Make your Own Luxury Centerpiece

MATERIALS:

For Top: 

Coffee Filters: 

Here I used White and Unbleached. You can also dye white coffee filters any color you want (instructions below)

Pins: 

Corsage/ Floral Pins or Sewing Pins-Preferably without a colored head, but you can hide them easily if that is what you have laying around.  Pick pins at least 1 inch in length.

Base:
"6" Inch Foam Ball

For Base: 

Vase: With opening wide enough that ball will easily rest in it.

Lace: A Lace Doily or Fabric

Glue Gun or Mod-Podge


Optional: 

Flowers, Paper Flowers, Ribbon Flowers - As you can see below, I have placed a coral colored rose onto the foam ball. Leave a few holes empty as you work to make room for them. Pin them in as you would pin the coffee filter flower on.

Flameless Candle-  Put in the bottom of the vase to light up your centerpiece

or

Paint- Swirl Paint Inside Vase to fully coat before applying lace appliqué



Make it into a Hanging Ball:
Make into hanging ball by stapling ribbon/rope to the ball before you begin placing the coffee filters on. Keep the strings out and hang at the end.




Step One: Place Foam Ball into the Vase. Using a Pencil mark the ball where it meets the vase. This will guide you as to where you should stop attaching the paper.

Step Two: Take your Coffee Filters and individually press into the center of the filter and squeeze the sides together to make a flower. Then squeeze the base shown in the picture below. 

 Step Three: Attach the flower by putting a pin into the center of the flower and pushing it into the Styrofoam ball. Start at the top of the ball and work your way down to the sides. If you are using two colors make sure you alternate them. Tip: keep the flowers close together.

Step Four:  Continue placing flowers around the sides all the way down the sides until you reach the line you made for the part of the ball which will sit in the base. The last flowers should rest just a few centimeters above the line. Tip: If you are making a hanging ball continue to add flowers until the entire ball is covered.

Step Five: Place the ball in the vase and fluff and/or crush flowers until you create a symmetrical ball. And there you have the top to your ball! 

Click below to find out how to attach lace to the face. Keep Scrolling to See How to Dye Coffee Filters. 

Additional Tips: 

Stretch the lace so it lays smooth

You can use a  hot glue gun or mode podge to affix lace

(If your vase has a fluted neck make sure you glue down lace along ridge. It may be slightly wrinkled because of the odd shape, but you can use an extra wide ribbon, twine or other material to cover as I used above.)

How to Cover Vase in Lace

How to Dye Coffee Filters 

Materials: Food Coloring, Coffee Filters, Drying Rack, Water

Step One: Fill up a bowl with two cups of water and add food coloring. Tip: Color will dry lighter than you expect. 

Step Two: Take a stack of filters and fold in half once and then again. 

Step Three: Dip the stack into the food coloring. You can put just the edges in or you can dunk the whole group. The color will be stronger if you submerge the stack. 

Step 4:  Squeeze excess dye out of filters (Trust me do not skip that step) and then peel apart the filters and place on a  cooling rack. Using a cooling rack helps to circulate air around the filter helping them to dry faster.  

Step 5: Wait for them to dry and add to your project!

5 Tips for Buying a Wedding Dress.

5 Tips for Buying Your Wedding Dress

http://www.romonakeveza.com 2012

1. Look online and in magazines, but keep in mind that you should be looking for a style you like, as opposed to your dream dress. Looking online or in a magazine is a great starting point, but like most things you would find online there are millions of choices, an overwhelming amount of choices which could leave you feeling like you are in a  tulle and taffeta prison. Also, the prices…some sites make you feel like you are buying a crummy made in a sweat factory, copyright infringed knockoff dress, while others have dresses so expensive that you may have to forgo the venue in order to pay for the dress. You will feel so much better if you just go to a store and try them on. 

2. Stop trying to lose weight before you try your dress on. Buying a dress takes time, so does ordering a dress and altering a dress, so get out there and find a dress that makes you look great now, so just in case your weight loss dreams don't come true you have a dress that looks great. There are always alterations if you do indeed drop a size or two. Also, do not get discouraged by sizes!!! Dresses fit different then regular clothes. Marilyn Monroe was considered a size fourteen by vintage sizing standards ( she would be a size 8 today) and these sizing standards still stand when it comes to wedding dresses. It's not you….it's the dress. 

3. Throw modesty out the door, especially if you are a budget bride. You can plan to wear a conservative corset and panties, but the stark reality is that sometimes you aren't going to fit a bra into the gorgeous dress you are trying on. Also, the attendant has to come in the room with you. You are not going to tighten your corset yourself, are you? Just breathe and keep in mind, they know what they're doing and have seen "It ALL!".  Wedding dress shops are all about getting naked and trying on a bunch of dresses, so throw that bra to the ground and let your inner nudist roar! 

4. Try on a few things you don't think you like. You never know what will look good until you try it on or what looks bad for that matter. If you try on dress after dress that fits all of your standards, but still doesn't quite work, then maybe it's time to try a new style. Most important: A dress that makes your body look phenomenal. Less important: Add in personality in design demands aka…a long train, lace appliqués, bling. Trust me, if you think you look really good in the dress, the little things that you were insistent upon disappear. 

5. Prepare for an appointment. Wear deodorant. You will Sweat. Wear a strapless bra. Remember the attendant: avoid a thong if you're modest. Style your hair similar to what you will do at your wedding. Bring heels the height of what you want at your wedding. Don't wear too much makeup or the dresses you try on will be wearing them too. 

Would you or wouldn't you?

Would you or Wouldn't You? 

Would you risk a possible wedding fail with this grand entrance? 

The Best Fabric Choices for Rustic Weddings

Here is a guide to picking fabrics for your Rustic Wedding 

Lace- Sweet, Soft and Innocent. This traditional wedding fabric can help soften the look of rustic decor. Use for table runners, to decorate centerpieces, or use on anything else that needs sweetened up. 

http://www.occasionsonline.com

http://www.calierose.com

Burlap- Quite the contrast to lace, this heavy duty fabric can be used in a million ways even for your own bouquet. 

gypsyfarmgirl.blogspot.com

Gingham- We're not talking about the red and white farm table kind, but the sweeter pastel cousin. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/135389532520384721/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/75139108/vintage-gingham-banner-bunting-21-fabric?ref=market

 Stripes- Whether thick or thin stripes are a great choice for your wedding. Just keep in mind the wider you go the more nautical your wedding theme will seem. 

http://wildflowersinc.com

Modern Prints- Mixing Modern Prints with Rustic Charm takes your wedding to a whole new level.  Just keep in mind that although you may love a print this year, anything trendy might be out of style next year (aka Chevron). Try to pick a new print you love, rather than picking what's hot at the moment or stick to classics like nautical stripes, houndstooth pinstripes and polka dots. 

http://www.pinterest.com/thebridesshoppe/teal-wedding-inspirations/

Textured Fabric- There aren't many inexpensive ways to get the look of opulent textured fabrics, but you can always look for used or rent it to save or use this great idea for a twin sized bedskirt! Whether glitzy or luxurious textured fabrics will add a individual accent to your decor. 

emmalinebride.com

thingsthatsparkle.com

weddingbee.com

Florals- Whether you go petite and simple or go for a bold statement, flowers can make a pretty statement. 

These are just a few of the basic choices for a rustic wedding. Rustic Weddings leave you room to add personality and flair to your occasion. Please don't forget to subscribe and share for more ideas like this! 

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Rustic Wedding I Do's and I Don'ts

Here are eight things to think about when planning your rustic wedding!

1. Not everything is or should be DIY. Unless you have five years to plan your wedding, then doing everything yourself is nearly impossible. You should pick a few personal touches such as your centerpieces, signs, gifts or bouquets to create yourself. Keep in mind, that every interior designer will tell you, spaces look best with both new and old elements. If you have twine covered mason jars, add a little glitz and glimmer by either adding candles, shine or sparkle. Keep opposites in mind and blow your guests away. Smooth and Rough, Bright and Dull, Hard and Soft, Tall and Short, Wide and Thin. 

http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/centerpiece-help-what-to-do/

2. Stay away from craft stores except for the basic necessities i.e. glue, wire, tape,  ect… literally, only buy items that you absolutely cannot make yourself or find at the dollar store.  The whole point of DIY is to save money and craft stores have become pricey. Scour flea markets, garage sales, discount stores and thrift stores and don't forget to bring creativity. As for online. Visit sites like Freecycle, Pennysaver, Craigslist or the Backpages and look for unwanted items. Sometimes you can even find items that other rustic brides used for their venues that you can use for yours. 

 5 things to look for in your used/cheap item

  1. Can it be easily modified for your colors/theme

  2. Is it high quality? No one wants something that will fall apart before the wedding.

  3. Is it more expensive then buying it new?

  4. Is it a very inexpensive product, that I can easily redesign for very little

  5. Does it need shipped/mailed ect…

3. Say yes to handmade paper, lace and fabric flowers and and no to fake flowers. Fake flowers unfortunately look like, well, fake flowers. Everyone knows their fake, perhaps it's their plastic stems or unrealistic sheen that give them away, but most of the time they come off looking tacky. If you don't have the time or the patience to create your own flowers. Enlist some of your family and friends with green-thumbs to help grow you flowers. Keep in mind which flowers bloom when and also if anyone in your party has allergies to certain blooms. 

Here is my tutorial for Pretty Paper Flowers:

Easiest Paper Flowers Ever!

4. Rust is good, mold is bad. It's ok to use something a little dirty or rusty as decor for a rustic wedding, but if there are traces of mold which can be black, white or green, it is best to stay clear. These can add to allergies, be irritating to your guests and even cause illness. 

Green Mold on Antique Carriage

5. Rustic Restrooms are a no-no. It is not ok to go rustic here. There is nothing worse to watch than a $5,000 white, hand-beaded bridal gown being stuffed into a porta-potty. Yes, many barns have no bathrooms, so you should either upgrade to a deluxe porta suite with sinks and flushing toilets or switch venues. Unfortunate, but true. Everyone is paying to attend, some guests are even flying from out of state, so treat them like a welcomed guest, not like their there for a camping retreat.  Not saying you should eliminate the porta-potty idea completely, just make sure it is a secondary option. 

6. Rustic doesn't necessarily mean cheap. Forgo plastic cups, silverware and please, refrain from paper plates, there are very inexpensive ways to plate your dinner including mis-matched plates with a similar theme, buying used plates from someone who recently thru a wedding, or if push comes to shove renting plates and silverware from your caterer. Paper plates blow away, plastics silverware just can't take the pressure of cutting any type of meat, and plastic cups should be left for the fraternities. Oh, and absolutely no RED SOLO CUPS (except during the song ; ) )

No! Photo from http://www.teamjimmyjoe.com/tag/wedding-photography/#.U3fgz8bd5g0

7. Beware of Picnic Tables. I love the look of picnic tables. They have a certain charm and look like a great option, however, the women in your family might not agree. Many of your guests will be dressed up and many women will likely be in dresses. This means that women have to lift their leg over the seat to get into their spot at the table and could leave some guests with more unforgettable memories of your wedding then you would like to have. Also, picnic tables are nearly impossible to enter for the elderly. Think about your dearly beloved grandparents who can't make it up a flight of stairs, let alone try and climb over a picnic table. If you do still chose to use a picnic table, make sure you cap the ends with a couple wooden folding chairs for easier access. 

http://blog.tgkdesigns.com

8. Think outside the box. If you have been Googling rustic weddings you have probably fallen in love with mason jars, chalkboards, wood log bases for your centerpiece, radio flyers and of course lanterns! I am not saying that you should cut these ideas out completely, I'm certainly not, but you should add your own elements. If you love books concentrate on creating items using the pages and spines of books, if your hubby loves fishing, use old fishing rods, tackle boxes ect… the point is, take the basic ideas and then make them your own. You've chosen DIY and Rustic which means you have the opportunity to make it personal. 

http://blog.myweddingreceptionideas.com

A Country Wedding Dream Wagon

A dream farmers cart for your wedding, but dreams can come true. Get more ideas below by following the link at english-weddings.com!

Take a look at this rustic wedding dream wagon! 

English-Wedding.com

How-To-Make Paper Pom Poms

How-to-Make a Paper Pom-Pom! 

Here you can find the complete guide to making beautiful Paper Pom-Poms in two different styles. Making your own Pom-Pom costs only a $1.00 each, are super easy, super beautiful and look fabulous when finished. 

About Me: I am a videographer based out of Pittsburgh, PA. I am currently engaged and planning my own rustic wedding, so as I move through my different diy decorations, I thought I would give the you the basics so you can make your own too. 

You can also find Rustic Wedding DIY on Blogger, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Google +. You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram @mandeline28. If you don't want to make these and want me to make them for you send me a message. I promise to make a reasonable offer.

How to make Paper Origami Flowers (Kusudama) for your wedding!

Here is how to make beautiful Kusudama Paper Flowers for your wedding! 

Rustic Wedding Lanterns

Idea of the Day! Doily Lanterns for Your Wedding. Great for Centerpieces. 

Things to Purchase (or find)

Mason Jars: *

Cheap Find: Buy your family a ton of pasta sauce and pickels! 

Think Outside the Box: Decorate a Vase instead

Doilys: 

Look online, local thrift stores, Grandma's Closet

Twine:

 Flea Markets, Craft Stores, Hardware Stores, Online

Ribbon: 

Dollar Store, Online 

Instructions: 

Get some Mod Podge* and slowly work your way around the jar and apply directly to the doily. Applying to the mason jar will make it look clouded. Then apply a layer to the outside. Add a creative touch with something like ribbon, buttons, seashells or tiny paper cutouts. Add a small battery powered candle and voila! 

Image/Idea courtesey of http://crazyaboutweddings.blogspot.com

Tutorial: Easiest Paper Flowers Ever!

Easy DIY: How to Make Beautiful Paper Flowers

Making paper flowers can be an inexpensive way to decorate your wedding or reception venue, while still impressing guests with beautiful whimsical art.

Step 1: Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. You can use up to three folded pieces at a time. 

Tip: Any paper will work, however, very thin paper (tissue) can rip accidentally or not be as durable and a very thick card stock may not be as pliable. Here, as you can see, I chose paper from a book. 

Step Two: Cut out Hearts and Lots of them. The trick is to cut out various sizes of hearts starting from a half-inch across to three inches wide. I cut out six pages of hearts total. 

Step 3: For easy management of your hearts layout according to size. 

Step 4: On the opposite site of the fold. Roll each heart backwards over a thin, long, round object.

Tip:  Here I am using a piece of Balsa wood, but you can use the end of a paint brush, a spoon, or anything else you can find that is slender and curved. 

Here's what your hearts should look like. 

Step 5: Take one half of the smallest heart and fold just past the center of the heart. Do not flatten.

Step 6: Fold the other side to overlap the fold you just made. This will be the center and base of your flower. Use glue to affix. I prefer a glue gun, but white glue will work as well (just hold it until it dries). 

Step 7: Using one heart at a time, working from smaller to bigger begin gluing the hearts around the base. 

Tip: As you work remember that it should not be completely symmetrical. Play with the petals a bit. 

One Heart

It looks more realistic to start with a few layers of small petals.  Also, remember you can trim the petals as you go if they seem too large. 

A finished flower! I used all of the hearts cut out from six sheets.

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