This next project that reader, Carol, crafted is perfectly lovely…ideal for a English or French inspired shabby chic wedding. I love the sweet, personal touch that each little favor brings, letting your guests know that they are not only welcome, they are loved.
Notes and Instructions from Carol…
My fiance and I are having a Regency inspired wedding next January at a beautiful English Manor House in New Zealand. Our wedding colors are pink, red and burgundy. For our favors, we want to give our guests something gorgeous to wear during our wedding so that everyone feels like a guest of honor. We’ve decided to make ribbon wristlets for the ladies, and boutonnières for the men, in a Jane Austin theme … ie, with feathers, pearls and lots of ribbon! We’re going to present them atop pink gift boxes filled with foil-covered heart chocolates. Our favors are also doubling for place cards as we’re putting an oval thank you card with each guest’s name on it in front of their gift. Here’s how we’re doing it:
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.
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Love, love, love! So clever to incorporate the gift into the packaging of sweets. Definitely something your guests will cherish!