by | May 15, 2013 | DIY Invitations Ideas
DIY bomboniere boxes are a great way to add a splash of personality to your wedding and save money! While bombonieres are typically small tokens that a couple give wedding guests to show their appreciation and affection, bombonieres and the box it’s displayed in come in a variety of styles and designs to suit different price ranges.
Different Types of DIY Bomboniere Boxes
A traditional favourite that’s still extremely popular, standard cubed DIY bomboniere boxes come in a plethora of sizes to fit a selection of different gifts. Including a separate lid that either lifts off entirely or just flips open, these two-piece boxes are usually available in white cardstock which makes a great canvas for your DIY design elements or in clear PVC if you prefer to let your guests see what’s inside immediately.
While the standard shape is popular, there are other types of DIY bomboniere boxes that have been crafted to suit unique wedding styles. Pillow bomboniere boxes are a cute way to package something light like a scarf or personalised candy and have openings at both ends that need to be squeezed gently to reveal the favour inside. Unique DIY box designs resembling take-out boxes in heavy cardstock have also become trendy in the wedding circuit and are used to package anything from fortune cookies to jars of homemade jam.
When adding embellishments and decorating your DIY bomboniere boxes keep your wedding theme in mind for a streamlined look that’s simple without being overcrowded. Experiment with unusual design elements like leaves for an autumn wedding or exquisite embellishments such as brooches, starfish clusters, buckles, buttons, sequins, glitter and pearls that suit a variety of wedding themes. Fabric swatches, lace bands and ribbons are fabulous elements to weave into your DIY design concept for an exquisite touch of elegance!
Visit your local craft shop or check out an online DIY wedding invitation supplier for some great add ons that will transform your DIY bomboniere box into a classy keepsake
DIY Bomboniere Ideas
While personalised chocolate bars and sugared almonds are popular alternatives, they’re quite boring and standard! Give your guests something personal that’s more likely to be treasured than popped into the bin such as the dry ingredients for two cookies in a bomboniere box accompanied with a handwritten copy of your all time favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe or any other family recipe.
A bomboniere buffet is a trendy option that lets you cut costs by displaying both cost-friendly items with a few lavish options that guests can help themselves to before leaving the wedding.
by | May 7, 2013 | DIY Invitations Ideas, DIY Wedding Invitations, Engagement Invitations, Wedding Invitations Ideas, Wording ideas for DIY Wedding Invitations
If you can’t wait to put your creativity to use when planning your next big event, then why not start out with DIY invitations and stationery and create beautiful works of art on the likes of the invitations, gift boxes and bags and so much more, starting from the base all the way up to adding accents to make your DIY invitations and stationery creations pop!
Kick-Start Your Vision
First of foremost, apart from the materials, you will need a vision or a design draft (which would be a good idea to have before you make your purchases for materials, unless you plan on making samples first and figuring out the winner). A sketch draft of the design and a list of things you need would be a good place to start, and not forgetting the DIY invitations paper or card stock.
Get Your Materials in Order
There are many ways in which you can start on your creations, but you will need the fundamentals or basics, such as paper or card stock depending on the vision you have. Whether you purchase plain old paper, or opt for the fancy variety of textured or pearlescent paper or card, you cannot go wrong, because it’s your vision of creativity coming alive as you embark on making your DIY invitations and accessories a reality. Once you have this ready, why not make a few samples in various styles/forms and judge them for yourself or with family and close friends to decide which one is the best one for your event. Your DIY invitations should have a theme, depending on your requirement; it could be anything from a wedding, engagement, religious function, birthday, graduation and the list goes on and on.
Styling the Fold
Once you’ve got materials for your DIY invitations, start adding design elements to it, like folding it to make it the style you want and find an easy way to get it done in as less time as possible. You may have free-standing, bi-folded, tri-folded, vertically or horizontally aligned cards, or even the ones of the pocket invitations variety.
Invitation Wording
You need to also figure out what you want written in your invitations, whether you want to write it in yourself, hire a calligrapher or run it through a printer. Figure this part out, because if you are opting to print it, you will need the proper dimensions to enter into your printer so the layout and alignment comes out properly. Make sure you do a few samples on normal paper before you print them in batches.
Adding the Final Accents
Once you’ve sorted out the invitation wording, the final step would be to add those personal touches with DIY accents that you feel would go well with the theme. Some trendy suggestions would include the likes of adding ruffles using fabric or textile accessories such as fabric pompom balls and lace trim, cutting out shapes such as hearts and flowers out of the card/paper itself for a 3D pop-up effect, stitching on various appliqués with the thread work on display, using tissues and papier-mâché techniques. These are few ways in which you can take your DIY invitation creations to the next level.
by | May 1, 2013 | DIY Invitations Ideas, DIY Wedding Invitations, Wedding Invitations Ideas
Many of us have a creative streak, and enjoy experimenting with design, starting with doodles and drafts and then moving onto actually carrying them out with the help of arts and crafts. When you are planning an event, the very same applies, where you decide on a theme and look, and if you are planning on doing most of the work yourself, then you even start designing DIY invitations to match the design theme that you have picked out.
This year, there are several delightful trends that have popped up which can definitely help you when you take to event planning, and in the stride, also designing the likes of DIY invitations and stationery, gift boxes and bags for favours, gifts and so forth. These include the likes of popular colour choices, styling and design, use of embellishments or treatments, and not forgetting colour palettes. Let’s look at some designs that you can definitely use on your DIY event items.
Popular Colour Choices for 2013
When it comes to colour there are some that stand out, and are in trend. This is usually determined by the fashion industry in partnership with Pantone. This year, the following colours have been chosen as the ones in trend, and can be used individually or can even be complemented with other colours.
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Spring Colours
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Fall Colours
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- Dusk Blue
- Emerald
- Tender Shoots
- Grayed Jade
- Lemon Zest
- African Violet
- Linen
- Monaco Blue
- Poppy Red
- Nectarine
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- Mykonos Blue
- Linden Green
- Acai
- Samba
- Koi
- Deep Lichen Green
- Vivacious
- Turbulence
- Carafe
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The above colour choices range from colours that are related to spring which are bright and colourful as well as to fall, that are darker and earthy. According to the season of the year, you can use these colours when doing up your DIY invitations, boxes and gift bags to match the theme of your event design.
Styling and Design
You may have your very own style that you are comfortable with, but if you are to be trendy, one style trend that is to go down ‘Chic and Elegant’, which essentially focused on soft touches, lace, intricate designs and flourishes complimented by soothing tones and colour pairing. You can utilise soft floral decals to patterns that are easy on the eyes. Lace DIY invitations are definitely quite intricate and gaining popularity for their intricateness, especially when trying to match the bride’s wedding dress.
Embellishments & Treatments
We all like to add a touch of glitz in our lives, and when you are planning a special event; you might want it to stand out than just another average day-to-day shindig, right? Why not add some treatments or embellishments to your DIY invitations, other stationery and accessories. Go with glitter appliqués or even metallic paper or foil printing for that effect. Choose from colour choices such as gold, silver, and champagne, bronze, copper and more to get the finish you are looking whilst still sticking to the theme and style you envisioned.
Soft Colour Palette, Shades and Hues
Apart from the trending colours in itself, you need to consider colour palettes to choose from that are ready made, where you are not required to pair up and decide whether they actually look good. One such colour palette that is trending would be pastel or sorbet shades of colour that are soothing on the eyes and are muted enough to be romantic and delightfully pleasing. Choose from muted colours such as zesty yellows, blush pinks, sandy taupe, ashen mint, soft peach, and even pastel aqua to bring some magic into your event, with DIY invitations and complement the rest of the event’s accessories such as gift boxes, bombonnieres, and more with it too.
by | Apr 26, 2013 | DIY Invitations Ideas, DIY Wedding Invitations
Each and every one of us celebrates life in our own way, whether it’s a baby’s arrival, a birthday, an achievement or union, and not forgetting those extra special anniversaries that come by each year. We usually celebrate these milestones and special events with our loved ones and close friends, and do it with a party or function. So, when it comes to that, you will need invitations, and if you are either budget conscious or just plain creative, it may be good thinking to opt for DIY invitations to create beautiful handmade creations to your tastes.
The DIY Invitations Process
There are many ways to come about DIY invitations. Some may say first start with the paper, so you will look around for the best choice of paper stock, or even card stock for those who prefer a hardy material for their creations. This would mean already knowing the vision of the outcome of your invitations, in terms of shape and size, the quality of the paper/card, and not forgetting the most important thing, what the design will entail. Purchasing paper stock would mean you will have to fold it to your liking, add the necessary touches, print, embellishments, appliqués and whatever you may want to add to the DIY invitations.
However, there are alternatives to this as well, and that would be to purchase DIY invitations that are readily available for your creative touch. These include the likes of invite cards that are folded and are available in the prerequisite shapes, size and colour, and not to mention the quality of the paper finish too. All you will need to do moving forward would be to add the printing and embellishment details. Some DIY invitations retailers provide printing services, where you may edit your invitation wording and other details depending on your order requirement, and have it ready for you, so that all you will need to do would be to add the accessories and additional touches. It also means you will need to pick out envelopes for your DIY invitation packages as well, which are available in bulk depending on your need.
There are other options too, handmade invitations that are done up by designers according to your taste and liking, for a truly professional finish, and comes paired with DIY envelopes too. You also have the option of opting for hardcover invitations, which are available in different styles such as pocket invitations and are accompanied by a matching envelope that suit the texture and finish of the card stock used on the invitation.
Types of DIY Envelopes
There are various types of envelopes for your choosing and are available in wholesale amounts to suit your requirement. These envelopes come in a variety of shapes and finishes, such as the below mentioned.
Envelope Shapes
- Square (150mm x 150mm)
- DL
- C6 (115mm x 162mm)
- 11B (90mm x 146mm)
- C5 (162mm x 229mm)
- 5×7 (130mm x 185mm)
- White Linen
- White Shimmer
- Ivory Shimmer
- Silver Shimmer
- Champagne Shimmer
- StarDream Silver
- StarDream Opal
- StarDream Crystal
- StarDream Quartz
Envelope Paper Textures and Qualities
by | Apr 17, 2013 | DIY Invitations Ideas, DIY Wedding Invitations
What’s one thing that you need for invitations & stationery and fundamental for the look you are striving for? That’s right, paper! You need something to be your starting point, and the right paper can set you on the right path. The very same applies when it comes to DIY invitations and stationery, because let’s face it, if you don’t have paper, there’s really not a lot for you to use when you are working on a traditional medium or base. You could use the likes of clear Perspex and other such materials but you do need to consider things like the cost factors of printing on such materials and therefore, paper stock would be the best option for your creativity and handiwork.
You get the option of choosing between card stock and paper stock at DIY Invitations. Card stock includes board for your invitations that are hardy as they weigh over 150gsm, whilst paper stock is less rigid and weighs under 150gsm. Let’s look at the options of card and paper stock made available for your choosing when you create beautiful handmade invitations for your special events.
Paper Stock for DIY Invitations (Under 150gsm)
Some of the paper stock options for DIY invitations depend on the sizing, texture and quality, as well as the weight of the paper too. The range of StarDream and Shimmer paper offers a pearlescent quality and is manufactured in Italy, whilst the Textured Linen paper range has a subtle linen texture that sets it apart. Here are some options from the range made available to you for use when doing up your own handmade invitations.
- A4 Champagne Shimmer 125gsm Paper
- A4 Textured White Linen 104gsm Paper
- A4 Ivory Shimmer 125gsm Paper
- A4 StarDream Quartz 120gsm Paper
- A4 White Shimmer 125gsm Paper
- A4 Silver Shimmer 125gsm Paper
- A4 StarDream Opal 120gsm Paper
- A4 StarDream Silver 120gsm Paper
- A4 StarDream Crystal 120gsm Paper
Card Stock for DIY Invitations (Over 150gsm)
Card stock is classified as a board as opposed to paper due to its thick and rigid nature, and allows for a sturdy finish. The StarDream, Shimmer and Sparkle range of quality card stock/board is pearlescent in nature and reliable due to its added strength in terms of gsm. The following are options made available to you at DIY Invitations to create beautiful handmade invitations, stationery and other creations.
- A4 StarDream Opal 285gsm Board
- A4 White Sparkle 250gsm Board
- A4 StarDream Quartz 285gsm Board
- A4 Champagne Shimmer 300gsm Board
- A4 Ivory Shimmer 300gsm Board
- A4 StarDream Crystal 285gsm Board
- A4 StarDream Silver 285gsm Board
- A4 White Shimmer 300gsm Board
- A4 Silver Shimmer 300gsm Board
- A4 StarDream Crystal 240gsm Board
Consider these options as you draft and plan the look and feel of your DIY invitations whether it’s for a wedding or any other special event in your life.
