As a long, crazy, and hectic summer winds to a close, I’ve got a new mantra around our house: Keep It Simple! So, this week I’m inspired to share with you some simple, but adorable, DIY favor/gift bag ideas. I always love DIY wedding projects because they let you put your own creative stamp (no pun intended) on your special day. And with these DIY brown bag projects, you can keep the cost down as well. How will you fill your favor bags? Well, that’s up to you, but yummy homemade baked goods or other edible treats sound good to me!
photo credit: betsywhite.com
Don’t you just love the way the bright red paper labels “pop” against the brown background? This favor bag idea (courtesy of the wedding stationary experts at BetsyWhite.com) would fit in perfectly at a simple backyard bbq or beach wedding. Click here for easy instructions and template.
photo credit: weddingchicks.com
Here’s another fabulous idea from the creative minds of The Wedding Chicks. These sweet little DIY gift bags strike just the right note – proving that when it comes to weddings – you don’t have to pay a fortune to be stylish and chic. Simply download the template, print onto scalloped paper and attach to brown paper bags using a hole punch and pretty ribbon. Click here for complete instructions.
photo credit: younghouselove.com
I always save the best for last. And, although I love all today’s DIY tips, I think this one’s my favorite. It’s stylish, with a sense of humor. These mini brown bags are filled with single gladiolis bulbs. The front photostrip picture (of the bride and groom – he’s covered in lipstick kisses!) invites guests to “Plant One on Us!” Instructions for planting the bulb can be found on the back. You can find all the details for this project on Younghouselove. This awesome blog features one Richmond, Virginia, couple and their trials and tribulations as newlyweds and new homeowners. They planned an amazing DIY wedding in the backyard of their adorable new home, which is still the inspiration for their DIY blog. If your planning a backyard wedding and/or diving into some DIY projects at home, you’ve got to check them out – they’re so great.
So get your creative juices flowing and your wedding favors will be “in the bag!”
source:newyorktimes.com
My sweet tooth is legendary. I’m not one to skip dessert – ever. So you can imagine my (joyful) surprise when I recently stumbled upon the midwestern wedding tradition known as the “cookie table.” Who has been keeping this one a secret? Envision a long banquet table filled with hundreds, maybe thousands, of homemade cookies. Each one is more fanciful than the next. Years of family recipes handed down from one generation to the next, all on display for the happy couple and their guests to enjoy. Setting up a beautiful display table and providing take home containers for your guests turns this yummy wedding tradition into an easy to do DIY wedding favor.
image 1:martha stewart weddings; image 2:mlive.com
If this charming tradition is one you want to incorporate at your wedding, here are a few helpful hints. You’ll want to enlist the help of friends and family to make it fun, and manageable. Who wants to spend hours and hours in the kitchen in the days and weeks before you say I do? Unless you have the Keebler elves at your disposal, you’ll need some backup. In Ohio and Pennsylvania (where the cookie table tradition is said to have originated) it’s the mothers, grandmothers and aunts of the bride who do the baking. But, if this tradition is new to your family, you may have to organize a day long bake-off to get the job done. Having a kitchen shower? Ask each guest to bring a dozen (or two) cookies that can be frozen and saved for later. Can’t get all the baking done in time? Feel free to mix it up with a combination of homemade and bakery treats. What a sweet gift from all who contribute.
source: mlive.com
Make sure to alot space at the wedding reception for a banquet table dedicated to the cookies. Use (and borrow) cake plates, cookie stands and jars of varying heights to create interest. Vintage and antique stores sell some beautiful and inexpensive stands. Purchase take home boxes at bakers supply stores or order boxes online. How about Chinese take-out containers as cookie favor boxes? I also love the idea of adding in bowls of colorful candy to the display. Use pretty place cards to identify the types of cookies and who make them. Be creative and make it fun. How about offering “shots” of milk along side the cookies? This is one tasteful DIY tradition that will leave your guests smiling.
source: gourmet.com