Guest Books

When you're at a wedding, do you sign the guestbook? It used to be a hardbound book or journal where you'd leave a happy message for the couple.

I'm over-the-moon excited that guestbooks are no longer books. Check out these ideas that I think turn blah to TADA!:

via Style Me Pretty

Messages on the bottle - guests sign on a bottle of bubbly and the couple drink the contents on their first anniversary. They keep the bottle so the good wishes and happy memories stay with them forever.

via Once Wed

Create-a-Quilt - guests sign on pieces of colorful cloth. These are then sewn together to form a tapestry or quilt.

via Style Me Pretty

Starter Art - this piece of abstract art {made with a canvas and paint} works as a place for guests to sign. It can then be displayed in the couple's living room to remind them of their special day.

via weddingomania

Game Time - guests sign blocks from a Jenga game and are collected at the end of the party. The couple will be surrounded with loving thoughts whenever they play Jenga on game night! 

via Style Me Pretty

Beach chair - instead of a book, why not have everyone sign a piece of furniture? This one's a cool chair but a coffee table or mirror will work just as well. 

Go ahead and use these ideas for other occasions too like a big birthday, baby shower or retirement.

Printed Party Decor

It's all about party ideas on the blog this week.

Remember when I made printed paper out of bubbles and food color? It thought this was perfect to wrap a gift. Today, I'm using it to make an easy party decoration.

You are very welcome to use any kind of paper. In case you're wondering, the size of this sheet is 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches.

 Next, cut the paper into strips.

Take three strips, lay them on top of each other to form an asterisk. Apply glue to where the strips intersect.

Allow the ends to meet at the top, gluing them to each other as you go along. A ball like this one will be formed once done.

Make at least 10 balls. Sew or staple these to a long piece of string. Then hang them overhead in your party space. TADA!

Photo Booths are Tada!

When planning the layout for a party, why not include a "photo booth"? It's an area where groups can gather for posterity shots, and a fun excuse to use the props we made yesterday.

To dress up this section of the party space, here are a few ideas:

via Green Wedding Shoes

A blackboard backdrop is a simple way to remember the day. Have extra chalk on hand to write sweet notes or silly messages.

via Ruffled

A dreamy flower arch made of coffee filters can dress up a plain white wall. Find out how to make one here.

via Wedding Bee

Craft a curtain out of ribbon or strips of fabric. I recommend material that has some weight to it, as opposed to crepe paper or tissue paper stands, especially if this will be placed outdoors. Paper will be too delicate for wind or a light drizzle.

via Style Me Pretty

Wallpaper or a large piece of fabric tacked to the wall instantly defines a photo space.

via dropitmodern.com

Or purchase these special photo backgrounds in super cute prints if you throw a lot of parties.

If you're on a budget, read this for blah to TADA! ways to dress up a photo booth.

A Few Party Ideas

Parties and weddings are never complete without photos. They make for good souvenirs and are proof of a memorable celebration. 

Photo Props Kit from Paper Source

When I spotted these photo props, I knew I just had to have them for our gatherings. They're very inexpensive but in true frugalista fashion, I decided to DIY instead of buy.

blah: a cardboard gift box and a few chopsticks  

 Exercise some drawing skills on the cardboard.

Add a few coats of paint. 

Cut around each piece {make spaces/holes where necessary} and attach to a chopstick with hot glue. TADA! -- instant photo accessories!

Assemble them in a jar by a designated photo area and encourage guests to ham it up! 

Tuck It In

A final idea to turn manila tags from blah to TADA!

Whether you purchase some from the office supply store or make your own using cardboard,  these manila tags serve as a blank canvas to be wildly creative.

My favorite medium lately has been watercolors. I'll use my paint to make a fiesta bunting.

Then I'll glue on a pocket that I made out of scrap paper.

Here's what it looks like. 

Then I'll write a heartfelt letter. 

Fold the letter up, tuck it into my tag/envelope and tie everything to a bouquet of flowers. TADA!

Have a spectacular weekend everyone!

A Little Stitch

Manila tags are very functional for organizing boxes filled with stuff. 

They're also awesome to prettify packages.  

With a needle and thread, I'll turn this blah tag into TADA!

Draw a pattern with pencil and "trace" around it with simple stitches. 

TADA! -- a unique gift tag. All we need to do is write the recipient's name or a short message inside the lines. Have a great day!

A Cheerful Gift Tag

Happy Wednesday!

On Monday, I did a little demo on making manila tags out of cardboard. They're quite simple and even the craft-challenged can successfully make them. What's more fun is the decorating part.

Today, I'll use an image rescued from this empty tea box. 

Just cut around the delicate chamomile flowers and attach to the manila tag. Use glue or even mounting tape for a floating effect. 

A cheery gift tag that will turn any plain gift from blah to TADA!