DIY Life

My niece was married last December. The wedding was stunningly beautiful (as was my niece). The timing of her wedding lent itself to a Christmas theme. For favors, we packed Christmas ornaments in cream boxes and decorated them with ribbon, a bell, and evergreens.

But even if your wedding isn't as theme-based as my niece's was, you can come up with any number of original do-it-yourself wedding favors. If you're in need of inspiration... think regionally. From the maple candy in Vermont to a mini bottle of wine in California, every location has something to inspire a wedding favor.

The Martha Stewart Weddings site has an extensive list of ideas for regional wedding favors. These local treats are sure to be appreciated by all: they serve as an introduction to your area for out-of-town guests, and are a familiar favorite for locals.

For more wedding favor ideas, see Jessi's post on keeping wedding favors personal.

Real Simple has some great tips for making the most of your ceremony, including your vows to each other. They suggest that if you think you'll suffer from stage fright, or if you just need to have traditional words spoken during your ceremony, then you should probably go ahead and choose traditional vows appropriate to your beliefs.

But if you want to be unique, you can always write your own vows. Real Simple has a few recommendations for writing your own wedding vows, which I'll share with you after the break:

The other day, I found an interesting and easy decorative glass vase tutorial over at CasaSugar. I thought to myself, "That's pretty cool for around the house, but I bet it would also be perfect as a wedding centerpiece." In fact, it turns out that the project originated at DIY Bride.

This is really as simple as picking up some rub-on transfers you like, along with a clear glass vase that has a smooth surface. After making sure the vase is completely clean and dry, just cut around the transfers you like, then use the burnishing stick that comes in the package to carefully rub designs onto the vase (exactly as you would if you were rubbing them onto paper).

The transfers are sold in almost any store that carries scrapbooking or other craft supplies. Thousands of designs are available, but if you can't find any rub-ons that you like in your area, the DIY Bride post has a list of online resources.

This project is as versatile and stylish as your imagination (for example, the right transfers would make it great for Mother's Day), but this is not exactly a new tip: a few months ago, this concept also ran in the Winter, 2008 issue of Somerset Life magazine, where it was used to decorate glass bottles and jars. Please join me after the break to read more about the appealing ideas that were presented there.

Weddings are so fun, but for the bride and groom, getting prepared for their special day can be a hassle. It is quite a feat to pull off a wedding without a hitch.

Although it is exhilarating to pick out flowers, the hall, the chapel, and those you've chosen to be in your wedding party, it can get a little frustrating to agree on all aspects of the day.

You can take the hassle out of choosing your wedding invitations with an awesome instructable that teaches how to print and assemble multi-layered wedding invitations.

A shadow box is a shallow box, with a glass framed front. You can put photo collages and other memorabilia inside, then hang it on your wall as you would any other picture frame. You'll find shadowboxes in a variety of sizes and style at your local craft store.

One of our most beautiful wedding gifts was a shadow box, made by a friend of ours. She included our invitation and dried flowers in our wedding colors.

I hope to make one for my sister's wedding, but I'm going to hold off until after the big day. This way I can include some wedding day mementos, like the groom's boutonniere, one of the wedding favors and a couple of place cards.

This is one of those projects where you have free reign to exercise your own creativity, and personalize it as much as you want. You can create a clean, contemporary look by choosing to focus on the invitation or one photo, then add a few embellishments to compliment it.

You can also make something regal with rich color choices, and an abundance of items decorating the box. Include the bride's tiara just for fun. If you're having trouble getting started, check out these step-by-step instructions on creating your own shadow box.

Weddings can be very expensive, and everyone wants to cut pennies where they can. Why not start by making your own guest book? It can be a really simple project, and is an opportunity to create something special and unique that you'll appreciate looking at in the many years of wedded bliss to come!

Things you'll need:

• Blank book: You can get these at just about any craft store
• Xyron machine or glue stick
• Rubber stamps: There are many wedding themes available
• Stamp pads
• Poetry or Quotes you like, related to the theme of course, printed onto cardstock
• Photos
• Ruler
• Pens
• Decorative scissors

And, if you decide to antique the book, you will also need:

• Brown acrylic craft paint
• Sponge brush
• Water

You'll find the instructions after the break!

Bad days are rough by definition. Sometimes, you'll know from the moment you wake up that something doesn't feel right. Other times, you'll have a day that seemed fine until a turning point: a moment when you got bad news, or when someone was needlessly rude to you, or when you got stuck in traffic for two hours because of a storm. What can you do to turn things around?

Over at the sweet blog iCing, Gala recently posted 50 ways to salvage a bad day. For example, you can try:

• Treating yourself with a small luxury, like a fancy bath, a manicure, pretty flowers, or a few pieces of fine chocolate
• Changing your surroundings in some way: a walk in the park? a decision to go home and watch your favorite movie?
• Listening to your favorite upbeat music
• Spending time on adorable or funny websites, like Cute Overload and I Can Has Cheezburger
• Getting some exercise
• Baking
• Making art or otherwise working on a craft project for fun
• Seeking out supportive friends
• Making "a list of things you're grateful for"

There are many more suggestions in the original post... and in the replies it received (almost 100)!

Granted, some of these ideas are subjective: not everyone enjoys Tank Girl, zines, and books by Francesca Lia Block. Nor will they solve serious, clinical depression, the kind that merits medical attention. But there's at least a grain of truth in all of them, in that reducing each idea to its basic concept and then following that directive probably will comfort you and improve your mood.

I am so in love with the art of origami, but sometimes feel like a new born babe who just can't get her hands to move correctly to fold a piece of paper into a magical work of art. I can do an elephant, a flying bird, and a gift box, but can't do a lampshade or even a hedgehog.

The possibilities of what you can create are endless, as is clear in this article on Wisebread; 8 fun and frugal things to do with origami. If you have a wedding coming up, make your own centerpieces. Make someone you love an origami greeting card. Give a gift in an origami fabric container. Make jewelry. You can even turn your old business cards into neat origami works of art.

Anytime you get bored and think there is nothing to do, pick up a piece of paper or cloth and turn it into something amazing. Just don't let your boss catch you at your new found craft! You may find yourself fixing that piece of paper into a "hire me" sign.

You love Sharpies. I love Sharpies. Who doesn't love Sharpies? I don't know, and I'm not sure I'd want to know.* These permanent markers are as popular with artists and crafters as they are with movers, and you should definitely have at least a pen or two of their type in your DIY toolbox.

Now you can order custom Sharpies: the prices are reasonable, and there are plenty of choices. These Sharpies are kind of like the personalized M&Ms candies that Francesca Clarke posted about a while ago, except that they're more useful and they don't taste as good.

Learn about options and considerations after the break, where you'll also find suggestions for a Valentine's Day edition.

If being a die-hard DIY'er is a point of contention in your relationship, I wouldn't recommend turning up with these rings on your wedding day. If you're both into the fix-it lifestyle and want to celebrate it along with your love in a fun and quirky way, these nut and bolt wedding rings might be just the right fit.

The (somewhat phallic) rings fit together perfectly. I don't know how I'd feel about the guy getting the diamond piece, but that's the way they are intended. If nut and bolt rings aren't what you had in mind, there are some other cool ways that use your DIY'er personality and make your special day totally unique. Try making your own, with New York Wedding rings. A simple engraving can personalize rings and make them one of a kind. I'm sure there are loads of creative rings out there. I'd love to hear about some of them in the comments.

It has always seemed a shame to me that one of the best parts of the wedding day gets destroyed soon after the wedding ceremony. I have always enjoyed the beauty of wedding cakes and although I have always liked eating a piece, or two, or three, it still seems unfortunate to me that wedding cakes can't survive the celebration intact. Photographs just don't do justice to the memory of a wedding cake. They are after all, hand crafted works of art. So what is a person to do when they want a wedding cake that will withstand the rigors of time? I have found the answer. Although not edible, a LEGO wedding cake is durable enough to keep for a lifetime and to pass on to your heirs.

The LEGO wedding cake web page I have located for you does not have actual step by step instructions for making this beautiful creation but plenty of pictures and good descriptive text give you enough information to undertake the project yourself. The bottom two tiers are constructed slice by slice, allowing the happy wedding couple to give them to wedding guests as keepsakes.

If you're a fan of LEGO construction and you are contemplating tying the matrimonial knot, give some consideration to the LEGO wedding cake. It fits all the requirements of the traditional wedding cake except it's not edible and you really wouldn't want to schmoosh a piece of it into your new life partner's face.

This idea is so wonderfully simple without giving up an ounce of style. The perfect bound blog brings us these classy placeholders just in time for Christmas dinner. All you need is a plain Christmas ball ornament in whatever color matches your table setting. You can stencil, or even more simple, stick on a fancy initial for each guest. If you want to add a little something, attach a nice ribbon for hanging. Your family and friends will love the creativity and have a memorable ornament to add to their tree at home.

Some of the commenters suggest that these would also make great wedding favors. If you're pulling together a winter wedding, these might just be that perfect placeholder/party favor you've been looking for.

[via: Ready 2 Spark]

The Print Gocco is a screen printing device from Japan. It's only about the size of an average shoe box, but it allows you to print just about anything you can imagine... as long as your design is around 4"x6".

Print Gocco was originally created as a card printing machine, long before electronic printers with good image quality were affordable and widely available for home use. So what better way to demonstrate its basic capabilities than by making some cool holiday cards? (You can also use what you learn in this tutorial to make all the wedding stationery you could possibly need.)

The process takes some set-up, but once you've chosen and prepared your design, you can easily print off a bunch of unique, artistic cards in less than an hour. Join me after the break to find out how!

Well, here we are -- the final edition of Wedstravaganza! It's been a long and bumpy ride for me going through all the final details of the gorgeous wedding that blurred past my wife and I this past August, but now the journey is just about complete for regular readers of this series. For those of you who would like to read all seven past editions of Wedstravaganza, I've included all the links below:

Wedstravaganza, Part 1
Wedstravaganza, Part 2
Wedstravaganza, Part 3
Wedstravaganza, Part 4
Wedstravaganza, Part 5
Wedstravaganza, Part 6
Wedstravaganza, Part 7

View the picture galleries, then be sure and read the rest of this feature after the break.

In last week's edition of Wedstravaganza, I started cinching up quite a few important and final details before the big day came -- August 3, 2007. Among the areas I covered included wine and champagne amount calculations (yes, there's a formula for this), wedding program finalization and printing, deejay preparation and reception presentation picture scanning.

This week will feature a decent amount of wrap-up before I complete the Wedstravaganza series with next week's Part 8, which I hope to have to you on the ever-spooky day of Halloween. I hope you've enjoyed the ride thus far, and I hope you can appreciate the level of planning and detail that goes into a wedding and reception. I'll cover the honeymoon in next week's finale, as I've held off on that until now.

Additionally, next week's finale will include a timeline, a cost breakdown and the ending of our special day to our chosen Honeymoon destination the very next morning after Marci and I were married. So, don't forget to check back! Until then, continue reading.