DIY Wedding Guest Book - Stamped Tree Collage

Wedding guest books are so special to read and keep after the wedding--the only problem is that you have to take it out and actually take time to read it.  We have probably only read our guest book a couple times since our wedding just because it is usually boxed away with our other wedding memorabilia.  That's why I love the idea of turning your wedding guest book into a work of art.  Here's a wedding idea that you can hang up in our house and look at often.  Instead of signing a guest book, guests stamp and sign their names on a blank canvas to complete a picture.  Thanks to Esther and Joy for helping me with this project!

Materials: stiff posterboard or canvas,  leaf stamps, green inkpad, brown paint,  paint brush

1.     Paint the branches of a tree and letters onto the blank canvas with brown paint.  If you don’t want to free draw the tree, try this simple technique:

1. Print out a picture of a tree you want to trace and enlarge if necessary.  On the back of the paper, use a lead pencil to shade in areas of where the tree is printed on the front side.

2. Place the printed picture of the tree on top of your canvas and secure it with tape.  With a pencil or a ballpoint pen, trace the tree on the front side of the paper.

3. The shaded pencil on the back of the paper will make a carbon-like print onto the canvas.

4. Remove the paper and paint over the pencil lines on canvas.

5. You can repeat the above process to paint names on to the canvas.

On your wedding day, leave out stamp pads and leaf stamps for guests to stamp onto the tree.  Have guests sign their names on each leaf with a permanent marker.

-       If you are using a stretched canvas for your collage, stack a book or magazines underneath the canvas to fill in the empty space underneath the canvas.  This will help guests to stamp evenly onto the canvas.

Have fun!

Lego Place Cards

Lego Place Cards

Last November, I was unfortunately unable to attend the wedding of our close friends, Anjie and Preston.  It was, therefore, super exciting to hear about their wedding and all the cool things they did to make their wedding unique and special!  One thing Anjie and Preston told me about that I couldn't get out of my head was their use of Lego men for place cards, and I just had to make some for myself!  (Yes, Al's name is on there because he really wants to keep one of them =)

A quick trip to the Lego store revealed to me how fancy Legos are these days!  There are so many things you can add to Lego men--hats, facial hair, mohawks--I had to tear myself away from the store before I got caught up making too many variations.  If I were planning a small wedding and I knew each of my guests well, I would have a blast trying to make each Lego place card look like each guest.

I think the pictures are pretty self explanatory for how to make the flags.  Bamboo skewers that are used for kebabs and grilling are actually a perfect size for the Lego hands to hold.  I used a white gel pen because I like the way the white words pop on the colored cardstock, but of course there are countless variations on how to make the flags.

So cute!  Anjie and Preston also color coordinated their Lego blocks to indicate each guest's meal order at their wedding--yay for multi-tasking!

Have fun!

Rice Krispies Treat Star Favors

Rice krispies treats are a classic snack that are easy to turn into a fun favor for a holiday party, a bridal shower, or even your wedding.  All you need to do is make the original Rice Krispies Treats recipe and let your creative juices flow!  I made stars for a holiday party and was very happy with how easy they were to make:

The Original Treats (from Ricekrispies.com)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• - OR -
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies®

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

To make the stars:

 1. Press the rice krispies mixture onto a pan as thick or as thin as you want the stars.  I made my stars thinner because I wanted to make more out of the batch.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out stars.

 2. Dip the blunt end of a bamboo skewer into melted candy coating or melted chocolate and insert into cut-out star.  This will help the skewer stay in place.  If you have a thicker star cut out, you could also use lollipop sticks.  If using bamboo skewers, trim off the pointed end with kitchen shears.

3.  Once the stars are set in the skewers, coat with melted candy coating (I used Wilton's) and decorate with sprinkles.  I had originally planned on dipping the whole star in melted candy coating, but after I tested one it was just way to sweet for the treat, so I just spread the candy coating like icing on one side of the star.

Have fun!

DIY Caramel Apples

This is my last apple project for a long time, I promise!  I have wanted to make my own caramel apples for a long time, and I was thrilled to discover that it was incredibly simple.  Homemade caramel apples would be the perfect wedding favor for a fall or apple-themed wedding.  You can make them well in advance, and the simple ingredients make it an affordable project, too.

DIY Caramel Apples

A simple way to make caramel apples is to dip them into melted caramel squares that you buy from the store.  However, making your own caramel is actually quite simple and can save you a lot of money if you are making a lot of caramel apples.

I used Kittencal's Caramel Apples recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 8 -10 wooden sticks
• 8 -10 medium tart apples

Directions:

1. Insert 1 wooden stick into each apple.
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and milk; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm ball stage) about 30-40 minutes and for a softer caramel cook just to a few less degrees.
4. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
5. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture; turn to coat
6. Holding by the stick, sprinkle with nuts or whatever you desire while the caramel is still warm (work quickly the caramel sets up fast).
7. Set on generously buttered wax paper to cool (make certain to generously butter the paper).

Note: if making a double recipe make two recipes in two separate pots.

I used Wilson's cookie sticks because I liked the look of a white stick instead of a wooden one.  You can also warp the sticks with ribbon or decorate it to make it look more elegant.  I wanted a softer caramel, so I heated my caramel to 245 degrees, and was very happy with the texture.  I rolled the leftover caramel into balls and Al and I nibbled on them for days afterwards!  I also placed the dipped apples on parchment paper and had no issues with sticking.

To decorate the apples, I melted semi-sweet and white chocolate chips in the microwave and scooped the melted chocolate into plastic ziplock bags.  I cut one corner off the plastic bag and used it to pipe chocolate onto the caramel apple.  (Of course, if you have a pastry bag, you could just use that).  I hate doing dishes and cleaning up, though, so it was nice just to toss the bags once I was done!

DIY caramel apple wedding favors

Lastly, since I was giving these apples away, I wrapped them in plastic treat bags from the Daiso store in Mountain View.  The small apples were the perfect size for these bags.  I placed a piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the bag just to prevent sticking, but I don't think it was actually necessary.

Also, this is what happens when I leave apples lying around an unattended husband: =P  He also hid them under plates and bowls and it took me a while to get them all back!

Have fun!

DIY Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage Centerpiece

When I saw white pumpkins a few weeks ago, I immediately saw the potential for a really fun project.  How can you see a pumpkin and not think of Cinderella's fairy tale pumpkin carriage?  It took awhile to think through how to make the carriage happen, but now I'm really happy with the results! The hardest part was coming up with a practical way to make the carriage wheels--I tried to find cheap wooden wheels that I could buy, but in the end it was much easier and cheaper to make them myself.  So for a fairy tale wedding centerpiece or a fun project, here's how to make a real pumpkin carriage:

Materials for wheels:
- wire
- modeling clay
- glue and paper for paper mache
- two bamboo skewers or wooden dowels
- hot glue gun

To make the wheels:

Step 1: Twist pieces of wire to form wheels.  Make two slightly larger than the other two.  (Twist one longer piece into a circle, then make spokes by twisting three short pieces across the diameter of the circle).  Press a piece of clay into the center to hold the spokes in place.

Step 2:  Cover the wire wheel with modeling clay to make it thicker.

Step 3:  To harden the wheels, paper mache each wheel with strips of paper dipped in watered-down glue.  Let each wheel dry completely before proceeding to step 4.

Step 4:  Paint each wheel with gold paint (or color of your choice).

Step 5: Cut your wooden skewers so that the wheels will rest against the pumpkin after you attache the wheels.  (This will be about the width of the pumpkin).  Paint two skewers or dowels with gold paint.  With a hot glue gun, glue the wheels to each end of the skewer.

*An alternative way to make the wheels is to buy clay that you can bake, and simply mold the wheels and paint them after they harden.  I didn't feel like spending the extra couple dollars to buying that kind of clay--hence the wire and paper mache steps.  

Materials for carriage:
- white pumpkin (or you can use an artificial carvable pumpkin like Funkins)
- carving tools (or for me, just a knife)
- gold puffy paint
- gold ribbon
- pins

Scoop out your pumpkin and carve out the windows for the carriage on both sides of the pumpkin.  (This is actually the first pumpkin I've ever carved, so I don't have any good tips, and I'm pretty sure my carving is pretty sloppy!)  Use gold puffy paint to outline the windows.

Decorate the pumpkin with gold ribbon by pinning the ends of the ribbon on the inside rim of the hole at the top of the pumpkin and at the bottom of the pumpkin.  Use gold puffy paint to add any other detailed decoration to the pumpkin.  Attach the carriage wheels to either side of the pumpkin.  Hot glue will hold the wheels in place, but can easily fall off.  You can attach the wheels more securely by "stapling" the dowel to the side of the pumpkin by bending a piece of wire into the pumpkin on both sides of the dowel.

Light a candle inside the pumpkin and place in a ring of ivy for a cool centerpiece!

Have fun!

DIY Apple Candles

Yes, I am still apple-crazy!  There are so many ways to incorporate apples into a wedding theme that I just can't stop =)  Here's how to make easy apple candles for some romantic decor:

Materials: Melon baller, paring knife, tealights, apples, pen

Step 1: Trace tealight on the center of the apple.

Step 2: Use a knife to cut along the marked circle.

Step 3: Cut out the top of the apple.

Step 4: Use a melon baller to make the hole deep enough for a tealight to fit.

*here's a scooped out apple

Step 5: Place tealight in the scooped out part of the apple.

And that's it!  Make sure you scoop out enough of the apple to completely conceal the tealight~this makes it really look like the apple is the whole candle.

For an easy table centerpiece, arrange apple candles around a large vase filled with apples and flowers.

Have fun!

Apple Crisp in a Jar Favors and Place Cards

After making the apple centerpieces, I thought of many more projects to do for an apple wedding!

DIY Apple place cards:  Pin name cards to apples to make simple place cards.  (pretty self-explanatory...=P)

DIY Apple Crisp in a Jar Favors:
Pair the ingredients for apple crisp with an apple place card for a sweet favor your guests can take home and bake for themselves.

Materials: cloth square, baby food jar--thoroughly washed and filled with ingredients for apple crisp (see recipe below), ribbon/raffia, hot glue

 Step 1: Glue cloth square onto baby food jar to hold in place.

Optional: trim the corners of the cloth to make a circle (or leave the corners, depending on how much cloth you want to drape over the side of the jar).  Place lid back on the jar.

Step 2:  Secure the cloth on the lid by tying a length of ribbon or raffia around the bottom of lid.  Print out the recipe instructions on a piece of paper, roll it, and tie to the jar with the raffia.

Apple Crisp:  Place the ingredients into each baby food jar:

- 2 tbsp. all purpose flour

- 2 tbsp. brown sugar

- 2 tbsp. oats

- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

* brown sugar is a good layer to use in the middle because it packs together and keeps the other ingredients from shifting.

Recipe instructions:

1.  Mix contents of jar with 1 tbsp. of butter until crumbly.

2.  Sprinkle mixture over 1-2 peeled and sliced apples in  a baking dish.

3.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Enjoy!

Apple Bushel Centerpieces

Autumn always reminds me of going apple picking back when we were in college. I can almost smell the fresh apple donuts, too! The harvest season is the perfect time to incorporate apples in your wedding theme--and if you can find apples at 49 cents a pound (thank you Milk Pail Market!), you can breath easy over your wedding budget.

 Make fun centerpieces for your apple-themed wedding by using a bushel basket, cloth napkin, and apples. You can also label your tables by placing a numbered stake in the basket.

Materials:

- bushel basket

- square cloth napkin (or hemmed fabric of your choice)

- apples

- stake

- cardstock for table numbers

- basket filler (optional)

Step 1: Line basket with napkin. 

 Step 2: (Optional) Fill basket with basket filler (shredded paper, old newspaper, etc.)

Step 3: Attach numbered cardstock to wooden stake. 

 Step 4: Place stake in the center of the basket.

Step 5:  Arrange apples in the basket around the stake.

To imitate the checkered pattern on the cloth, I made a checkered border in Microsoft Word and printed it onto cardstock.  These table numbers were 5 inches wide and 4 inches long.

Have fun!