Materials
Ink Jet Color Printer
5×7 White Paper Bags
Treats

Instructions

1. Download the bag graphic and type in names and wedding date in spaces provided. Follow the directions in the PDF for printing with an Ink Jet Printer. If you don’t have an Ink Jet or if your printer doesn’t allow you to print odd formats, you can print directly onto sticker paper (found at office supply stores) and post apply to the bag.

2. Help maintain freshness and keep sweets from leaving oil stains on the paper bag by lining with a glassine envelope.

3. Add a little more detail to the bags and scallop the top with a pair of pinking shears or rotary cutter.

4. Fill bag with treats and serve!

White paper bags can be found here and glassine bags can be found here.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Twig & Thistle, Wedding Favor Packaging, Wedding Favors
Post categories: DIY Favors and Gifts, DIY Packaging, DIY Projects

As I’ve been blabbing on and on about weddings galore over the last few months, my loving husband and the SMP tech guru has been working furiously behind the scenes to put the finishing touches on our new site. With a pretty new logo, a clean and beautifully organized design and so many new features on the way, we are bursting with pride. Literally.

And, since we can’t break out the bubbly with all of you, we thought that we’d pony up a few incredible features today…a real wedding that will make you swoon, a DIY project that will definitely make your must have list…oh and the BIGGEST GIVEAWAY we’ve ever done!

We are being purely evil in making you wait to hear the details on our latest giveaway (and when I say big, I am definitely being modest. It’s bigger than big…it’s HUGE). So, to ease the pain, we are sharing an absolutely perfect new Favor Box designed by the fabulous Kathleen of Twig & Thistle.

Kathleen is the queen of all things DIY fab, so it’s no wonder that we’d kick off this week with one of her darling designs.  I am loving the sweet simplicity of this favor box, perfect for some handmade truffles or a baked treat. You can download the template right here!

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And a really quick side note. As someone who is living my every dream, I just wanted to say how much it means to me that you come here every day, that you allow me to play a small part in planning your biggest day, that you support Style Me Pretty and all of our successes, our missteps, our ambitions. I am forever grateful.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 84 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DIY Favor Box, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, New Design, New Website, Twig & Thistle
Post categories: DIY Packaging, DIY Projects

Made using thrifted sheets, these would be so cute gifted to your maids with a pair of fabulous shoes tucked inside! So many of you want your girls’ shoes to match so what better way to do quality control than to pick them out yourself. SUCH a cute idea.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Creature Comforts, Shoe Bags, Twig & Thistle
Post categories: The Blog

As a little added treat, I thought we could end the day with one last project…the adorable, kraft boxes with bakery twine that Mary-Kevin made for her wedding favors. She filled hers with Taffy, but cookies, chocolates, anything really would fit the bill.

Materials

Kraft Boxes from US Box Company
Wax Paper
Scalloped Edge Paper Cutter like this one
Bakers Twine from Raffit
White Tags from Staples (string removed)
Custom Stamp by Stamp & Sign, reads “sweets from the {insert your new last name}”
Chocolate Brown Ink Pad from Paper-Source (or other office retailer)

Instructions

1. Using your scalloped scissors, cut the wax paper so that it fully lines the bottom interior of the boxes. Leave enough room to go up the back/front so that you can fold over the treats.

2. Place a handful of candy or other treat inside. Secure the box closed.

3. Stamp the tags using your custom stamp and chocolate ink. Allow ten minutes or so to dry.

3. Tie up the box like a present, using the baker’s twine, slipping the stamped tag on just before you tie the bow or knot.

Voila!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, favors, Twig & Thistle, Waterlily Pond, Wedding Favors
Post categories: DIY Packaging, DIY Projects

Mary-Kevin and Patrick’s wedding was just that…and SO much more!

Here are some of the vendors that the couple used to help this undeniably gorgeous wedding come to fruition…

The invitations & origami paper were by  Hello! Lucky with calligraphy by Crystal Kluge. All of the gorgeous florals were done by Modern Bouquet and that stunning chocolate cake was crafted by Fab Cakes and other baked goods by Miette Patisserie. The bride’s gorgeous gown was Jenny Yoo (who else!) and the Groom wore J. Crew.

And, last but so far from least, the photography was all captured by the oh-so-talented Carrie Mccluskey.

More to come!

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Post tags: California Weddings, Calumet Park, Carrie Mccluskey, Crystal Kluge, Darlington House, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fab Cakes, Hello! Lucky, homemade vanilla favors, J. Crew, Jenny Yoo, La Jolla, Miette Patisserie, Modern Bouquet, Twig & Thistle, Waterlily Pond
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired

From Kathleen…”This is a great project if you’ve got some time and want to give your guests something homemade. It takes about 2 months for the Vanilla to mature but it’s a simple project and a gift that will last for years!“

Materials Needed
Small Glass Jars
#4 Size Corks
Mini Gingham Ribbon
Sticker Paper
Scissors
X-acto Knife
Homemade Vanilla

Instructions
Step 1: Download the Homemade Vanilla Extract recipe here and follow the directions on how to make it.

Step 2: Download Vanilla Labels here and print onto white sticker paper. Trim out each label. To get nice circles, take your time and use an x-acto knife and self-healing cutting mat – your fingers and table with thank you!

Step 3: Cut ribbon to 8″ long and wrap around the neck of the bottle crossing in the center. Secure ribbon with a small piece of tape and then apply Vanilla label to the center of the bottle. Finish it off by snipping the ends of ribbon to a point.

Step 4: Once Vanilla is prepared and ready, fill the jars with vanilla using a funnel and cap with a cork. Vilolá! a delightful homemade favor for your guests!

Links to Products
Small Glass Jars: Call Packaging Specialties to order: 206.762.0540 ($6.00 each)
#4 Size Corks at Home Depot
Mini Gingham Ribbon at Michael’s
Sticker Paper from Avery

* * *

Kathleen is our oh-so-fabulous DIY editor that also runs the wonderful blog Twig & Thistle…filled with delicious finds, perfect DIY projects and tidbits that will make you swoon. Make sure you check it out, as it’s one of the blogs that will quickly become a favorite!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 59 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DIY Vanilla, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Kathleen, Twig & Thistle, Vanilla Favors
Post categories: DIY Favors and Gifts, DIY Projects

How cute are those little bags? I’m sorry but they are PERFECT for favor bags. An inexpensive way to add a touch of charm and personality to your style. Check out Twig & Thistle for the full post. Here is one more project that just might be even cuter, if that is possible…

LOVE. Oh my, do I love! The perfect wedding treat. Again, check out Twig & Thistle for the full post.

And for all of your DIY-ers out there, we want to hear from you. Kathleen, the designer behind these perfect little gems, contributes monthly DIY projects for us, as does the adorable Whitney of Darling Dexter. But we need more! We are looking for brides, crafters, people with style to help us build our DIY inventory. Chic, charming, lovely projects.

If you are interested in becoming a DIY editor, just send me an introductory email with either links to or photos of projects you’ve done in the past. Happy crafting!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Twig & Thistle
Post categories: DIY Favors and Gifts, DIY Projects

Well, today, I am SO following in his footsteps. Our DIY editor, Kathleen, just emailed me her latest project and although I was supposed to wait until Friday to post it, I am going to share it with you today. It’s that great!

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DIY Handmade Greeting
Whether you’re inviting a friend to be in your wedding or thanking them for participating, your attendants deserve a note that’s as beautiful as they are. Invite or thank them with a handmade envelope and card.

Here are the step by step photographs that coordinate with the instructions below. Happy crafting!!

Materials Needed:
Sewing Machine
Pinking Shears or Rotary Cutter
One piece of Ultrasuede fabric
Satin Ribbon
Coordinating Threads
Metal Ruler
X-acto Knife

Instructions:
Step 1: With scissors, trim ultrasued to 5.5″ x 8.75″. Cut a piece of coordinating ribbon to 20″ long. Align Ribbon to the center of the fabric lengthwise and pin about 3.5″ down from the top on the right side of fabric. Secure ribbon with a sewing machine. Fold bottom of the envelope up about 2.5″. Sew both sides shut with a sewing machine.

Step 2: Measure .5″ in from the top center of the envelope. With an x-acto knife, cute a straight line through the fabric just wide enough to accommodate your ribbon. Measure .25″ up and repeat the same cut. Thread ribbon through slots.

Step 3: Place a standard 4-Bar card in the envelope or download this template of cards and print out onto card stock on your home printer. Follow the instructions in the template on how to trim out.

Step 4: Once the card is placed in the envelope fold top over and pull snug. Using pinking shears or ruler and rotary pinking cutter, trim each side to get the decorative scalloped edge. Make sure to do this step last so that the scallop edges line up. Snip ends of ribbon to points and tie in a bow!

* * *

Thank you so much, Kathleen for sharing this gorgeous DIY project with us! When I invited my own bridesmaids, I crafted something similar, sewing little silk pockets with handmade cards tucked inside. I know that my maids so appreciated the thought and the love that went into each one.

Oh and this part is really important…DONT forget to check out Kathleen’s absolutely adorable new blog Twig and Thistle for some really fun inspiration. And if you’d like to see past projects that she has crafted, you can see her custom matchbooks here, her custom sparklers here, her hot chocolate packs here and her DIY lunch bags here!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Kathleen, Twig & Thistle
Post categories: DIY Projects, DIY Wedding Invitations and Stationery, Wedding Invitations & Stationery