I was still in school and he is a teacher, so, we did everything ourselves and spent less than $1000 including dress!

-For the dress, I found a consignment shop that sold wedding boutique sample dresses - dresses that were on display but never actually worn. I found the PERFECT dress that didn't need to be altered at all. The same dress online was roughly $1500, and I bought it for $200.

-The church was free because I taught preschool at the church school.

-We got our flowers from Central Market. I wanted to use white Calla Lilies and roses, and they were the only place in Dallas that would guarantee white. They were really inexpensive and perfect quality! I was very happy!

-Target has boxes of wedding invitations. I designed the print and printed them myself. The box of 100 was about $25!

-We cut out a lot of things too - no favors or programs. Weddings are pretty typical, and no one needs to read what song is playing when the entire ceremony lasts less than 30 minutes anyways. Plus, the people that come to your wedding are coming because they love you, not because they want you to give them something. Favors are unnecessary.

-My mom and I made the bridesmaid's wraps and we had the groomsmen just wear black suits - every man has one, and that way they didn't have to rent tuxes. We bought matching ties at Steinmart for $6 a piece (quality on sale!!)

-My sister's high school music teacher played the piano for us, and one of our professors from college who was an ordained minister did our ceremony. We also had a friend who was in an accapella quartet. They sang the Lord's prayer and it was beautiful!

-We made the grooms cake - Texas sheet cake, yum! And my aunt made the wedding cake. I LOVE the idea of a cupcake cake - I wanted to do that, but my mom put a nix to it.

- My mom, aunt and I made all the food and punch for the reception.

-My sister made a mix on her IPOD for the music for the reception, so, no hiring a DJ or band.

AND, my aunt is a professional photographer, so, she did our entire wedding for free! She is awesome, feel free to check out her site at www.lisapittman.com



It was fun reading all of your ideas! Word of advice for any of you getting married. This is YOUR day and it is supposed to be fun!! Don't stress and above all else, if someone tries to help you, let them! If your cake falls over on the day of the wedding, no one will care! It will be something funny to laugh about years from now! The only thing that matters is the vow you are making to your spouse. That is the only thing that should consume your thoughts on that day! Good luck!

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View entire thread: Anyone getting married?

Posted by Chelsea on 2005-04-15 22:22:56      Post Subject:

Congrats :) I got married 5 months ago. And I had mostly the typical wedding because I fell in love with my dress. I would've loved to have my aunt make a dress for me, but she ended up breaking an arm and her collar bone! We wouldn't have had much time either.

Most of the money went to the photographer and the reception (decor and food), so if you have a few friends (more than one person means you get more than one view/style and some pics that the other person might miss) to do the photography and bring your own food then you'll save a TON of money.

Plus making bouquets and flower arrangements (like centerpieces) are SO easy! I am a part time florist, so if you want to try something like that yourself you can ask me anything. The biggest waste of money (my boss might shoot me for this heh) when you buy flowers is paying the person to do them for you. Unless you're short on time or it's a complicated arrangement you just have to have, then do it yourself.

Most everything you can make yourself. Favors, decorations, invitations, and I wanted to make more for my wedding, but we ran out of time and I would've been overwhelmed. (we were engaged for almost a year but didn't know if we could afford a wedding until a couple months before).

Good luck!

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View entire thread: non-traditional outdoor wedding ideas?

Posted by sewpunk on 2005-06-24 13:29:51      Post Subject:

I had a 'Zen' wedding, outside in a Japanese Garden/ Ceremonal Tea house, in the park near my house.

Everyone was barefoot (per rules of the garden/tea house) including our pastor and us. We have lots of cute feet pic's.

We had our reception at a restaurant though, can't help you there, but we carried the theme through to choosing an Asian Pacific restaurant, and gave fortune cookies as our favors. The restaurant is actually a boat, so we had our cocktail hour on the top deck. It was a great day.

Don't fret, just enjoy the planning and the day! It all goes by so fast. :)

Good luck and Congratulations!

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View entire thread: Need Ideas for Handmade Wedding Favors

Posted by JediEmpressMel on 2005-07-17 01:19:47      Post Subject:

Ya.. I would go for candy, or even cupcakes, anything that can be eaten. Banana bread, fudge, candy, anything works.
I personally hate wedding favors, because quite honestly, I despise knick knacks. I'd rather get something I can use up like soap/candles, donated money in my name, or food than something that just sits around collecting dust. I think most people are like that...

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View entire thread: non-traditional outdoor wedding ideas?

Posted by brdgt on 2005-06-24 12:36:36      Post Subject:

The great thing about an outdoor wedding is that you save so much money on flowers and decorations :) My wedding was outside and we just had some potted plants at the end of the aisle.

One of my friends had a very small wedding, like what you are shooting for, and one of the neat things they did was the bridesmaids' bouquets doubled as the centerpieces. Before the ceremony they were in vases on the tables, during the ceremony they held them, and then they put them back for the rest of the night. They also just bought some cases of wine and keg for an informal bar. They did splurg on food though, being big foodies :) Another couple we know just made a couple mix cd's a played them on a borrowed speaker system rather than pay a dj.

Since you are trying for something nontraditional and small, just try and think of it as planning a party, not a wedding, then you won't get bogged down in what brides are "supposed to do" and what traditional weddings "must" have (like wedding favors - first thing to drop if you are saving money, people are there to see your happy day, not get a bookmark!)

Some people don't like the idea, but with a wedding that small you could even do a potluck so save on food expenses. Maybe provide a few big things and ask close friend to bring certain dishes (maybe your favorites and request a recipe card as well ;)

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View entire thread: Need Ideas for Handmade Wedding Favors

Posted by MrsRoc on 2005-07-11 16:26:47      Post Subject:

Our favors were homemade but rather labor intensive. We got 2 inch white boxes off of ebay for about 10 cents each. I went to a cake bakers shop and special ordered chocolate molds with the initial "R" (new laas name initial) I made chocolate tablets in dark and white choclate and wrapped them in tulle. Then plunked them in the boxes, wrapped them with a corresponding ribbon and had labels made from Vistaprint (customized address labels but no one knew!) which I stuck on the side.

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View entire thread: Need Ideas for Handmade Wedding Favors

Posted by sun bear on 2005-07-15 10:12:58      Post Subject:

you know what? No one really cares about favors, i mean they like getting them but they don't cherish them so I recommend candy (which they may eat, i still have wedding favor candy sitting in a dish since DEC!) or what i saw most recently, a hand tied scroll that said a donation had been made in my name to the children's hospital, I'm guessing they either give you those papers if you make a donation, or they allow you to use their logo? Anyway I thought that was really sweet and I don't have to feel bad about tossing the paper b/c the gift was to the hospital

jt

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View entire thread: non-traditional outdoor wedding ideas?

Posted by PamTheQueen on 2005-06-24 08:58:42      Post Subject:

I've had the pleasure of doing the music for many outdoor/backyard weddings. I prefer homegrown weddings over big fancy hotel venue weddings.

The advice and ideas you've received so far are fantastic. It might also help to pick a theme. I'm not saying that to be cheesy, but rather if you come up with a theme (even if it just a color scheme), it will be easier to narrow down details like decor and food.

Examples i've seen:

Luau wedding
Beach Wedding (similar to luau, but more east coast and no hawaiian motifs)

Fairy wedding (bride and bridesmaids had wings, guests were given ribbon wands to hold over the aisle as bride walked down)

4th of July (flag buntings, livesaver rocket favors, sparklers, white picket fence altar)

Fall theme (pumpkins scooped out for floral centerpieces, apple candles, cider)

Halloween

- - - - - - - - - --- - - - - -

I've seen many backyards/frontyards and interiors turned into something magical just with the way the fabric was draped and lights were set up behind the draped fabric.

I personally think those white wooden chairs you can rent are worth the investment. I just did a wedding in Asheville, NC and we set up 100 of those on a hillside of the groom's parents' property. It was cheaper to set them up ourselves than have the rental company do them. We also picked them from the rental store instead of delivery.

I've seen weddings where they used metal chairs outside. BAD IDEA IF IT IS HOT OUTSIDE! hehe Plus they look institutional.

Have a backup plan if the weather turns crappy. I know this is hard to think about and I always hate bringing it up with my brides, but the weather has a mind of it's own. I've seen many brides stress out because they didn't have a backup plan or because they really waited until the last minute to make a decision and a plan. My bride for tomorrow has had an openmind about the possibility she will have to take it inside and has a plan already in place if that needs to happen. She's supposed to get married in a park, but if the weather is going to be 90+ or any chance of rain, she is taking it inside the art center. I'm supposed to know today and based on what i've heard on the news, it doesn't look good now for outside.

Music - I *heart* the jukebox idea! You can also rent a small system (Fender Passport or Peavey Escort are good ones that are portable, sound good and won't piss off neighbors) and hook up your iPod or laptop with playlists. Of course, friends or relatives who play guitar or whatever are awesome, too. It really depends on what your tastes are and if you expect to dance or just toe tap.

I could talk about weddings all day, too! I've been doing them for 10 years!

BTW, congratulations. :)

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View entire thread: Crafty Wedding DIY ideas help!

Posted by ambelina on 2005-01-25 17:53:34      Post Subject:

I think spending a lot of time working on the text of the ceremony saved my bacon for my wedding. My Mr. & I spent a LOT of time talking about WHY on earth we were having a wedding at all. I really really didn't want one and he really really did. We did, and it was great, and it was cheap.

The ceremony and the discussions of why to have a wedding (because people like you! they want to be a part of your life! they want to participate!) saved us in so many ways because it helped us focus on what we were doing. We were hosting a party. And the most important thing, and the thing we spent the most time and energy on, was planning how to help the guests have a good time and be comfortable. We live in New York City, and none of our family does, so we made a little "How? When? Where? Help!" sheet that had info about how to get around town, parking near the wedding, all that stuff. And with our carefully crafted ceremony, people paid so much attention to the ceremony that no one bothered me that I didn't wear white, I didn't carry a bouquet, my flower girls didn't match (me or each other), they didn't throw rose petals, my father didn't escort me, etc., etc. etc. We even managed to get away with having the ceremony in a church without mentioning God OR offending the religious relatives.

When all of the details had to get taken care of, like centerpieces and favors and all that jazz, it was easier to get over the things that weren't going to work or would take too much time or money - I wasn't having a wedding so I could nitpick about every "dream" detail - I was throwing a party for people to enjoy.

Another thing that saved our bacon was that the best man is a project planner by trade. He came over with his laptop and we went over all the details of who was who and who was doing what and what needed to get managed. On the big day, no one asked me who was transporting this thing or that, or where's the check for the dj or is grandma's car service on the way - since we had really thought about all the stuff that was going on and gave him all the info he needed, he ran the show. One place NOT to scrimp is on the gifts for your attendants.

Cheap & easy tips for the traditional wedding trappings:

Centerpieces/decorations: if you're doing spring/summer, buy little plants that are packed for planting, put them in groups on the tables in cheap little dollar-store baskets or artfully crumpled paper bags. Our guests took them home and raved all summer about how nice it was to see flowers from our wedding growing in their yards.

Favors: I hated the idea of Jordan Almonds, but seriously, who wants a little ceramic dove lying around the house? So, I got little glassine/vellum envelopes and put a few in each envelope and closed them with stickers with the guests names on them (just regular old printer labels) - they picked them up at the reception and became placecards & favors. I made a few extra for the last minute additions with "We're so glad you came!" on them.

Fresh flowers on the cake: search the web for pictures. This may be something you can do yourself with a cheap grocery store cake & they can be really really gorgeous. Also, even getting a baker to do fresh flowers is often faster & cheaper for them than going through the pains of making them with icing.

Food: Try "catering" with a huge order of take-out appetizers from an ethnic restautant. Picture platters of little Chinese or Indian dumplings, salads, etc. Depending on presentation, this can serve as a meal.

Drink: We found that we could get various options for a pay-for-yourself or open bar - we ended up having open bar for wine or beer & pay-yourself for hard liquour, but we also could have opted for open bar for soda & pay-yourself for all alcohol. Also, cheap champagne is not necessarily bad. For $4, try a bottle of Andre, and you'll get what I mean. Really. Even our wine connoisseur pals loved it.

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View entire thread: Crafty Wedding DIY ideas help!

Posted by sun bear on 2004-12-29 10:30:56      Post Subject:

I'm compiling ideas from weddings I've participated in. Filene's basement $249 wedding gown, $40 dollar marshall's bridesmaid dress, single orchid on table decorated with raffia and river rocks, versus expensive arrangement, home-made invitations, favors bought at half price at crate and barrell after christmas (silver photo clips).
no video (not everyone wants a video, don't feel pressured to have one)
friends who are musicians provide live music, and most of all, being prepared. My friend wanted to throw a simple dinner party to celebrate her elopment and it turned into a huge deal, we were shopping for favors and creating them the night before, they made a slideshow of their trip to tahiti and finished it 40 min after the party started, etc etc...they weren't ready for the party and I think it cost them in enjoyment and also having to pay for things like flower arrangements, when they could have used and liked the orchid idea, but someone had already ordered centerpieces for them. Obviously all these ideas weren't implemented in the same wedding, but you could try to hit most of them, i know some of them came from huge newport mansion style affairs, but i scaled them back to make them reasonable, or in other cases, people made their own invites, because they wanted something different and it also happened to save money :)

In the case of getting your bridesmaid dresses at marshalls, you could buy them for the bridesmaids and say instead of buying them costume jewlery, they can wear their own favorite pieces. I know that bridesmaid dresses can be a big burden on friends and they won't want to wear a triple strand of fake pearls day to day anyway :)

good luck!
jt

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View entire thread: Crafty Wedding DIY ideas help!

Posted by supercrafty on 2005-02-22 01:32:03      Post Subject:

WOW! Thanks so much for all the suggestions everyone. A bit of time has lapsed between my original post and now, so I'll update you on some things I've learned and decided to do for the wedding...many thanks to many of the posts here for the ideas and suggestions.

I feel fortunate in my learned ability to delegate things to others. Also, I have no problem paying someone else to do something if it will cost the same or less than for me to do said task myself. There are only 24 hours in a day!

We did find a location in Malibu, Calamigos Ranch, that is absolutely beautiful. It's practically pre-decorated, comes with everything (ceremony & reception site, food, booze, linens, staffing, etc.) plus a wedding coordinator on the wedding day! It's in the Santa Monica mountains off Mulholland Drive and is a 120 acre special event facility. And, it was actually less expensive than all of the other options that involved a lot of hiring and managing. It will make things a lot easier. Check out the place here (we've got "The Oaks"): http://www.malibuweddings.com

The other things are coming together just fine. I found a photographer - I hired a wedding photography studio that all they do are weddings and they offered better packages. Plus, I really liked their photos.

People are getting used to the idea of no wedding party (just our siblings as witnesses) and my fiance's dad is marrying us! He got ordained online at the ULC church, http://www.ulc.org on the internet in about 2 minutes for free. Not only is it nice to include him in the ceremony, it saves some $ :)

I gave my mom the centerpieces and flowers to manage. She has great taste and is a wizard at decorating and in the garden. I'm confident whatever she comes up with will be fantastic.

We are not doing favors, since our recollection of favors is that most people don't keep them.

I am still thinking I could pull off making my dress, and have bought a few patterns I like in preparation. If not, I found one at J Crew I love, so I'll be happy with that as well.

Everyone else who is planning, how are things coming along for you?

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View entire thread: Crafty Wedding DIY ideas help!

Posted by MrsSchirmer on 2008-01-27 20:54:28      Post Subject:

I just got hitched in August and had a BEAUTIFUL wedding on a VERY modest budget (we did it all for just under $5,000). We had friends and family helping every step of the way and that really made the difference.
We were able to keep cost low by doing the following:

1. Had reception at the same outdoor setting as the ceremony.

2. Made invitations. This took some time but was lots of fun and they
came out so great.

3. Found a florist (good family friend- which helped a LOT) who offered a \"do it yourself\" day for the family. Myself and my wedding party went to her house and spent a good part of the day creating all the arangements, boquets etc. In order to keep everything fresh- we had to do this the day before the wedding- ** not recommended for uptight or extremely overly stressed brides.

4. Had the wedding in the afternoon and served drinks and hors d’oeuvres- we had 6 items prepared by a catering company and the rest we came up with ourselves (delegated to reliable, close family and friends who we knew could handle the recipes )

5. Decorated with inexpensive candles- we got really cute glass jars from Specialtybottle.com . They were inexpensive and looked great with votive candles in them with little ribbons around the tops. We saved a couple hundred dollars and they looked wonderful in the outdoor setting.

6. Served beer and wine instead of liquor. This was a tough decision but a good one. No one seemed to notice and on a hot summer day a nice chilled white wine or champagne is just as elegant as a cocktail.

7. Home made favors. This can be tricky- but again, if you plan ahead you can have a great time with close friends making things people will enjoy. Again, look at Specialtybottle. A friend of mine made an inexpensive spice-rub and packaged it in 4 oz. tins with custom stickers at her BBQ / pic-nic themed wedding. The favors were so professional looking and she spent a little over $1.50 each.


Our wedding was a lot less formal than most- but that''s what made it fun and memorable for us. .. For all the future brides out there, please TAKE TIME TO ENJOY THE PROCESS! It will all be over before you know it- so spend time with friends and family and make every moment your own. Don''t let anyone talk you into making your day anything other than a reflection of yourself and your partner.

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View entire thread: DIY wedding ideas?

Posted by ellac on 2007-08-16 14:02:21      Post Subject: Crafting a fall favor

I saw this unique idea while searching for some fall favors. You can check out:

http://www.bellenza.com/wedding-ideas/diy-projects/craft-a-cool-caramel-apple-for-a-fall-wedding-favor.html

Hope this helps.

Ella C.

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View entire thread: Crafty wedding gift ideas?

Posted by girlsavage on 2005-04-04 21:00:21      Post Subject:

For my sisters wedding 5 years ago, my husband and I couldn't afford much. So... I made the table center pieces for her reception and my husband (a photo student at the time) volunteered to be the wedding photographer. Ask your friend if there is anything she needs for the day. Maybe you could make the favors she passes out or make a guestbook for all the guests to pass around during the reception and right messages to the happy couple in. You could even take poloroids of the people writting the messages to stick in next to their message. But, your a creative girl I'm sure you'll come up with something wonderful! Hope I was a help getting your mind going.

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Posted by MRSM103 on 2005-03-22 19:08:10      Post Subject:

I understand your need for a more personal gift now.
I hope this helps
I was married for the second time about 18 mos. ago. I had two favorites that I received as gifts. At my shower, my sister gave me a framed poem entitled, My Sister's Wedding Day. (She then made me read it aloud to everyone and I sobbed the whole way through!) Maybe something similiar only along the lines of a frienship thing instead.
The other was a collage given to me after we returned from our honeymoon. It had my wedding invitation, wedding shower favor, ( a flower seed packet with a cute little poem), tag from our wedding favors, two gold rings and was decorated with accents of fall leaves and pine cones. (our wedding was fall themed).
Hope this helps!

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View entire thread: DIY wedding ideas?

Posted by red swing on 2004-05-25 13:51:23      Post Subject:

A few of my friends burned mix CDs and either sent them out with their save-the-date cards or gave them as favors. They're inexpensive, but also really special, and every time I listen to them I think of their wedding.

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Posted by Martita on 2004-05-24 11:35:02      Post Subject:

Getting married on July 3rd! Egads!

DIY aspects:

Save the dates: designed and printed at home

Invites: designed and assembled by me, printed fir free by mom's friend who is a printer

Dress: made by my mom

Favors: fishing flies tied by friends and fiance

Centerpieces: designed and put together by me

CeremonY: written by us, performed by my dad and uncle

Music: for ceremony, cousin playing cello.

Rehearsal dinner: at our house, with bbq

I recommend Indiebride, but their forums are down right now (note to self: remain calm)

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Posted by surfer rosa on 2004-05-25 14:08:49      Post Subject: wedding crafts

After seeing a good friend nearly go crazy from all her wedding crafts, my solution was basically to have less stuff at my wedding. No favors, no programs...

We made our invites with paper from www.paper-source.com and QuarkXpress and got them printed for free by a friend at a local copy shop. Our wedding was in October, in NH, and a friend of mine came up with the idea for center pieces. We did big plates (cheap ones from Pier 1) with a white candle (Christmas Tree Shop) in a hurricane shade (www.save-on-crafts.com) in the middle, surrounded by apples. It was purty. Of course, everyone took home the plates, and my mom currently has 10 hurricane shades and no use for them! I should really take those off her hands...

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Posted by oldskoolgeek on 2007-08-20 00:12:47      Post Subject:

I just celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary last week and had a DIY wedding myself.
My favorite and best suggestions:

*I hand made the invitations using a post card I really liked and took advantage of the copy machine at work. I paid $5 for envelopes and around $30 in stamps.

*The party favors were Pez dispencers I bought in cheap lots off of ebay. Everyone loved it and had lots of fun playing with them.

*If you're not going to have a professional photographer or a friend take pictures, I highly recommend placing a cheap disposable camera on each guest table. We did save up to have a pro (who totally disappointed us) and all our best photos were taken by our family and friends with the cheap cameras. We did a mix of half color and half black and white cameras and I think it was the best decision overall we made.

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View entire thread: project runway

Posted by for_esme on 2005-03-02 16:56:02      Post Subject:

i agree with everything you said, athena.

thriftstore_diva, JAY won!

as for kara saun...

each designer had $8000 to do their collection. kara saun had shoes professionally made to her specifications by dollhouse, which was against the rules because she didn't pay for them. the rules strictly said NO FAVORS, ie, if you have someone crochet/stitch/do anything else for you, you have to pay them a fair price for it. then when tim and the judges called her on it, she called dollhouse and asked that they invoice her for the shoes but at only $15 (or was it $5?) a pair. she was being blatantly sneaky, and it's not like she fessed up to it once they caught her - she kept trying to pull it off.

how does that work, when kara was so high and mighty towards wendy? ;p

heh. but yes. jay won :)

i am a little too into this show. does anyone know when the next season starts?

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View entire thread: who's pregnant?

Posted by npuig on 2005-11-28 18:44:17      Post Subject:

My fiance and I call the baby "cashew", since that was the size of "it" when we found out. I'm due in March and we're in the middle of doing everything, including painting (the entire apartment!), buying furniture, preparing for a wedding, looking at cars, all enough to give me more heartburn than the pregnancy alone. arghh, ...on that note, does anyone have any ideas for wedding party favors?

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Posted by Echo on 2004-05-24 00:07:34      Post Subject:

First of all - congrats!!

My SIL is getting married on July 24, 2004 & I just got married a year ago (yesterday!), so this is all fresh in my mind. Some of the DIY things we've done:

+ SIL is doing a cupcake tree instead of a wedding cake. She will decorate with bright, vivid silk flowers.
http://www.cupcaketree.com/

+ My mom knows how to sew, so she's making my SIL's wedding dress and my matron of honor dress. For my wedding, she made my SIL's dress (she was my maid of honor) and my daughter's little dress. My mom also did all of the flowers & decorations (we had a decorated arch) - she used to be a florist.

+ I designed the wedding & bridal shower invitations (I am in the process of starting up a business making custom announcements) and we printed them off on the computer.

+ For our wedding favors, we wrapped up scented votive candles in tulle, then attached a business card that read "This candle is a sign of our love and appreciation for brightening our day and warming our hearts." Those were really, really cheap! My SIL is wanting to do lollipops & those should be pretty easy as well.

+ We got married at a lake (so is my SIL), so we didn't do a lot of decorating. My SIL is going to put Tiki torches up around the lake and maybe even floating candles (which can be homemade or bought). The reception will be at my ILs home around their pool, so they are planning on using the floating candles in there as well.

+ Instead of a traditional guestbook, my SIL is getting a picture of the two of them matted & framed, then having the guests sign the mat.

I'm sure that sites like weddingchannel.com & theknot.com have tons and tons of tips! Good luck, congratulations, & happy wedding planning!!

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View entire thread: New Year's Resolution: Eat Healthy/Lose Weight Buddy Topic

Posted by literaryvamp on 2006-01-06 22:33:14      Post Subject:

Okay, yesterday's wrapup. I didn't exercise.... :( My body was so tired from all the hassles of the week, as well as all the extra exercise. This week was pretty stressful for me, so I'm being compassionate to myself (thank you, expensive therapist!) and cutting myself a break.

One major food problem that I have is with my lovely husband. He loves to cook, but his stuff favors taste over nutrition. I was making whole-wheat spaghetti with regular canned sauce when he came along and offered to help. In the few minutes that I left the stove alone, he added red wine, half-and-half, and parmesan cheese to the sauce. Of course, it was the most heavenly thing on the planet, but my thighs weren't too impressed.

I'm going to steal a copy of that book "Joy of Cooking" that you all recommended from my mom. She has a really old copy that I think she'd let me have. Oh, and thanks to whoever posted the Hungrygirl link! Cute site!

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View entire thread: pet peeves

Posted by xuli on 2006-12-11 15:38:11      Post Subject:

(although it should be noted here that according to airline rules, the heavier / larger items are SUPPOSED to go under the seat in front of you to prevent injury to your fellow passengers, and the overhead bins are technically reserved for lighter items. Or at least, them's the rules in North America. So technically you're not even allowed to put a big roller carry-on up top, and so if other people accomodate you they're being really nice. The rules are that if you bring something big it goes under the seat in front of you, and you have to deal with it If one chooses to bring a large carry-on, so it makes sense that it should inconvienience that person before others. Having been bopped in the head HARD by someone's large bag that fell on me, I can attest to the fact that those rules have a logical basis!)

Really? Every time I've been on a fuller flight, I've had the flight attendants tell people not to use the space in the overhead bins for their smaller items, to reserve the overhead bins for the items that don't fit underneath the seat in front. I don't bring roller bags on board, but I've had a flight attendant tell me to put my laptop bag under the seat to make room for someone else's roller bag.

Plus, those roller bags often won't fit under the seats, even though they are within the size restrictions for permissible carry-on bags. It's interesting that airlines should allow bags on board that are too big to be stowed properly. And it's interesting that they are so lax about the rules that even people like myself, who fly quite frequently, would be totally unaware of them. I always thought I had to clear my smaller bags out if a person with a bigger item came along!

I'm not disputing you -- I think that often flight attendants fail to follow FAA regulations about this stuff. And I do think, in fact, that airline employees are often directly encouraged to break the rules when the company's bottom line favors letting people bring on board more luggage than they should or letting them store their carry-ons improperly. (A big example, actually, is the legal requirement that there is supposed to be designated space in the cabin for folding wheelchairs, but that space often gets taken up by first-class passengers' items. I've had friends / colleagues have to fight for their right to keep their folding wheelchairs in the cabin with them because of perceptions that the rights of the able-bodied business executive in first class should supersede those of the wheelchair user in coach. Not that all wheelchair users fly coach, but all my friends do!)

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View entire thread: Crafty Wedding DIY ideas help!

Posted by boheme-anne on 2004-12-29 22:31:46      Post Subject:

Congrats! Most of what I would tell you has already been said, but I will tell you to make as much as you can-it really helps! I made my own floral arrangements for the reception and my favors (they were little material pumpkins with candy corn inside). Everything you decide on is about a theme. My theme was "Fall"-so it was easy for me to just get a bunch of decorations at the right time.
Weddings can get real stressful, real fast though. Keep calm, and keep a crafty state of mind!

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Posted by bridgetroll on 2004-12-29 00:10:55      Post Subject:

my wedding cost us approx. 2500 dollars. I bought my dress on ebay, my shoes at payless and my family made all the food (meat platters, pickled eggs, pasta salad, you know picnic food). We had 200 guests, the wedding was in my grandmother's backyard.

The first thing i did when i got engaged was to order every free bridal catalog I could find and "borrow" ideas from them. there are a lot of cute favors etc out there that you might not think of! If you want some websites I can provide them for you!

I made my own invitations on my computer, people thought i ordered them. That was a nice compliment it wasn't hard at all i bought everything I needed for the at wal-mart for 20 dollars!

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Posted by evenstar on 2004-12-31 05:07:31      Post Subject:

I'm a wedding photographer, so I've seen a wide variety of weddings (not a LOT, but quite a few!)

First, http://losangeles.craigslist.org is your BEST friend! Well maybe not really, but you can find a ton of resources there - with people trying to start in the business and doing things on the side. Make sure you ask for examples and references if you see the need!

Like others mentioned, Paper Source is great - I created my own graduation announcements which are posted in my getcrafty blog, so you can maybe get some ideas from it! :)

Favors that people eat are the most popular because how many *normal* people really save those things?! :D

Martha Stewart Weddings is great and so is Budget Living (in general!). Perhaps you can find it at the local library so you don't have to buy them :)

Also, for the best man/bridesmaid.. what about your parents? Or your mom if your dad is walking you down the aisle? I'm not sure how close you may be with them, but it's just an idea :)

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Posted by ti on 2004-12-28 13:44:26      Post Subject:

congrats!!

i would say that you need to make some decisions about what is important and representative of your lives together. sometimes themes help with this.

it is all about presentation - we made our invites, programs, placecards, table cards, the rsvp reply card, the favors (cds & my cousin designed a great cd cover) & toblerone was for the children - our theme was japanese cranes (origami) and our colors were red, black and silver ... satin red ribbon was everywhere and was so cheap @ beverly's and i put my large family to work!

i did some fun crafty stuff with stamps and silver embossing powder ...

i must say that i got a great deal with the catering, and it included part of the cost of the cake, the dj and part of the $$ for flowers. i also found a great makeup person @ a large dept. store and the dj makes or breaks a good reception.

most of all, have fun with it! organize the day so you can enjoy it and remember it with happiness, not all the stress.

just PM if you need any help @ all!

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Posted by Morgan on 2005-01-19 09:33:03      Post Subject:

I agree with the edible favors. & the candy idea is great! Martha did that in her Kids magazine, I think, as a favor at a birthday party, & I thought it was really cute. The cup cake idea sounds really cute, too. My brother did the small wedding with a big reception thing to save money. They went to Lake Tahoe & got married with mostly just family there, then had a big reception. His wife's brother is a caterer, so he cooked everything as a present to them. Otherwise, I think having a potluck would be nice (if a bit unusual) & save money. & I don't think it's any problem not to have bridesmaids. I think it's a bit rude for people to say any of your ideas are strange/dumb- it's your big day! You get to decide everything! I sort of made the veil for my sister in law, which was really cheap. We bought a plain veil for like five dollars at Michael's, then I sewed a white ribbon around the edge & sewed seed pearls on. It ended up being really pretty & cheapo.
Congratulations to all the engaged girls!

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Posted by acebeader on 2005-02-22 10:08:32      Post Subject:

We are doing a beach/ocean them, since we'll be getting married right next to Lake Michigan. I love water!!!

My dad's cousin is a minister, who is marrying us. My parents friend is doing our flowers. We found a local photographer who is nice, and very budget friendly. We are also not having a wedding party, which has cut out a lot of work. People were really disappointed about it though. I bought my dress at Dillards...a long, flowing ivory tank, with a jagged hemline, it's gorgeous! I am using sand and seashells to decorate everything, which I already have a ton of seashells, the centerpieces will be glass cylinders with sand and seashells with a candle in them. My grandparents used to winter in Florida, and they gave me a huge box of seashells to decorate with and keep, which is very special because they are older and not in very good health. We are also having a live band, which I think is going to be so much fun! I bought little watchmaker's tins for the favors, metal tins with glass insets in the tops, and am trying to find seashell candy to put inside. I just have to pick out invites yet...and I know I am cutting that close.

I can totally see how people get sucked into the madness, but I have managed to keep pretty level-headed through all of it. 3 months and 6 days to go!!!

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Posted by culinarymartyr on 2005-01-03 23:55:02      Post Subject:

Definitely be careful about taking on too much. I did my brother's wedding a couple of years ago, and went completely over the edge. I hated the entire week because I was so busy! And I practically had a nervous breakdown on the actual wedding day.

So, some ideas - Keep the food simple. I really don't see anything wrong with super simple in the food arena. Definitely plan to have people serving/cleaning. I've used my teenage cousin and her friends for parties - they're cheap! Regardless of how much you prepare ahead of time, keeping up with food-related stuff will require more work than you think. I had four people working non-stop with a pretty full buffet and 200ish guests. And we could have used more. I usually have 2 "slaves" for my Christmas party - 30-50 people. It makes everything more enjoyable!

I love the cupcake idea. Several years ago, (I think on Lynnette Jennings' show) I saw a home-made tea stand that might be cute. She took a drill (I'm sure there's a specific bit you would use) and drilled holes in the center of mismatched old dinner plates. Then she got hardware that you use to add finials to lamps and screwed them together between the plates, with some kind of washer or something on the bottom, and a lamp finial with a loop at the top. I don't know how clear that is = they were really cute and I think would be nice to display the cupcakes on.

I'm with you on the bridesmaid issue, having a bazillion friends myself. I think people will get over it, if not be relieved they don't have to buy a dress.

We used a company called 2G roses: http://www.freshroses.com/volume.htm the flowers were beautiful and we arranged them ourselves & made boutiniers & corsages.

The one thing I was super-happy about with my brother's wedding was the favors. We had a stamp made with their names and the date (she wanted everything stamped) and stamped napkins with it. We also stamped small white paper bags from a craft store. We set them out on a table with lots of containers of candy. I used small metal buckets, and bulk candy from a discount store. Then we made notes up that said something along the lines of "A Sweet Treat for Our Guests." Everyone loved them!

The really important thing is to be happy and enjoy the day. If that means letting some little things slide, let them go! Just have fun, if at all possible.

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Posted by peppermintsquare on 2004-12-28 15:23:31      Post Subject:

we were super crafty - I think just one step above pure eloping. we were also very non-traditional though so it will all depend upon what you want your wedding to be!

I made our invitations with an idea and supplies from Paper Source. I splurged here because I really like papers and cards and such. Our colors were light blue, chocolate brown, and ivory. price = approx $90 (this includes invitations, announcements, and postage stamps).

I made my wedding dress with the help of a coworker. fabric costs = approx $80. notions = approx $5. shoes = approx $14 (hello Payless!).

we planned to have the wedding outside in a gazebo downtown and reserved the park and a judge. park = $50, judge = $75. but like yardenxanthe, uh, it poured and we did not have a back up. please have a back up! we ended up getting married in the judge's courtroom. very un-scenic for the photos. oh, and my husband was soaking wet.

we had our party (a.k.a. extremely low key reception) at our house that evening. we just bought appetizer-type foods and a carrot cake with "Just Hitched" written on it. food = approx $125. we bought a few serving type items that we did not previously own for the party and paper plates in light blue to match the theme. serving items = approx $70. we already had lights strung on the porch outside and people just mingled in our teeny tiny house.

my 'bouquet' was self made with three different types of flowers (hydrangea, mums, and little tiny white accent flowers) and tied with raffia. bouquet = approx $13. we also bought flowers to put in vases around the house for the party. decor flowers = approx $13.

our arty friends took the photos for us. free! we paid to develop and print.

oh, and I splurged on a manicure for myself, $30 + tip. I learned that I don't like manicures. I have super sensitive skin and it made my hands itch.

whew! I think that's about it. oh, and the reason I can pull out these figures is because we were married last month and I still have the figures in my trusty little notebook. but again, we were sooooo incredibly low key about our wedding which is how we wanted it.

as for reference, I liked The Artful Bride for ideas. I had an idea to make For Better or For Worse CDs as party favors with the first 10 songs happy love songs and the last 10 bad relationship songs. It was intended to be funny but I simply ran out of time and could not get the CDs finished.

congratulations and good luck!

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