Creative Wedding Centerpieces

Jen from Jen Martin Studios and I like to share stories and ideas from our events and she was kind enough to send pictures of these super cute DIY centerpieces at a wedding she shot recently.

I love the variety of design and style that weddings can encompass. I'm all about over the top elegance but a casual DIY affair can be just as gorgeous and fun and I think these super cute centerpieces are a great example of that:

These would also be super cute at a bridal or baby shower and I challenge my readers to put their own spin on this fun idea and share! Thanks Jen!

DIY: Card Box for Weddings from Merriment

This cute card box project was found via Merriment. Yet another fun way to customize your wedding while providing a home for all of the cards that will gather at your gift table. After the wedding, it makes a great box to store those wedding day mementos. Directions direct from Merriment.
Supplies:

• Sturdy box (cardboard shoebox or other; be sure to choose a deep one if you want to cut a card slot)
• Bookbinders Glue (also at Papersource)
• Brush
• Decorative paper for outside and inside
• Satin Ribbon

Find a sturdy box with a good lid and make sure both are in good shape.Spread the book binding glue on the box and wrap the top and the bottom individually with decorative paper. Tip: Cristin [the project contributor at Merriment] reccomends using natural or recycled paper because the texture helps to hide any imperfections or wrinkles you might get in the box because of the glue.

Optional: If you'd like to add a ribbon to the lid: Cut one piece of ribbon that will go from the inside to the left side to the inside to the right side. Glue one end in place, stretch the ribbon across the top of the lid, and glue the other end inside the lid. Cut two more pieces of ribbon that are long enough to act as ties. Glue one end to the underside of the box, leaving the other end loose. Repeat on the other side. Once dry, tie the two ends together into a bow. No need to be too particular about the ribbon ends, as you'll cover up the ribbon ends on the inside with the yellow paper. For the inside of the box, Cristin chose a solid yellow colow wrapping paper, but she wanted it to be textured to match the outside. Measure one piece of the paper for the interior bottom and four pieces of paper for each of the four interior sides. To get a textured effect, ball up the paper tightly in your hands to get it to fold and wrinkle. Smooth it out again and you'll now have a textured look. Glue the paper inside the box. Repeat on the inside of the lid covering up the loose ends of the ribbon.

DIY: Sewn Detail Wedding Invitations

Another fabulous find from Merriment Design: Fabric poppy wedding invations. What makes me smile with this project is that the how-to information isn't design specific-customize the entire concept to your own event style. Intrigued? Inspired? Check out the instructions here!

DIY: Giving Tree Save the Dates

Simple, natural and reminiscent of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, these save-the-dates could complement a number of simple chic wedding styles. Care to use them for your own soiree? The template to make them is free and complete with step-by-step how to instructions at Merriment Design. Enjoy!

DIY: Silk-Flower Ring Pillow

This lovely ring bearer's pillow comes straight from the Martha Stewart Weddings site. Because this is a DIY project, it gives you the flexibility to create the pillow to match your event beautifully. The technique used to create the flower on the pillow can also be used to make the flower girl's bouquet making your little duo perfectly matched. And because you wouldn't need real flowers, both become strong enough to withstand anything little girls and boys can throw at them.

How-to:

Crisp fabric is recommended for this project. The Martha Stewart team utilized taffeta, silk dupion, and shantung for the pillow shown above. To beging this project you will need to cut out straight sided ovals with scalloped shears. Recommended oval measurements are 4"x 8" for this pillow. You will need to cut a minimum of 9 petals of this size to achieve the look of the pillow above.

For the Pillow:

Create a 6" ring pillow in fabric of your choice. Stuff it to desired thickness and finish the seam to enclose the stuffing.

For the Flower:

1. Gather the center of one petal and hold it firmly.

2. Gather the center of a second petal and lay it on the first at an angle; continue holding the center gathers in place.

3. Repeat with a third petal, positioning the stacked petals so they make a complete rosette with no gaps. (If you want a fuller effect, make the rosette with up to 5 petals.) Wrap floral wire tightly around petals at the center, and twist underneath to secure. Excess wire becomes a stem.

4. Make 2 more rosettes (for a showier flower like the bouquets, make 4 total).

5. Stack rosettes, slipping each wire stem between the petals of the rosettes beneath.

6. Twist stems together; cover with floral tape. Fluff petals. For the ring pillow, cut stem short, sew flower into place through wires at center, and tie on a ribbon, threading it through wire on top.