Save the Date Magnet & Postcard

First off, let me say that I have been able to save so much money by ordering off of a printing company called Vista Print. I first came across this company while looking for business cards. Since then, I have been ordering tons more stuff then I ever thought of originally. The first wedding related purchase through them were my Save the Date postcards, and magnets.

I had been searching for an affordable way either to make them myself, or purchase them. The cheapest I could find it was around $0.99 each! With 200 guests, the costs easily add up. That's where Vista Print stepped in. I was able to order their regular sized postcards (250 of them) for free + shipping! You can easily get these promo links in the mail by signing up for their emails.

(Click on the logo below)

They have multiple designs you can select from, and as long as you pay attention to the conditions of your promo, you can easily get away with spending only $5.00 on 250 postcards.

Below are my finished designs for my save the date postcards. I used multiple images from our engagement photo session. Be aware that sometimes Vista Print charges a photo upload fee. These can range from free to $5 each photo. Remember to look before you click!

Now one of the other things I was really wanting to include were the new wedding fad - save the date magnets included with a traditional save the date card. Not only are they fun to give out, but they are perfect for your guests to just stick on the fridge - and a guarantee that it won't get lost as easily as a card. Just as, or more expensive than the save the date card itself, these were originally out of our budget. Once again, Vista Print to the rescue. I had a promo code for 25 small magnets for free, or 100 for $22 + shipping. Oh happy day!

Below is my finished save the date magnet design.

I have gotten so many compliments on them, and everyone has been saying how nice a reminder it is because they don't lose it when it's stuck to the fridge!

All in all, I spent a total of $22 + shipping for 250 postcards, and 100 magnets. That's $0.22 for each guest we invited! $0.22 is a whole lot cheaper than the average quote of $1.50+ each!!! That doesn't even include postage! This is a lesson that not only can you stay within a reasonable budget, but you can create beautiful projects that no one will know you paid pennies for - doesn't mean you'll be able to keep the excitement of these deals to yourself! ;)

Happy crafting, and if you've done some save the date postcards or magnets, post a pic of yours below in the comments!

~Brittanie

Engagement Party Guestbook/Postcards

For our engagement party, we wanted to include elements from where we got engaged - Seattle. While we were up there on our trip, we collected vintage postcards from various places we visited. Then it hit us - what better way to have people leave us a note, than on a postcard! We did some research, and found LanternPress.com. They are a wholesale printer, so we had to clear the order over the phone before they would fill it. Once we did though, we got our order printed and to the house within a week. Here are the designs we chose below...

We used the postcards as invitations, and took the leftover postcards and used them for the guestbook. For the invitations, I adjusted the printer settings so it would print out horizontal, and within the border of the postcards. For the guestbook/postcards, I had a small table in the entryway: We had the blank postcards in a basket along with some pens, and used one of those wire photo holders to hold a postcard with instructions. My future sister-in-law used her craftiness to decorate a chalkboard with some more instructions. (as you can see in the photo) :)

Here are some links to help you make your own postcard guestbook table.

Postcards: LanternPress.com

Wire photo holder: BedBathandBeyond.com (Use a 20% off coupon, or a $5 off $10+ purchase!)

Tabletop Chalkboard: RowansRoom on Etsy

Happy New Year!

Happy new year! Time to start knuckling under and start cranking out DIY projects. Expect more posts and pics soon!

Until then, check out Koyal Wholesale for lots of wedding supplies for DIY-ers.

I've been slacking on posting lately... I promise I've been working on stuff! I've also come up with a possible centerpiece that doubles as favors. We sh

Ring Bearer Bird Nest

Alright, so I have another project done!

I got the idea from reading the DIY Bride Countdown. It's a really good book, and if you're stuck for ideas I highly suggest flipping through it. (Check out the DIY Bride link on the left.)

For this project, you'll need

• wire - silver, gold, black, bronze, whatever color you want
• wire cutters
• jewelry pliers (very handy for making the perfect size loops)
• beads (make sure the holes in the beads are large enough to slip on the wire)
• small scrap of fabric (to sew a little pillow for the middle)
• patience!

I ended up using about 10 yards of 22 guage silver wire I bought at the local craft store. It's pretty difficult to work with such a large amount of wire. The first thing to do is wrap the wire in a little circle for the base of the nest. Then, you start bending the wire in a way to work the nest larger - being sure to weave in and out of the base so you don't end up making just a giant wire coil. Every so often, slip a bead on to add some bling to your nest. My hands ended up getting pretty dirty from working with the wire, so don'twear your fav clothes when making this! I used red and black beads, so it would go with my wedding colors.

Once you're finished making the nest as large or as small as you want, pick out some fabric and sew a little pillow for your rings to 'nest' in. ;) I haven't decided if I want to add some black ribbons to mine so the rings will be secured to the nest itself.

I also added a dangle to the very bottom using a headpin with a few beads on it. This is wear the jewelry pliers come in handy.

Rating
Difficulty: 8 out of 10 - The length of the wire really frustrated me at times!
Cost: very cheap to make

Here's a super helpful video I found on YouTube showing how to use a headpin.

Engagement pics

So J and I are having our engagement pics done today! Yay! We decided to have them done at Newport Beach, CA. Thank goodness for 80 degree beach weather in November. ;)

One of my photog friends - Fernando Guiterrez, will be taking them for us. I'm pretty excited!

Monogram Wall Decorations

I've decided on our wedding colors - white & black damask, with a burgundy accent. Classy? I'd like to think so. ;)

Our venue is outdoors, so that'll be something to keep in mind.

So our engagement party was last month. I really liked this door monogram idea from Martha Stewart Weddings. Another version I found (below) hung the letters from the back of the bride and groom's chair.

I went down to Michaels Craft store, and picked up our initials. (awww, <3)>

At first I was going to hang both letters from 1 hook on the front door of my parent's house for the E-party, but then thought better of it when my mom pointed out they would flop and bang against the door.

Here's a pic of the finished project...

I painted the letters black, and used a heart cut-out and painted it burgundy. I thought the middle was pretty plain looking, so I used black puff paint to do a swirly design in the middle.

Fiance used his extra strength carpenter's glue to stick the letters together using the heart in the middle. I ended up just using double sided tape on the back of it all and sticking it on the wall above our guest book. I love the way the black letters popped out on the wall.

You can customize the colors on the letters to match your wedding colors and you can be sure no one will have the same decoration as you do. ;)

For the wedding, I might glue a ribbon to the back of the letters so I can hang it in front of our sweetheart table. haven't decided yet! Ideas on the color ribbon are welcome! Leave a comment telling me what I should do. :)

Rating

Difficulty: Very easy - just grab a paintbrush, some glue and puffpaint and you're set!

Cost: Fairly inexpensive. Wood letters depend on the size and thickness you want.