DIY Fun & Easy Decor

Anyone that knows me knows that I love crafts and am just about down for any DIY as long as time permits. With that said, I am working on DIY Yard décor for a two different events.

I found this really cute DIY project that I think will be fun and can easily be done in my garage. Here are some really cute pictures and instructions; I will post the original blog link at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy the pictures and the inexpensive project!

MATERIALS:

– Yarn

– School Glue

– Corn Starch

– Vaseline

– Dowel rod/pole for hanging

– Scissors

– Balloons

– Bowl for Mixing

*****

Step by Step INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Blow up Balloons:

I wanted various sized yarn chandeliers so I chose to incorporate a large punching balloon as my main focal point and added standard balloons for the surrounding areas. I only blew the standard balloons to approximately half capacity to keep as true of a circular shape as possible.

2. Assemble work space:

Place a long pole or dowel rod between two chairs to create a DIY ‘drying station’. I highly recommend placing a plastic trash bag or disposable plastic tablecloth underneath where you will hang the balloons. I initially began this project outdoors, however wind became a factor and I was forced to relocate (not easy).


3. Attach balloons to rod:

Tie yarn around the stem of the balloon and hang from the dowel rod. Be sure that the balloon is suspended and not touching the surrounding balloons.


4. Petroleum Jelly:

Cover each balloon in a light coating of petroleum jelly. This ensures that the yarn will not stick to the balloon once it is dried and popped.

5. Mixing & Dipping:

Mix the school glue (about half of the bottle) with approx. 1/2 cup of cornstarch and approx. 1/4 cup of water. I estimated these amounts and added more cornstarch and glue when desiring a thicker paste consistency.


Dip the yarn into the glue mixture, squeeze out excess, and begin wrapping around the balloon vertically and then switch to horizontally. Once you have covered a good part of your balloon, cut the yarn and tie to a surrounding piece. I chose to do this near the stem of the balloon so it would not be as obvious when hanging.

6. Drying/Popping:

Allow yarn chandeliers to hang for 24 hours in a dry, covered area. Do not attempt to shorten this process!

Next, pop the balloon (this is where I held my breath in anticipation). The yarn will also have dried glue crystals however they easily flake off when tapped.

Now your yarn chandeliers are ready to hang! I used mine for my Whimsical Winter Wonderland photo shoot and then hung them in my children’s playroom for a fun pop of color!


Original Post: http://blog.hwtm.com/2012/01/diy-tutorial-creative-yarn-chandelier/
Author: POSTED BY - Jennifer Sbranti - HWTM Editor-in-Chief
Photography of the final product by: SweetBee Photography

Happy Planning!

Oh Baby! Baby Boy Co-Ed Shower

So we are really excited to design a baby shower for a very dear friend of mine. She is having a boy and her husband is super happy that they are having a baby. This will be a co-ed shower for both women and men to enjoy. So now we have to think about the games, décor, food, and all the other elements of the shower.


As we prepare all the details of the shower we will share with you our planning journey. The colors are going to be fun and not your typical baby shower, yellow, blue, pastel green….etc.

We are planning on sprucing it up and creating fun colors for the shower in August. The colors are a secret for a little while longer, just in case ‘mom’ is reading our blogs 

Let’s talk about the games!

Most of you know the unscramble game; well we are not playing that game it’s been around for a long time!

Since it is a co-ed shower we have to include games for the guys:

Who can drink that baby bottle the fastest? – Pour apple juice, cranberry, or white grape juice in a baby bottle and see who can drink the bottle the fastest. If you would like to be tricky you can have a small hole in the nipple to slow down the process. The first one finished is the winner.

Who can tie their shoe without popping the balloon? - Blow up a balloon and give it to as at least 3 guys to place under their shirts. Untie their shoe laces and place chairs behind them (the chair is optional – no chairs create more laughter). The object of this game is the first guy to tie their laces without popping the balloon is the winner.

Blindfolds and Diaper! Use a diaper cloth and blindfold the guys that will be changing baby’s diaper. Use a baby doll or a teddy bear as a baby and provide a diaper and wipes for each dad to change. The first dad to change the baby’s diaper correctly is the winner.

We will be sure to share more tips on the shower with you very soon.



Happy Planning!

Red, Black, and White Color Theme

I have an upcoming wedding this fall and the couple is so sweet and humble. Their colors are red, black, and white and we are in the final planning stages and I am so excited about the look, we are changing the standard round tables and bringing in squares and serpentine tables. The linen selection is gorgeous and I am looking forward to playing everything up with the lighting.


Having clients with a vision and building on it to make it bigger and better is always FUN and they are so on board and loving! Can’t wait to share the pictures and recap with you all.

Awards Three Years and Counting!

Towson, MD – January 27, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Prestigious Occasions - Event Coordinators has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Wedding Planning!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Prestigious Occasions - Event Coordinators was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Prestigious Occasions - Event Coordinators is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Prestigious Occasions - Event Coordinators for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Prestigious Occasions - Event Coordinators is one of the very best Wedding Planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/prestigious-occasions-event-coordinators-towson/999b56dfc7d73e77.html.

Invitations - Be Creative

Drafting your guest list is beginning of the planning process for your wedding or special occasion. Once that is done and it is time to design your invitations and design theme you will carry through the entire event!

There are endless options to select from whether you are interested in something traditional, classic, timeless, or just plain funky and fun. These decisions are hard to make, however there is one thing that you should do and that is make it personal. Play around with the wording and seek the assistance of a professional stationer on how to get your message across in your invitations.

Years ago you may have required a team to assemble and address invitations, the great news is……..(drum roll please)……companies offer this service now! If you are a bride/host that does not want to keep track of your acceptance, regrets, or of course those that just don’t even respond because they are too busy, or will place it on their to do list. This is a service that is also offered from the stationery company or your planner.

While shopping around for your invitations keep in mind that they set the tone for your event. Make sure that it reflects the theme and is centered on your vision; use the colors, monogram, and textures to create conversation pieces to use strategically throughout your event. The sky is the limit from the start to the end of the night with the favors as guests depart.

Please enjoy the pictures from mlc Desigins you may visit their website at www.mlcdesigns.net


Happy Planning!

I'll Let you Know- It's okay to say so

I have been thinking about how I would address this topic and have a nice approach to it but the reality is….I am just going to get to the point and tell it like it is.

Many people will have wonderful intentions when they hear that you are getting married. However, because they volunteer does not mean that you need to have them complete the task in which they volunteer for.

I had a bride very recently email me a proof of her invitation and there were so many things wrong with it. I took the time to explain to the bride the right and wrong things and made the necessary corrections. While the bride was not knowledgeable about the etiquette of stationery I was able to teach her and for that she was grateful. Now it was time to touch base with her “friend” on the invitation she created.

This placed the bride in an uncomfortable position and she did not want to address it, eventually she did there was no avoiding it.

Point is many people will offer to assist you and you should not accept it’s okay if you tell them:

Thank you so much for offering to take care of x, y, & Z. I am starting the planning process and would love to outline everything before I begin making any decisions, I will get back to you on this at a later date.

Don’t feel pressured to accept everyone’s offer for help if you don’t know what they will put together for you. If you are a budget bride and would love the financial help it is okay to tell the person that you saw a style invitation that you fell in love with. Give them the verbiage and have them print it for you. If they are doing this task out of love it should not be what they put together.

This goes for any area of your wedding.

Bottom Line……learn how to say….I’ll let you know :)

Candle Centerpieces

When designing your centerpieces there are endless options!

Flowers can become very pricey if you get very elaborate. However for those brides that does not like flowers may be allergic to them, or for any other reason….here are a few candle light options. Consider the centerpieces below.

If you are trying to save on expense of flowers, you can DIY. However make sure to do a complete mock centerpiece on a table with linen to have an overview idea of how the table will look.

Simple yet creative designs can be achieved by using candles and decorating the surface around the base. Using candles a variety of heights add texture to the tables and creative a great romantic ambiance.

Enjoy the pictures below and I hope you find some inspiration here.