Wedding DIY: Easy Seating Chart!

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all are having a great Wednesday afternoon! Today, I've got an easy DIY for those of you who are getting married! As you all may know, I got married a few months back so I thought I would share with you how I made my seating chart for the reception. You will only need a few things, it's that easy! Let's get started!

Things You Need:
-Picture frame
-Wrapping paper
-White Computer paper
-Computer/Laptop
-Printer
-Scissors
-Tape or Glue Stick

Step 1:
Buy a picture frame. I bought mine at Ikea for $20 (I think, I can't remember). Also buy some wrapping paper in your wedding colours. I found this at Michael's in the $1.50 bins.

Step 2:
Take the back off the frame. Take the fake picture out and use this as a guide for how big to make the wrapping paper background. I attached the fake picture that comes in the frame to my wrapping paper. Cut off the excess.

Step 3:
Next, take your computer/laptop and open a Microsoft Office (or the equivalent - I used Libre Office) and make your page landscape. Then format the page so that there is three columns. I chose a font similar to Brush Script and I centred everything. You will need to play around with until you get it exactly how you want it.

Step 4:
Once you have got it how you want it, print the page(s) out and cut them out as straight as you can. Then tape or paste them down. I found the easiest way to make sure it ended up centred in your frame was to take the border out of the frame and set it on top of wall paper. This allows you to see the area you have to work with. If you are doing a "Seating Chart" title, be sure to leave some space.

Step 5:
Once you have everything where you want it and glued down, go back to your computer and using the same font, type the words Seating Chart. Print it out and then cut it out. Glue it down in the space that you left. Put the border back in the frame. Then the wrapping paper and then the back of the frame. Once it is all back together, you are finished!

And there you have it! Pretty Simple eh? I hope you have enjoyed this Wedding DIY. If you are interested in other Wedding DIY's, be sure to check out my other Wedding DIY posts. And be sure to go over to The Britt Report to see more of my daily life and what I've been up to lately! Happy Crafting! xoxo

Wedding : DIY Frames

Hi Everyone!

So I've been completely MIA lately. I have been incredibly busy, which is crazy considering all the wedding stuff is now over. We have been busy though. Anyway, I'm sorry and I'm back hopefully, with more regular posts. Tonight, I'm coming at you with another DIY project for weddings (or for any party). They are DIY frames and they are super easy. Let's get started!

Things you will need:
- frames (different sizes, in your desired colour. I found two of mine at Dollarama and the other was at Value Village)
-paint (in your desired colours if you bought the frames from the Dollar store that you paint yourself)
-paintbrush
-nice wrapping paper or scrapbook paper (I got black and white damask wrapping paper for $1.50 at Michael's)
-White printer paper
-Computer
-Printer

Step 1:
Take the frame apart and paint it.You may need more than one coat on them depending on the desired colour. Let those dry.

Step 2:
Once dry, place glass back in the frame. Take the little paper and use this as a guide to cutting out your decorative backing. I traced the outline of the piece of paper onto the back of my wrapping paper. I think I might have even secure it to the little paper with tape.

Step 3:
Once you have all the right sizes for the decorative backing, go to your computer and using Word or a program similar to word, type out what you would like to say in the frame. You can play around with font and style of font after you have typed out what you want. For examples, you can google what you are looking for or refer below for  "Welcome to our wedding", "Candy Bar" and "Guest Book" templates.

Step 4:
Once you have what you have done on Word, print it out. Cut it out so that it fits nicely on your decorative frame but isn't hidden by the frame (if there is an overlay). Tape your sentences down. Try to make sure it is centred.

Step 5:
Once everything is taped down, put everything back into the frame and close it up. With that you have a great frame that can welcome guests or instruct guests as to what they need to do for a specific table.

I hope that you all have enjoyed this DIY project. Like I said, it can be used for a birthday party or a wedding or any kind of party. It is a nice and easy way of instructing guests about what to do. Happy Crafting! xoxo

Wedding DIY : Labels for Candy Bags!!!

Hey Crafters!

So I figured I would post another DIY project tonight seeing as I have been on such a long hiatus!!! So here is a Wedding DIY project! This one is rather simple!

Having a candy bar at a wedding reception was a cool idea and something that my husband and I did since I love candy so much! Instead of getting candy bags professionally made by someone else, and spending a ton of money, I decided I would make my own and save a buck! It was rather simple, but a tad time-consuming. I now know why people get these things done by someone else. Anyway, let's get started!

Things you will need:
- un-cut label sheets (I had this sticker paper from awhile ago and just used it. I don't think it is supposed to be used for labels. It doesn't have any pre-cut borders etc).
- printer and ink
-scissors
-pencil
-fine point sharpie
-computer

Step 1:
Using your computer, go into Microsoft Word or a similar program and create a sheet of labels. You might have to download a template if you can't find what you are looking for. I had to do this using Open Office.

Step 2:
Once you have chosen the look you want, play around with it. Add a thick border, put your names or initial or whatever you want it to say. For the candy labels (see the picture to the right), we put our names, a saying "Love is Sweet!" and the day we got married. It's up to you, and how you want them to look. I wanted them to be simple yet classy.

Step 3:
Since I'm not computer savvy, I don't know how to make fancy designs on the labels. So I got the nice design on underneath "Love is Sweet!" by tracing a line design off my computer. The sticker paper isn't suitable for tracing so you might need to get a piece of scrap paper and use that to trace. If you rub the back with pencil lead and then just use it as a transfer onto the stickers, it should work. Once all your labels have the transfer on them, go over the transfer with a fine-point sharpie pen. Try to do it with a steady hand. I would suggest a design that isn't too elaborate.

Step 4:
Now, very carefully, cut out each label. Cut outside the black border you put around each label. It makes it was easier to cut them out because it gives you a guide to look at while cutting. Try to cut as close as the outside of the black border as possible.

Step 5:
Once they are cut out, centre it on the bag. Then peel the backing off and stick it on. Do this for the rest and you have your own personalized candy bags!

I hope you guys enjoyed this DIY project. You don't have to do this for candy bags. You can do this for lunch bags, binders, books etc. The sky is the limit! Happy Crafting! xo

DIY Boutonnieres for Groomsmen and Groom!

Hey Everyone!

I'm back from my little holiday hiatus. I was actually going to post some DIY projects over the holidays but then got so busy that I didn't have any time to. Anyway, I'm back now and have been diving into wedding stuff, so get ready for a bunch of wedding DIY projects. Let's get started with this one. 

So if you are like me and think that flowers are great, but it's really not worth spending a small fortune on just to toss them in the air or decorate the church or reception hall with them, then go with fake ones. They are just as good, they will last waaaay longer and you can find some really nice looking ones if you shop around. I found mine at Ikea around the time the holiday stuff came out. The boutonnieres we are making today are just rose buds off the flowers I used for the bouquets. (Look for that post coming soon). Let's get started!

Things you will need:

-wire cutters

-floral tape

-flower(s) of your choice

-ribbon of your choice

-hot glue gun sticks

-hot glue gun

-scissors

Step 1:

Once you have chosen the flower you want to be in your boutonniere, you need to cut the stem to the desired length using the wire cutters. I say to use wire cutters because my flowers had wire in the stem, which I'm assuming most fake flowers would. 

Step 2:

Decide on how you would like the boutonniere to look. For me, I had three options. The first was to have the rose bud with three leaves. The second, to have it just stand alone with some ribbon and the third, to have the rose bud with one leaf to the side. Make sure you decide how you want it to look before you do any gluing or taping. I chose the one leaf on the side because three leaves was too much and the rose bud by itself looked weird. 

Step 3:

Once you have decided on your look for the boutonnieres, you can start gluing the leaf to the rose bud. I glued the stem to the back of the rose bud and put some glue on the bottom of the leaf to attach it to the rose part of the flower. Do this for all the boutonnieres. Let them dry. 

Step 4:

Once the glue has dried, take the floral tape and wrap all the stems as far as you can go. Floral tape is a little tricky if it's your first time using it. You have to stretch the tape first to activate the adhesive and then stick it to your stem. This will also help the tape stick to itself. Do this for all your boutonnieres. 

Step 5:

Once all the boutonnieres are wrapped in the tape, you can wrap them in the ribbon. Be sure to always glue on the backside of the boutonnieres. You don't want the glue or end of the ribbon to show in pictures etc. I found that starting from the bottom and working your way up worked best. Put some glue at the bottom of the stem and place the ribbon on it. Hold it there until dry. Then wrap as tight as you can up the stem until you get to the top. (Be sure to cover as much as you can). Place some glue at the back of the stem again at the top and hold the ribbon down until dry. Using scissors, cut the ribbon as close as you can to where the glue ends at the back of the boutonniere. 

Step 6:

Go over each boutonniere and get rid of the glue strings and excess chunks of glue so that they look polished and nice. 

That's all there is to it! Once you get the hang of it, it becomes rather easy. It is rather time consuming so make sure you set aside a lot of time to do this task. Good luck and Happy Crafting! xoxo

DIY Puzzle Guest Book

Hello My Fellow Crafty People! 

I hope you are all doing well on this sunny Wednesday afternoon. I'm sorry I haven't been blogging regularly on here, but I have been crazy busy doing all kinds of things!!! I am hoping to make it a more regular thing, but it has been difficult even finding the time to do the DIY projects, let alone write them for you guys... But I am determined to do so. I want to pursue this writing a blog thing... its a dream of mine. 

Anyway, today's DIY is for the wedding oriented or if you are in the market for making puzzles. It is a DIY Guest Book Puzzle. This is something I created for my wedding after seeing something similar on Pinterest. It's pretty easy and takes approximately an afternoon, depending on how fast you work. Let's get started!!!!

Things you need:
- Bristol Board (needs to be thin enough to be able to frame after the wedding)
-sharpie marker
-ruler
-pencil
-markers for colour coating pieces (optional depending on the size of your puzzle)
-a guide for your puzzle (optional depending on the size of the puzzle - needed if you have a puzzle with a lot of pieces like mine so you can put it back together. 

Step 1:
You will need to cut the bristol board to the size you will need or you can leave it the size it is. I left mine. You also need to take into consideration how many guests will be attending. Make sure you will have extra pieces. 

Step 2:
Take your ruler and pencil and draw lines in every direction making a lot of irregular shapes. Once you are happy with it, take the Sharpie and trace over the pencil lines to give it a cleaner look. Use the ruler if you have difficulty with drawing straight lines freehand. (NOTE** Don't worry about having really small pieces as long as you have enough for your guests. You can colour those in black or draw little hearts (or something else wedding related) on them). 

Step 3:
If your puzzle is large, you may want to consider making a replica of the puzzle using white computer paper so that you are able to put it back together after the wedding. Just get a piece of white paper large enough, or tape several pieces of white paper together until it is the size you need. Place overtop of the puzzle and trace all the pieces. 

Step 4:
I had a ton of pieces, so I colour coded, numbered and assigned a letter to each piece. I wrote it on one side of the actual puzzle piece and then wrote it on the corresponding piece on the paper. 

Step 5:
Next, carefully cut out all the pieces and put them in a ziplock bag. Mine all fit in a regular sandwich baggie. 

When it comes time for your wedding, put the blank ones in a bowl and have some pens or markers handy. Have another bowl or a box for pieces with messages on them to go in. 

That's all there is to it. Just put it together and frame it after the honeymoon if you go on one right away. It's a fun way to have a guest book that is a little easier than making actual puzzle pieces. (Trust me! I tried! It is so hard to make it yourself so it looks nice and not bent or anything... I was so frustrated!) Hope you enjoy! Happy Crafting!!! 

DIY Wedding Card Box

Good Evening, my fellow DIYers!!! Hope you all are having a wonderful Saturday evening. It is chilly here in Ottawa. Think I may light some candles and grab some hot apple cider after I finish this blog post. So today, I'm gonna show you something you can do yourself for your wedding. It's a card box and it was fairly simple to do. I would suggest doing it on a weekend as it can be a bit time consuming. Let's get started, shall we?

Okay, first things first, the things you will need.
-cardboard boxes that can be painted (I bought mine at Michael's. It came in a set of three for about $20).
-paint (in the colour of your choice)
-an exacto knife
-ribbon (in your choice of colour)
-tissue paper (in your colour choice)
-glue gun and glue sticks
-string
-glossy sealing spray
-stick on rhinestone strips (bought at Dollarama)
-ruler
-cardstock
-scissors
-black Sharpie (or preferred colour)
-pencil


Step 1
Take the boxes out of their packaging (if any) and separate the three boxes. Decide how many tiers you want it to be. I decided I only wanted two, but you can have it be one or three tiers if you wish.

Step 2
Take the box you want the cad slot to go in and measure the width and length of the box. Once you have gotten the measurements, you will want to figure out how big you want the card slot. I just did a slit in the top of my second tier box. You will want to make sure that there is an inch on either side the length of the box (see picture for clarification). Also, make sure it is centred if that is what you want. Once, you have cut the slot out, you may need to tidy it up a bit. I used a pair of small scissors to trim it up.

Step 3
Next you will want to cut a hole in the bottom of the box you just cut the slot into. This is so cards can fall into the bigger box. You will also need to cut a hole in the lid of the bigger box that is slightly smaller than the bottom of the top box. (Note: You may have to do this multiple times depending on how many boxes you have in your tier. See pictures for details!)

Step 4
Paint the boxes the colour of your choice. Once they have dried, glue the top tiers to the bottom one. Make sure to line up the holes so that it is centred. Wait for the glue to dry. After this, put the lid on the top tier. Then take the boxes outside and use a glossy sealer spray ( I used Krylon Glossy Sealer) to give it a glossy sheen and to seal the paint just in case.

Step 5
Once the sealer is dry, take the preferred ribbon of choice and wrap it around the middle of each box. Make sure it is in the middle of the box. Glue the ribbons down on each tier.

Step 6
On one of the boxes, there will be a little card that says "Cards". To do this, you will need to measure the length and width of the box (do not include the part where the lid sits in your measurements). I switched to millimetres to do this part. I made it so that the top and bottom of the card was a half millimetre from the top and bottom of the box. The sides I made to be approximately 1.5 - 2 millimetres away. You want the sign to be in the middle and to cover up where the two ends of your ribbon meet. I used card stock for this and outlined the paper in black. Then I used pencil to draw the letters first and then went over it in black Sharpie. I then put stick on rhinestones around the border (I felt like it was missing something). Glue this in the centre of the box with the slot in it.

Step 7
For the flower on the bottom box, you will need 2-3 pieces of tissue paper. Unfold the tissue paper and place one on top of the other. Make sure they line up. Cut it into 6 rectangles. Place them on top of one another and make sure they are lined up. Once they are, start folding them line you would if you were making a paper fan. Once finished, tie a string around the center of the folded tissue paper. Slowly start peeling apart the layers you have created until all layers are fluffed out. Make sure it is flat on one side so you can glue it to the bottom box. Also, be sure to hide the string. Glue the flower where the two ends of your ribbon meet.

Step 8
For some added bling, if you are like me and love a little bling, use some of the stick-on rhinestones to make a border around the slot for the cards to go into.

Hope you enjoy making this. I had a lot of fun creating this and making it my own by adjusting some of the things. HAPPY CRAFTING!!! xoxo