Creative and Fun Wedding Ideas Made Simple Creative and Fun Wedding Ideas Made Simple
Going the DIY route for your wedding doesn’t mean you need to make everything from scratch. That’s where the wonders of upcycling come in! You can transform ordinary household, kitchen or garden items into amazingly charming and clever decorations for your ceremony and reception. You may already have some stashed away in your attic, pantry, garden shed or garage. Or you can buy them for a song at a yard sale, thrift shop or craft supplies store. But how to work your magic on them? Get your upcycling inspiration from these simple yet so attractive examples we’re featuring below!
Turn Ordinary into Wedding-worthy through Upcycling
The key lies in seeing the potential in discarded or overlooked pieces, and knowing what touches to add to turn them into wedding decorations. A coat of paint? A creative arrangement? Pretty flowers? A layer of gold foil or a coating of glitter? A bit of lace or some rustic twine? Come take a look!
DIY decorations for a garden wedding
Choose wine or water bottles in striking colors, like cobalt blue (1), green or amber. Tuck in a bunch of dainty flowers, create a handle out of twine, and hang as pretty aisle decorations.
Look for decor treasures in your local garden supply store, like these miniature bulb planters (3). Create delightful country-style centerpieces by filling them with fresh or faux flowers, and displaying them on moss-covered terra cotta dishes.
Then, to give as wedding favors matching the garden theme, why not gift guests with live plants in baby food jars (2), brightly painted tin cans holding cheery blooms (4), or vintage-inspired floral brooches made from fabric scraps (5 – see below)?
Credits: 1 – Wedding Colors / 2 – Lonny.com / 3 – Your Cozy Home / 4 – Budget Dumpster / 5 – Bellenza
Recycled pieces for a rustic or vintage theme
Recycled wood and “house parts” are hugely popular for a rustic theme. Wood planks are easily fashioned into a heart-shaped wedding welcome sign (1), while an old window frame can display your menu written on its glass panes (2), and louvered shutters can hold your table seating plan or escort cards (3).
For vintage-style tabletop decorations, see how empty wine bottles (cut as shown or left whole) can be dressed up with burlap ribbon and flowerettes, bits of lace, and sparkly twine to create a centerpiece. Or be used as table number holders, with wire loops stuck in their corks!
Credits: 1 – Brinton Studios / 2 – Kristin’s Krazy Knits / 3 – Carter and Cook Event Co. / 4 – Saved By Love Creations
Glammed up with gold for a modern or holiday wedding
Oh, the magic that a touch of gold can create! Even ordinary glass jars can become hip candle holders when gold-dipped with glitter (1). Or how could we overlook the cool trend of toy plastic animals spray-painted gold to be used as whimsical place card holders (2)? Or the color-block look of plain wine glasses spiffed up with gold-dipped stems and bases (3)?
Gold paint can also bring new life to old items. Think of couple’s chair signs made extra fancy with a pair of ornate carved frames (4). A great contrast with chic striped table linens! Or what about simple picture frames gilded with spray-paint to serve as unique centerpiece trays (5), or to pass around cocktails or appetizers at the reception.
Credits: 1 – Rosyscription / 2 – BHG / 3 – Say Yes / 4 – Heather Rowland Photography, via Brides.com / 5 – House by Hoff
Amazing what upcycling can do for wedding decor, right?
Have you done a creative project using old or discarded items? Send us a photo and a short writeup, via bellenzabistro at gmail dot com. Who knows? Yours could be one of our upcoming DIY features?