Vintage DIY Wedding Ideas

Everyone wants their wedding to be personal to them so you may be considering making some of your own decorations or favours for your big day. A lovely, but time consuming task so why not get all your bridesmaids & girlfriends together for a crafty afternoon? A great way to lead up to the excitement of the wedding and to involve your nearest & dearest in making your day as special and personal as possible.

Vintage weddings are still leading the trend for 2011 so here are some crafty, vintage ideas:

Quilled Table Numbers

Turn table numbers into works of art with quilling paper. Print out numbers in desired font (a fancy shape lends itself well to quilling) and size (we used 650-point Linoscript for a 4-by-6-inch piece of card stock); you'll use this as a template to shape numbers.

For each digit, curl one end of a 1/4-inch-wide strip of quilling paper by wrapping it about five times around quilling tool or the shaft of a screwdriver.

Then, using template, form number: Starting with curled end, bend paper for curves and crease for angles. Trim paper, leaving a few extra inches, and curl end. Apply white craft glue to edge of number with toothpick, and attach to card, using tweezers; hold in place to secure. To create stand: Cut triangle out of card stock and glue edge to card's back.

Source www.marthastewartweddings.com

Bunting

An easy, cheep and effective way to add a vintage tea party feel.

Image from  www.theukhighstreet.com

Start by raiding your sewing kit or local charity shop for pretty, pastel material.

Cut a card triangle template to ensure that all shapes are the same. Aim for a long thin triangle. Then draw round this on your material using a pencil. Rotate the template to ensure you use as much of your material as possible, and finish up with a variety or triangle patterns.

Use pinking scissors to cut out and prevent fraying.

Using a long piece of ribbon, fold it in half lengthways and iron in place. Pin the triangles to the ribbon, evenly spaced ready for sewing.

Sew all the way along the ribbon, using a sewing machine of possible and leaving at least 40cm of tape free from flags at each end for hanging. 

Hang up your beautiful bunting all around your venue!

Flower Pinwheel
If you fancy a challenge try making these pinwheels for children’s favours or decorations.

 Images from www.heatherbailey.typepad.com & www.paigeandbrooke.blogspot.com.

Cut out pinwheel pattern www.heatherbailey.com/Pinwheel.pdf.
With a pencil, trace lightly around pattern onto each cardstock piece.  Cut out pinwheel pieces.  Punch a hole at centre of each pinwheel piece as well as at each black circle on pinwheel spokes.  Cut two circles from cardstock scraps, 1“ in diameter. Punch a hole at centre of one circle

Layer two pinwheel pieces together face up.  Twist pinwheel pieces to nest/lock together with spokes on top.  Glue together at centre only.  Attach eyelet at centre, through all layers.  Moving in a clockwise direction, bring each spoke to centre one at a time, layering each spoke onto an eyelet as you go.  Once all spokes are stacked on eyelet, arrange spokes evenly, and set eyelet to hold spokes together.

Paint dowel.  Drill hole through dowel, 1/2” from one end.  Wrap ribbon around dowel, gluing as needed.  Secure ribbon ends with glue.

Bend wire 90º, 3/8” from one end.  Slide hole-punched circle onto wire.  Sandwich bent end of wire between punched circle and unpunched circle.  Glue together enclosing bent end of wire to form centre of spindle.  Create a layered flower using various flower punches and a brad.  Glue to centre of spindle or simply glue a button at centre.

Slide flower wheel onto spindle.  Add wooden bead.  Next feed wire into hole in dowel.  Position wire so there is an extra 1/4” of wire beyond flower wheel and wooden bead - this space helps the pinwheel spin freely.  Wrap remaining wire tightly several times around dowel. Trim wire if needed.

Source: www.heatherbailey.typepad.com