DIY Wedding

Some of us are crafty. Sewing, knitting, paper-folding, hot gluing--there are lots of crafty hobbies you can incorporate into your wedding to make the event more personal. Doing some things yourself can save money. It also takes time, though, and as the wedding approaches you will find less time to spend with your hot glue gun, so choose your DIY wedding projects carefully. For instance, I love baking, but would never attempt to make my wedding cake. I’ll be making favors and centerpieces that can be assembled in advance and kept in the closet until show time.

The emergence of crafting mega-stores like Jo-Ann’s and Michael’s have made it easy for anyone to do something themselves, from invitation kits that you print at home to candles and silk flowers for centerpieces, to the fabric and patterns needed for sewing your own dress. (I sew, but I’m not attempting to make my own dress, either.) Those store also have some incredible sales, so if you think you'll be needing some supplies from them, sign up for their mailing lists so you buy and stockpile things as they go on sale. Most towns have boutiques for specialty fabrics and paper if you want something that won't be found just anywhere. And of course, almost anything you need can be bought on the internet somewhere. (My newest internet love is Save on Crafts.)

Personally, I love Martha Stewart’s magazines, especially the Good Things sections. (I could plan 100 weddings with Martha’s ideas!) But some of those projects are hard! Or include high-end materials that just can’t be found by the average person. Or require a staff of helper-bees to do most of the work. So I give them a try and do the best I can. I have more inspired-by Martha projects than actual Martha projects.

As we go along with this blog, I’ll chronicle my crafting experiences. The mister has asked that I not reveal too much about our own wedding until after it happens, but I have plenty of other crafting stories to share.