Never saw myself as a "DIY" kind of girl....
I am not crafty. There, I said it. My sister Sarah got aaaaaaalllllll the creativity in our family - and she is extremely talented! So I pretty much figured I wouldn't even need a DIY page =) But, in the interest of sticking to my budget and finding as many ways as possibly to save save save, I feel compelled to at least attempt a few projects. If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve my ideas, please feel free to email me via the contact page!
Mason Jar Centerpieces
Several different ideas for these:
1. Printed numbers on the jar
2. Clusters of three: flowers, candle, and ?
3. E-pic inside
4. Lemon slices (for the yellow color)
1. Printed numbers on the jar
2. Clusters of three: flowers, candle, and ?
3. E-pic inside
4. Lemon slices (for the yellow color)
Hair Fascinator
I came across these preserved flowers on save-on-crafts.com and I think they might look even better than a silk flower for my hair. Here is the link to the page and here is the e-how instructions - seems pretty simple!
Blue Mason Jar Centerpieces
With a gray, yellow and initially turquoise color theme, I thought blue mason jars would be super cute as centerpieces with yellow flowers. Then I saw how much they cost - up to $10 each!!! Not happening. I came across this awesome DIY blog entry about how to dye clear mason jars blue, tried it out, and they look great! Unfortunately, we decided to go with navy blue for the accent color instead - but it is still a really cute idea!
Here are the instructions on her page:
I used a product called Vitrea 160, which is a transparent color for glass, in a shade called turquoise. I also purchased some thinner from the same product line, so I could get a really faint look. After scooping out a small amount of the turquoise color (a dot about the size of the nail on my pinky finger) into a plastic tupperware container, I dipped my fan brush into the thinner bottle and then mixed that into the blue. That's really all you need, and after I was finished, I realized I could have colored 5 more jars with the amount of turquoise I had left.
I flipped my jar upside down and placed it into another plastic tupperware container, then brushed the outside of the jar with the mixture in thin, even strokes from top to bottom. It looks a bit bright and cloudy at this point, but bear with me! You then have to let it set for 24 hours before you bake it in the oven for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. After it bakes and cools, the majority of your brushstrokes should disappear, so don't worry if it isn't perfect! Once you fill the jar with water and flowers any small brushstrokes that may still be present will fade even more.
The best part of this project (besides the fact that it's super easy) is that it's cheap. The two bottles of Vitrea 160 were $8.00 total, and the glass jar was free (leftover container from MIL). If you didn't have any relatives who could give you 12 or more glass quart jars, you could easily buy them from any grocery store or craft store, or look on craigslist. Here are a few links: Walmart (12 for $17.98), Amazon (12 for $7.72). So basically you could do a case of 12 jars for about $1.50, not bad! Throw in a $7.00 supermarket bouquet and you're in business!
NOTE: This project is best suited for use with flowers and water, rather than with candles. Any brush strokes that may be left over from baking the jar will be hidden by the water and stems.
Thank you Kristin from Michigan!!
http://bridalbuzz.blogspot.com/2009/01/glass-jars-turned-vintage.html
Here are the instructions on her page:
I used a product called Vitrea 160, which is a transparent color for glass, in a shade called turquoise. I also purchased some thinner from the same product line, so I could get a really faint look. After scooping out a small amount of the turquoise color (a dot about the size of the nail on my pinky finger) into a plastic tupperware container, I dipped my fan brush into the thinner bottle and then mixed that into the blue. That's really all you need, and after I was finished, I realized I could have colored 5 more jars with the amount of turquoise I had left.
I flipped my jar upside down and placed it into another plastic tupperware container, then brushed the outside of the jar with the mixture in thin, even strokes from top to bottom. It looks a bit bright and cloudy at this point, but bear with me! You then have to let it set for 24 hours before you bake it in the oven for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. After it bakes and cools, the majority of your brushstrokes should disappear, so don't worry if it isn't perfect! Once you fill the jar with water and flowers any small brushstrokes that may still be present will fade even more.
The best part of this project (besides the fact that it's super easy) is that it's cheap. The two bottles of Vitrea 160 were $8.00 total, and the glass jar was free (leftover container from MIL). If you didn't have any relatives who could give you 12 or more glass quart jars, you could easily buy them from any grocery store or craft store, or look on craigslist. Here are a few links: Walmart (12 for $17.98), Amazon (12 for $7.72). So basically you could do a case of 12 jars for about $1.50, not bad! Throw in a $7.00 supermarket bouquet and you're in business!
NOTE: This project is best suited for use with flowers and water, rather than with candles. Any brush strokes that may be left over from baking the jar will be hidden by the water and stems.
Thank you Kristin from Michigan!!
http://bridalbuzz.blogspot.com/2009/01/glass-jars-turned-vintage.html