How To Tuesday: Elegant Chair Covers DIY

I would like to thank my friend Laura for this great and simple idea to make a great contribution to your wedding decor. Chair covers are something that can so easily be forgotten. You may have ones already provided in a simple white or black colour from the venue but what about adding your own little pizzaz to tie the whole theme together.

Chair covers are a quick and easy way to add a sparkle and glam to the table setting. They’re a fun way to show your personality and there are many different ways to make them. It’s a good idea to use your theme color palette in order to ensure consistency. Chair covers instantly transform boring reception chairs into luxurious thrones for your guests to sit comfortably in. Most chair covers are inexpensive as well, ranging from $3-8 each. 

First you’ll have to choose which type of fabric to be the cover. There are many different types such as: spandex fitted, loose drop, and self-tie covers. It all depends on the overall look you want to achieve.
Once a fabric has been chosen, choose a color. Most wedding chair covers are white or black so the accent piece will show better. 

Once the fabric and color have been chosen, there are many ways of placing the cover over the chairs, depending on which type of cover.
The spandex fitted and loose drop covers are easiest to place onto chairs because they are made to fit the chair. The self-tie covers require an extra step of tying the cover onto the chair but create an interesting look. 

The next step is to add an accent piece to the upper half of the chair. This can be a sash, bow, puff, ties, pearls, flowers, crystals, feathers, etc. The accent piece depends on the overall look you want.
There you have it, inexpensive, luxurious and glam chair covers to spruce up your wedding at a lost cost.

How To Tuesday: Flowers

The centerpiece: most times beautiful, sometimes awful, always a conversation starter. One thing you don’t want it to be is expensive. Today we’ll show you how to create an elegant, simple and classy centerpiece for your wedding.

Begin by gathering a few materials:

·       Shallow dish, found here

·       Soaped floral foam, found here

·       5-7 hydrangeas (found in grocery stores and floral shops)

·       Scissors

·       5-6 pink medium sized roses (found in grocery stores and floral shops)

·       Pearls, found here, and here

·       Crystal pins, found here

Once you’ve found the materials you can get started on creating your one-of-a-kind wedding centerpiece.
Begin with the dish. Make sure it is freshly cleaned in order to ensure a glossy finish. Fill the dish with floral foam and water.
Cut off each hydrangea flower and place them around the edge of the dish into the oasis. Make sure the hydrangeas are covering the edges of the dish and that the floral foam is invisible.
Next, place some roses in the center. Cut them with a knife or scissors and at a slant. Fill the remaining foam with roses until the piece looks full.
Add some finishing touches such as pearls around the flowers and/or crystals into the center of the roses.

There you have it, an elegant centerpiece that is sure to please and get your guests talking.
To view a video of this piece in production, click here.

Workshop Wednesday: DIY Wedding Invitations

Invitations week has arrived, and the talented Danielle Wojtyniak is going to be hosting a workshop that will take the stress right out of this top-of-the-list wedding task.  As invitations are one of the first things that go out and are intended to reflect the style and vision of the wedding to come, many Brides and Grooms fret about them; what to include, what size, style and paper to use.  Well, the answer is here from Six Modern Paper Goods based in Almonte, and Danielle who will be showing us how to DIY our perfect invites.

Danielle will be providing us with an overview of printing methods, a list of materials required, such as a knife and a ruler.  She’ll be giving us a list of local and online resources for supplies, including paper, printing and envelopes.  And she’ll also be offering us ideas of the different DIY strategies you can take, such as design and print your own, buy a design and print at home and buy a design and have it printed.

There will be example invitations, printed on a home inkjet printer, for us to browse and compare to professionally printed invites, and Danielle will demonstrate the ever so daunting cutting and folding techniques that will turn you into an expert.  So dig out your favourite exacto knife, buy some extra colour cartridges for your printer, and get ready to DIY some fabulous invites that you can give yourself a pat on the back for.

How to Tuesday: Invitations and Paper

There are so many things to be sent out, mailed and made for the big day. Whether you are a crafty bride with everything DIY, want to help out with the design and get your creative minds flowing or just want to choose a great theme, there are different ways to get involved with paper made goods.

1. The Craft Maven

Supplies

Card stock

Envelopes

A tutorial of your desire or your own creative idea

(ribbon, paint, stamp press letters and so forth.)

OR... a crafty computer generated design on InDesign or like software.

A team of hands to get your invitations made and on the road

Your a craft maven, if we gave you directions on what to do you would taken them and run with the wind... making invitations is what you were born to do. But if you want somewhere to start, here are a few ideas....

http://www.inspiredbrides.com/

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/diy-wedding-invitation-kits.htm

http://www.etsy.com/shop/idoityourself

2. Creative chaos without the mess

Supplies

A internet ready device for online shopping (Stop, do not pass go, do not go to Ebay.)

Stamps

A colour printer (or ship off your personal design right to the website!)

Paint for crafting

Ribbon

Envelopes

Stamps

If you are interested in still creating everything on your wedding invitations and thank you cards don't be afraid to use a site such as www.weddingpaperdivas.com  where you can pick and choose your back grounds or card stock but still have all the creative liberties at your disposal you can imagine. You can even order in the stock in your special colour and shape and print your own artwork or personalize it with stamps and embellishment. This option allows you to get crafty and creative but leave the fussy work up to someone else. 

3. A step towards DIY

Supplies

Your info and dates

A list of people to invite

A little creative spark and theme

Some time to change your theme around online

If you want to pick and choose what you would like but don't want to go through the entire creation process, paper goods makers are ready and willing to hold a consult with you and take your idea and make it come alive. Check out our vendors post to see some of the great creations they can come up with. If you head back to http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/thermography-wedding-invitations.htm

there are some wonderful ideas for getting started and creating your own idea online by picking and choosing what you want and seeing it come to life on the screen before evening making it and having it printed. 

Tips & Tricks Thursday: Accessories

Maybe you naturally gravitate towards accessories or maybe they're just another item on the wedding planning checklist.  Either way, accessories are a great way for you, your partner, and your wedding party to express themselves in their own ways.  Different cultures also have their own accessories and traditions as well. With so many accessories to choose from, here are some tips and tricks to get to know some of the latest trends. 

For ladies, accessories could include pieces for the head/hair, earrings, glasses, necklace, bracelets or bangles, a purse, a garter, and wonderful shoes. For the gents, consider hats, glasses, ties or bow ties, boutonnieres, suspenders, a handkerchief, a tie clip, cufflinks, a cummerbund to make your look unique.

Head

Gents, whether it's vintage or brand new, your head can be dressed up with a stylish hat.

For the bride, traditional veils continue to be popular. If you want to save some money or want to create something unique, making a veil can be a great DIY project. In Tuesday’s post we talked about making your own facinator and here are some other culturally-inspired headpieces.If you're not interested in a veil but want something on your head or in your hair, consider a tiara, hair vine, or a barrette? Bridal hats are a cool alternative headpiece that can have many different looks.

Looking for that “something borrowed”?  Why not canvass your family and friends for a fun something to wear on your head or in your hair at the wedding?  Remember to try it on with your dress, suit, or tux to figure out if it works.  If you wear glasses (or even if you don't), vintage glasses can add some flair to your outfit.

Feet

Looking for that “something old”?  Grab a favourite pair of shoes or shop for a used pair, then spice them up to give them a new look for the wedding. Ladies, whether you plan on wearing sandals, flats, or 3” heels, there are various ways to add some personal pizazz to your shoes.

• If you've found the perfect pair of shoes but it's not quite the right colour or you want to add some glittery goodness, check this or this out.  The second link also walks you through giving a vintage-style shoe a (new) vintage look.
• Accessorize your shoes with ribbon or flower shoe clips or fabric.
• Monogram the soles of your shoes with your or your partner's initials; a small touch that is especially great if you might be photographed sitting down.
• Check out Figgie Shoes for a very personalized painted pair of shoes.

Everything In Between
Cufflinks can be custom designed by a local jeweller such as Magpie in Ottawa or made like this or this using cardstock, epoxy resin, and or this using some wire and rivets.  You can find cufflink backings or blank cufflinks through Etsy (search DIY cufflinks).

A handkerchief is a fashion accessory that can also be quite practical. The hanky is a classic reusable tissue! Make your own from fabric around the house or buy one at your local department or vintage store.

Looking for that “something blue”?  Add a blue accessory to your ensemble. How about choosing flowers or a garter with some blue in it.  If you're doing a garter toss at the wedding but you'd like to keep a garter as a keepsake, remember to have an extra one on hand.

How to Tuesday: Accessorize!

This week we're focusing on making your own accessories for your big day. Whether you decide to make one of these great accessories for yourself or with the whole bridal party it is a fun way to get crafty and show your own personality! We've got ideas for both the bride and groom, and these ideas could be expanded to include your whole wedding party.

DIY Style for the Gentlemen:
One fabulous idea for adding a special touch to your groom and his groomsmen is by creating custom ties that match the colors and theme of your day. Threadbanger has a fabulous how-to for creating bow ties out of old scarves here!

If you're looking for a way to adorn the little guys that'll be participating in your special day, these no sew bow ties are also incredibly cute for ring bearers in your party.
DIY Bow Ties from Bowties and Bliss

A simple and easy way to encourage the men in the party to get crafty is with their own monogramed ties. If there is one colour all the men are wearing in the party, grab some fabric paint and stamps and have them create their own unique designs adorned on the tie. Paper Sparrow has a great tutorial on how to hand stamping different types of fabric.

For The Ladies:
There are literally so many possibilities when it comes to DIY-ing accessories for your big day. From jewelry to fascinators, shoe clips to handbags, the sky is truly the limit.

Over the past few years, fascinators (little fancy adornments for your head, often featuring feathers, beads or rhinestones) have become a massive fashion trend. Now, thanks to the Royal Wedding, they are more popular than ever. Lots of great designers are coming out with new concepts and ideas but if you are looking for a simple and do it yourself project, there are some great tips on fascinators.

If you'd like to take a cue from the Royal Wedding, check out l. A play on the Royal Wedding Fascinators -
P.S. I Made This's DIY Royal Wedding Fascinator tutorial, via Fashionista Alternately, Wedding Bee has a great wedding fascinator that can be worn simply or with a veil for the bride to be here.

Another idea for the ladies is to have them all work together a few weeks for the wedding to create their accessories together. Whether it is a necklace or hand painted bracelets, working together on one theme with different varieties is a great way to get everyone working together.

What you may need:
- Jems and stones.
- Sterling silver chains
- Clips or clasps
- Beads
- Feathers

No matter what you decide to DIY, when shopping for accessory supplies, be sure to check your local craft stores (such as Michael's), or pop on over to Etsy (the internet's DIY shopping mecca), which is a treasure trove of supplies!

Happy DIY accessory making!

With countless engagement and wedding photos left from the big day, there are endless possibilities of what to create and what to do with them. Instead of letting them sit in a box and never re-live their true beauty we have brainstormed a few great ideas and picked out some DIY projects to help you get started on using your photos to their true potential. We have included some DIY tips and steps to create your own great projects with your own photos.


At the Wedding: Create a Guestbook with your Engagement Photos

What You'll Need:

+ 1/8-inch-thick acid-free paperboard
+ White glue, a special synthetic glue available from art stores or bookbinding suppliers
+ Four sheets of decorative or handmade paper and 20 sheets of white, ivory, or cream paper
+ 1/4 yard of bookbinding cloth
+ Two yards of strong ribbon that won't fray easily
+ Needle with a large eye
+ Hammer and four nails
+ Cutting board and metal ruler
+ Your favourite photos

1. Cut the 20 sheets of paper to fit your book's desired size (in this case, 11" x 15"). Your book can be as thick or thin as you like, depending on your taste and budget. I chose this size because it's half the size of the paper I bought, so I could just fold the sheets in half and cut along the fold.

2. Cut two pieces of paperboard for the book's front and back covers. Add 1/4 inch to the size you've chosen for the inner sheets (11 1/4" x 15 1/4" in our example). Then, cut a strip from each cover that measures about a fifth of the cover's width. This book is 15 1/4" wide, so I'll cut off a 2 1/2" or 3" strip. You now have two pieces of each cover. The two thin strips will be the binding strips, the area of the cover where the book is bound together.

3. Cut out two pieces of bookbinding cloth that are big enough to cover the binding strip and extend a couple of inches into the other piece of the cover, leaving one full inch all the way around to fold over. Our cloth measures 13 1/2" x 6 1/4."

4. Lay newspaper over your work area. Align the two pieces of board (binding strip and main board) spaced 1/4 inch apart. Glue the cloth to the board, making sure to leave 1/4 inch between the pieces and allow the one-inch border of extra cloth to hang over. Flip the glued board over, neatly fold over the cloth edges, and glue them down. (Tip: It helps to trim the corners for a neat fold.) Repeat this step for the back binding strip and cover.

5. Next, cut the paper for both book covers. The pieces should overlap the point where the bookbinding cloth ends by an inch; leave an inch on the other three sides for folding over (for our book, 11 3/4" x 13 1/2"). Glue the paper to the front of both covers, then fold it over and glue the one-inch edges to the inside. At this point, you have one side of both the front and back covers completed.

6. To make the inside of the covers neat, attach a sheet of decorative paper to hide the folds. Cut two pieces of paper (about 1/4 inch less than the size of the covers), and glue one piece into each cover.

7. Whew! You made it this far -- now it's time to put everything together. It's a nice touch to use a sheet of decorative paper for the first and last book pages. Gather the papers for your book and place them, like a sandwich, between the two covers. Make sure they are neatly arranged. Hammer four evenly distributed holes in the center of the front cover's binding strip. (Tip: Leave a nail in each hole to keep everything lined up.) Tightly thread ribbon, jute, or string through the holes, as simply or as elaborately as you like.

8. Now add your photos with double sided tape within your guest book. You can also add photo corners to add an extra special touch. These can be purchased at Walmart, Michaels or any scrapbooking store.

9. If you like, you can also buy pretty paper frames and put them around your photos or around the areas where you want your guests to write.

10. And you’re done!

Read more: DIY Reception Ideas: DIY Wedding Guest Books - TheKnot.com



With your Wedding Photos - Unique Photo Book

Photo books make great memories! If you order digital prints, use them to make one using these following sites. All you have to do is: Upload your photos, edit the content, and click order! They are often customizable to suit your needs, require almost no effort and are gorgeous.

Shutterfly
Mix Book
Walmart Photocentre



With your Wedding Photos - Thank You Cards

What You'll Need:

+ 8.5″x11″ Sage cardstock from Michael's or online at http://www.paper-source.com
+ 5×7 envelopes, also from Michael's or online at http://www.paper-source.com
+ Double-sided tape
+ MS PowerPoint (or Photoshop, inDesign or Illustrator)
+ Color printer

Instructions:

To create the collage:

1. Start by drawing a 5.5″x8.25″ white box in PowerPoint. To do this, go to “Insert –> Picture –> Autoshapes”. This should pull up the autoshape menu. Click on the button with the shapes, select the rectangle, and draw it on your slide.

2.Right-click and go to “Format Autoshape”, which takes you to various options that allow you to specify the size and color.

3. Once you have done this, insert your photos into MS PowerPoint by accessing the “Insert” menu and selecting “From File…” Select the files. This can get a little messy if your photos are very large. You may have to patiently find the corners of the photos and then resize each one so that you can see them all on one slide.

4. Once you have inserted all of your photos and can see them all, you can adjust the size of each image and arrange them inside the white rectangle as you prefer.

5. To insert text, go to “Insert –> Text Box”. Click somewhere outside your white box, and then type out the main message (which was just a simple “thank you” on the front in our case). Highlight the text, right-click, and select “Fonts”. Tip: Try to use a font that matched the one used on your invitations. Once you have chosen the color and sized the text appropriately, click on the edge of the text box and drag it to the location you want the text to appear.

6. At this point, everything on your collage should be in place. Click outside the white box, drag over everything, and let go. This selects every object on your slide. Right-click and go to “Grouping –> Group”. Then right-click again and select “Save as Picture”. Save it as a .jpg file.

7. The whole collage has now been turned into an image that you can edit and upload for printing. It can also be scaled for 4″x6″ photos. You can now bring your image to any print shop or upload them on their website. Tip: Try using a matte paper or even a paper with a linen finish for a fancier effect.

To create the backing:

1. Cut the card stock to the size of 9″ x 6.5″. Call around, you may be able to find a place that can cut the entire stack for you.

2. In PowerPoint, draw a 6.5″ tall and 9.0″ wide rectangle, in the same way as you did in steps 1-2 for the photo collage. Format the box (right-click on the box) and select “Format Autoshape” to have a clear fill and for the outline to be a dotted 0.25″ very light gray line.

3. Create the text using text boxes (see step 5 under the collages). Rotate the text boxes and arrange them as follows:
(photo 5)

4. Next, do a test print using regular white paper with you printer. This allows you to figure out how to feed your already-cut card stock into the printer.

Tip:
Check your printer for its settings, it’s possible that you may only have the option of inserting your pre-cut sheets flushed to one of the sides of the paper feeder. The test print may help you figure out that the box you draw on Powerpoint needs to be flushed to the other side of the slide (see image above).

5. After you’ve finished your test prints (hopefully it only takes you one try!), insert your pre-cut card stock into the printer and print however many copies you need!

6. And the last step, of course, is to mount the 4″x6″ photos on to the card stock, fold in half and write out your personal messages inside!

Tip: Try using Scotch’s double-sided photo safe permanent tape, it’s less expensive than mounting squares.

Remember, it’s more time consuming to write out your individual handwritten messages than it will be to make these cards, so make sure you allow enough time if you have a time frame in mind for sending out your thank you cards.

Written By Andrée and Heather, Wed By Hand Coordinators

Welcome to the Wed By Hand Blog!

Hello there! Welcome to Wed By Hand's brand new blog! I'm Krista, co-founder and co-producer of Wed By Hand, Ottawa's Indie Wedding Show. If Wed By Hand is new to your vocabulary, let me tell you a bit about the show: We are a DIY, handmade and eco-friendly themed wedding show. We are one of only 5 indie wedding shows in North America, and 2012 will mark the third edition of our show. Over the past three years, we have grown leaps and bounds. We started in 2010 with just 16 vendors, paired with another wedding show. In 2011, we struck out on our own and expanded the show, moving it to bigger and better digs. Our show now includes over 35 vendors, DIY workshops, tastings and more!

As we've grown over the past three years, we've not only expanded our show, but we've also expanded our team. This year we've welcomed 6 new members to the Wed By Hand crew who will be helping us grow and expand to show to include some new and exciting things this year. We can't wait to introduce you to the team, and to also share the new surprises we have in store with you. In the meantime, though, I'd like to let you know what this blog is all about!

We wanted a place to share what it takes to put on a show like this, and to showcase all the awesome vendors and wedding/craft professionals that we get to work with. We also wanted a place to share wedding and DIY inspiration. So consider this your one-stop-shop for not only getting the scoop on what's going to happen at Wed By Hand, but also to get some awesome ideas for how you can truly personalize your wedding.

Each week we'll feature a different theme which will match all of the most important facets of your wedding--from photography to accessories to food & more! We kick off this week with photography, one of the most important investments you'll make when it comes to your wedding day. Each day will feature a different column, giving you tons of ideas and inspiration each weekday!

We're so excited to share all of our wonderful ideas with you, and can't wait for Wed By Hand on February 11, 2012! Stay tuned! So much exciting stuff in store!