Category: DIY Wedding Blog

If you’ve been reading for quite some time you probably already know this, but it’s pretty hard for me to resist anything with a bit of kitschiness in it. There is just something so fun and uniquely beautiful when "clean meets dirty" at a wedding.

Even though this board is intended for a winter wedding, Courtney wanted a theme where you could subsitute one or two details and create the same event any time of the year in any climate. For example, if your having a summer wedding you could substitute peppermint bark
for cherry pie violá or instead of
hot chocolate have milkshakes and bottled coke. The options for substitution are endless…

I know this image has absolutely nothing to do with weddings, but it’s been on my mind all weekend and I couldn’t resist posting it.  This is probably the coolest Christmas
tree I’ve ever come across and I thought it would be the perfect way to kick off our kitschy, winter holiday table today. Don’t you just love how it’s made out of all these trinkets she had lying around her house?

[Image c/o ATLITW via Lobster and Swan]

I’m heading out early today to help my husband with end of the year tax stuff…ugghh, but of course I couldn’t leave you without a little inspiration for the weekend. Remeber these adorable invitations from Flush Designs for a kitschy winter wedding? Well, Courtney sent me her finished table this week and it is absolutely gorgeous. The ideas she came up with are like some I’ve never seen before and I cannot wait till Monday morning when the feature is live. Until then, here is a little peek….

Have a wonderful and warm weekend!!

Laurie’s project this week is not only a great alternative to a fresh flower bouquet, but the construction of the piece isn’t too diffucult for a novice to tackle either. Can’t you just see a little flower girl wearing her winter cardigan carrying a nosegay of pincecones down the aisle? If you are new to Once Wed and would like to see previous DIY projects, click here. Enjoy!

What You’ll Need:

15 – 20 small pine cones
15 – 20 strands of floral wire
Brown floral corsage tape
A lovely hankie
Dried and preserved glittered babies breath or similar dried filler flower
1 yard of ribbon l ( I used two different colors and  widths)
1 short zip-tie (rubber bands will work too)

Wire cutters
Scissors

Resources:

Most of the supplies are  available at any craft store.
Take a walk and collect your pine cones.
Velvet ribbon is made by Midori.

Directions:

1.  Take one of your wires and run the middle of the strand between
the lowest layers of "scales" on the pine cone.   Fold both ends of
the wire down, and twist the wire tight until the pine cone is secure.
 (see figure 1)

2.  Wrap the floral tape around the two wire ends, starting at the
base of the pine cone and working your way down.  Pull the tape as you
wrap. It becomes sticky as you stretch it.  (see figure 2)

3.  Wire and tape all of the remaining  cones.  For a small bouquet,
it will take 15 to 20 pine cones.

4.  Once you have all the cones wired, bundle the pine cone "stems"
together to form a round bouquet. (see figure 3)

5.   Wrap the bundled stems  together with  floral tape.  Use your
wire cutter to trim the stems so the bouquet handle is about 5 inches
long.  (see figure 4)

6.  Break your filler flower into small sprigs. (see figure 5)

7.  Tuck the springs in between the pine cones.  (see figure 6)  When
you’ve added all of your filler flower, wrap the bouquet handle with
another layer of floral tape to secure the filler.

8.  Neatly press your hankie.

9.  Turn your bouquet upside down and put the center of the hankie on
the end of the bouquet handle.   Pull the hankie up towards the pine
cones to make a "cuff" around the base of the pine cones.   Take your
zip tie or rubber band and secure the hankie around the "neck" of the
bouquet. (see figure 7)

10.   Tie your ribbons around the neck of the bouquet to conceal the
zip-tie or rubber band.  Trim the ribbon ends to desired length.  (see
figure 8)

What it Cost:
Pine cones – Free from the neighbor’s yard!
Hankie – A wedding shower gift
Wire – Pennies a strand
Midori ribbon – $3.80 a yard
Glittered babies breath – $7 for a bundle (with plenty of extra left over)
Floral tape $2 – a roll

I know this fascinator from Giant Drawf isn’t your typical wedding hairpiece, but I still adore it and think it would look lovely placed on a head of a bride or bridesmaid. So many colors to choose from too….