Tea Tins

Materials

2.6″ Round Tin
Full Sheet Labels
Round Tea Bags
2″ Hole Punch
X-Acto Knife
Straight edge
Healing Mat
Color Printer
Vellum Paper (optional)

NOTES:
The tea tin requires 2 labels: (a) 2″ circle for the top AND (b) 6″ x 1″ rectangular to wrap around the side

Instructions

1. Create artwork for the top and side labels. Since you have 2 areas to work with, the possibilities are endless. Keep in mind though – if the tin is sitting on a table – the tops will be more visible than the sides. Suggested: Put your name or initials on the top and the kind of tea on the sides.

Tips about preparing artwork for print: If your design has bleeds (artwork that flush with the edge of the label) make sure you extend your artwork past the “cutline.” This allows you to avoid those pesky and unwanted white edges for when you trim the labels. Also, include cropmarks to guide you in cutting out the rectangular label.

2. Print out your designs – in color – onto the full sheet labels.

3. Using the 2″ circle punch, punch out the circular labels for the lid. To ensure your punch is centered, turn it upside down so you can see the design and where you are punching.

4. Adhere the circular label to the center of the tin’s lid.

5. With a straight edge and x-acto and using the cropmarks as guides, cut out your wrap labels.

7. Adhering the wrap label is a little trickier. Start in the center but allow the label to touch just enough so that it is barely sticking. This allows you to make adjustments so you can ensure the label is positioned squarely with the tin. Once straight, press the label from the center to its outer edges until it wraps all the way around.

8. Fill the tin with just enough tea bags (about 10 bags).

Optional…You can also include a round vellum insert to sit on top of the tea bags. This gives you another area to add artwork or information such as instructions on steeping the tea or a personal note from the bride and groom!

Potted Banana Bread

Supplies

-ingredients for bread (any quick bread…doesn’t have to be this recipe)- grocery store
-medium sized terra cotta flower pots- Walmart $.45 each
-wax or parchment paper-grocery store
-pretty ribbon- craft store

Directions

(yields five medium potted loaves…multiply according to however many guests you’re expecting )

-buy meduim-sized terra cotta flower pots ($0.45 @ Wal-Mart). Make sure to take off any stickers and wash well. Stuff a small ball of wax paper into the drain hole in the bottom of the pot.

-make bread acording to directions: Kona Banana Bread

2 c. sugar
1c. butter (or 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c. Crisco)
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas
2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. broken walnuts

Mash bananas in separate bowl. Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add bananas and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix only until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts. SEPARATE INTO 5 MEDIUM SIZED FLOWER POTS). MAKE SURE THEY’RE GREASED WELL. Put flower pots on a cookie sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when poked in.

-Let cool on a cooling rack

Cut 8.5×8.5 squares of wax paper. Put over the top of the bread, and fasten with pretty ribbon.

Wristlets and Boutonnieres

Materials

(All these items are available at most leading craft stores)
• 22″ lengths of ribbon
• Small artificial flowers in matching colors
• Small artificial leaves
• Range of pearls, beads and small ribbon flowers
• Feathers in co-ordinating colors
• Small dried twigs and dried grass (found in your garden)
• Green floral tape, available from most floral warehouses
• Co-ordinating ribbon to wrap around the boutonnières
• Favor boxes
• Glue gun
• Scissors

Steps for the Wristlets:

1. Seal the edges of the ribbon lengths with a lighter so they don’t fray.
2. Cut several flower heads from their stalks so they’re flat underneath.
3. Find the center of the ribbon length and start gluing the flower heads on in any pattern you like.
4. Glue some pearls or beads to the center of the flowers, or to the side, making sure to keep design balanced.
5. Cut pieces from the feathers and glue them in under the flower heads.
6. Cut the stalks off the leaves and glue a few in under the flowers.
7. You can glue several flowers together right in the center of the wristlet (for a more ‘corsage’ look), or spread them over the middle 5 inches.
8. Make sure to clear the glue ‘whiskers’ away.
9. Keep adding to heat’s content until you feel the wristlet is finished.

Steps for the Boutonnières:

1. Cut one of the flowers leaving a 2″ stalk underneath.
2. Choose a few strands of dried grass and cut the ends off leaving a 2″ stalk, same as the flower.
3. Do the same with a little twig or a few artificial leaves.
4. Dab a little hot glue at the base of the flower to semi-secure the grass, twigs and leaves together.
5. Wind the floral tape around the base of boutonnière, starting at the top just under the flower head. When using floral tape, stretch it out thin, then wrap, stretch, then wrap, rotating the boutonnière as you work. You might have to practice this a little bit before you can stretch the tape without breaking it!
6. Finish off by wrapping a matching colored ribbon around the boutonnière base, dabbing a little hot glue at the start and at the end.
7. Complete the boutonnière with a pin.

Candy Favor Bags

Materials

8.5″ x 11″ Full Sheet Label Paper
Color Printer
Paper Cutter
White Paper Bags (3½-inches x 2-inches x 6¾-inches, found at Michaels)
Large Red Brads (found at Michaels)

Instruction

1. Print out this template on 8.5″ x 11″ full page label sheets. Set your printer to the highest print setting to make sure your text is crisp.

2. Using a paper cutter, trim the labels to size.

3. Adhere labels to the center of your white bags, before opening the bags to fill.

4. Fill the bags with your favorite penny candy. We used little gummies that looked just like pennies that we found at CVS.

5. Fold the top portion of the bag over and punch a small hole in the center.

6. Insert your red brads to close the bags and keep them secure.

Next to these cute little bags, scatter a few wishing cards and a tray or a bowl that guests can place them in when they are done.

We’ve made this super cute wishing cards template for you to use. Just print it out on 8.5″ x 11″ white card stock and trim down to size. Voila! Coming up next, the super duper cute pie’s and coordinating tags!

Table Number

This is not so much a DIY project as a really simple idea…using brown bags filled with fruit as either a table number OR as seating cards. Depending on the size of the bag that you buy, you can use these little treats in different ways. Either approach is just a really adorable way to bring a bit of charm to your table. This DIY is for seating cards, but really…it’s super easy to translate this project in lots of different ways.

Please note, we kept our bags without names on them, as when we created them, we weren’t sure how we wanted to use them. To complete the seating card DIY, you’ll need to write in your guests names above the number. If you want to use the scalloped hole punch, we’ve allowed enough room on the template for you to do that. Otherwise, we used little dotted lines that are super cute and you can simply cut around them for a pretty darned great look.

Materials

Mini Brown Bags (found at Michaels)
Strawberries
Tissue Paper
8.5 x 11″ Card Stock
2.25″ Square Scalloped Hole Punch (found at Michaels)
Color Printer

Instructions

1. Using your color printer, print out this template. Note that we have left room above the numbers for you to write in the names.

2. Using your hole punch, punch out the squares. Or alternatively, using a paper cutter, trim around the dotted lines.

3. With double stick tape, adhere the labels on to your brown bags, right in the center.

4. Using a red or black pen, scribble in the name of your guests above the number. Don’t worry about being too perfect, this project is all about charm.

5. If you don’t want to fill completely with fruit, stuff the bottom half of the bags with red tissue paper, then fill to the brim with strawberries.

These would look especially cute with cherries!

metallic wrapping paper

i love the high & low combination of brown kraft paper with metallic leaf. earlier in the week i mentioned that once you start applying bits of leaf here and there you won’t stop. it’s just addicting. when you give a gift that looks special it creates an enjoyable experience for that person. it’s totally worth it. what you will need (for paper):

brown kraft paper (or reused brown paper bags)
imitation silver metallic leaf
imitation gold metallic leaf
size (adhesive for leaf)
dish sponge
scissor
paint brush
twine
twigs

1) cut your sponge into various circle shapes (or other shapes). dab
the sponge in the size and press onto paper. it’s up to you what kind
of pattern you want to make. random or repeated. have fun with it. it
dries clear (but slightly darker so you will know where the adhesive
is). set aside let dry.

2) when it’s dry (5-10 minutes) take your leaf and press onto the
size. the leaf will stick to it and you will be able to brush the
excess away. you can utilize the excess by brushing it onto your next
“adhesive shape”.

3) instead of ribbon i chose to use twine & twigs that i tipped with
gold. (repeat step 1 & 2)

4) when your paper is dry you’re ready to wrap you’re gift. tie a bow
with the twine and place your twigs in the center. you will have a
beautiful gift that the person you’re giving it to will feel guilty
for opening. (it’s ok, that just means you’ve done a good job.)

window message board

What you’ll need:

1. An old window or picture frame
2. Fabric for background and fabric for appliqué (if using)
3. Fusible webbing such as steam a seam if adding an appliqué
4. Scissors
5. Staples and staple gun

What to do:

1. I already had this old window but you could use any sort of window or decorative frame – even spray paint it to add a splash of color. I like the rustic look and left mine as is. Measure the frame and add about a ½” to the dimensions and then cut your background fabric down to size.
2. Next cut out some interesting flowers or a piece of embroidery for your appliqués, I used a vintage bed linen and just cut around a few of the designs.
3. Now you are going to want to iron your appliqués to the fusible webbing, each product is a little different so follow the manufacturer’s instructions and then iron the appliqués onto the background fabric however you choose. You could also embroider around the appliqués for texture and security but I didn’t this time.
4. Now iron the entire piece of fabric as smooth as possible and clean the window glass with glass cleaner.
5. Lay the window face down on a flat surface and place the finished fabric face down on top. You’re going to begin stapling the fabric to the window by placing a staple at the top middle and then stretching the fabric and place one middle bottom. Next add a staple on the middle of each of the two sides; the idea is to simply secure the fabric evenly. Next stretch the fabric tight and work your way around the window stapling the entire piece of fabric onto your frame so that it looks tight. Trim any extra fabric.
6. Go crazy making notes with dry erase markers!

Enjoy your new message board!