DIY wedding favour boxes

Wedding favours are a nice way to say thank you to your guests but what sort of wedding favours do you give them?

A lot of attention is normally paid to what to put into the boxes but we must not forget that the box itself could be personalised as well. One easy way is make them!

The advantage of making them is that you can make them to the size you want and using the paper you have chosen. Yes it will take time and effort but your guest will appreciate your effort as you shall see.

Step one, this is the template you will need to understand to make these boxes.

A = length of box

B = height of box

C = 2 cm length which is needed in construction.

The dashed lines will be your fold lines.

From a standard A4 sheet of paper the largest box you can make is a 5cm(side) x 5cm(side) x 7cm(height) which is more then enough to fit a good size chocolate (or what small treat you may give them).

Step two, rather then folding the paper straight away, I would recommend scoring the dotted lines because these will become the folds. Why are you scoring the paper rather then folding it straight away? Well, this will give a more accurate fold and give a cleaner finish.

Step three, crease each of the scored lines you made so it looks like this.

Step four, fold as following and then insert the two ends into each other.

Step five, this is the tricky bit, pushing the base down. You will need to follow the folds you have made and gently manoeuvre each side on top of each other. This manipulation will open up the side where you have inserted the ends together. To prevent the ends from coming apart you can use a clip to hold them together.

This will require a bit of patient and practice but it will fold down if you gently push it down gradually.

Finished, you have the base for your box.

To make the lid for the box is very simply! All you need to do is

1. Add 1-2mm on A - side of the box
2. Decrease B - height of the box to 2-3cm

then you follows the same folding method as above. Here is my lid to the above box.

As mentioned above, you can use almost any paper you like to make these boxes but I would recommend you use paper that is around 80-100 gsm because it will make step 5 a little bit easier.

Now grab a load of your friends and family and fold to your hearts content!

NOTES :

If you require larger pictures then just click on the picture and it will take you to a larger version.

There is another way of folding the lid to make it more decorative. If you want to learn more then let me know in the comments and I'll sort out a tutorial for those.

Who Says You Need a Diamond Engagement Ring?

Perhaps the most enduring tradition of the modern bride today is the ring.  In particular the diamond ring and in recent years coloured diamond rings for those with an extensive budget.  Remember J lo’s super fabulous fancy pink ring designed by Harry Winston?  Yum J  But really…who says you need a diamond ring or even a ring at all?

The tradition of the engagement ring is a relatively recent phenomenon within the past 500 years.  It is popularly held that its origins began with the presentation of a diamond ring from Archduke Maximilian of Hamburg to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.  Google it and you will find a wealth of info.  

Since then through 500 years of famous marriages, marketing (thanks DeBeers) and the tweaking of the romantic notion – today’s bride normally wouldn’t think twice about a diamond ring being part of the marriage ceremony.  It’s romantic, there’s always a story to be told about the presentation of the ring and the ring itself is a symbol of commitment that you belong to each other.

Okay – but what about those of us who choose NOT to have a diamond ring…or even a ring at all?  What other choices remain?  

Julie Stout & Doug Matthews of Austin, TX chose to go with a painting for their engagement.  Being avid art collectors and less purveyors of the jewelry domain – they chose to seal their promise to each other with a work of art that sings of joy and passion.  At their wedding, the painting was displayed at the front door for each guest to see upon arrival.  Today it hangs proudly in their home for all to see and they each wear simple matching white gold wedding bands.

Jennifer & Helme Calfee of Atlanta, GA went with a blue sapphire engagement ring (fyi – sapphires come in all the colours of the rainbow except for red. When red, they are referred to as rubies).  Jennifer loved the tradition of having a ring but has no liking for diamonds.  Her passions, next to her husband and step-daughter, are the colour blue and sapphires for they represent strength and protection.  

As for myself…I neither require a diamond ring or even a ring at all.  For me, something I have to wear everyday would drive me crazy;  however, something to wear on occasion might be nice.  My fantasy dream piece of jewelry?  Padparascha sapphire ring.  I have a refined yet eclectic taste.

So what other ring options are there?  Check out these funky options from these Offbeat Etsy Wedding Sellers - whether it's for that special day, everyday, or special occasions there's a ring sure to delight your offbeat senses!

Aranwen

Flower of the Dead

After Dark Jewelry

Lionsgate Designs

Simply Chic Lily

And remember  - it takes all kinds to make an offbeat bride whether it’s your ring, the colour of your dress , the theme of the celebration, etc.  Go be your funky self and dance outside the traditions to make your own!

We would love to hear from you regarding your choice, or not, with a ring.  If you have a story to tell, please share it with us and other prospective brides!

Get Organized!

Black Bird DayPlanner by doublehappiness

It's the start of a new year, and this offbeat bride's resolution:  
 

 Get Organized!!

Planning a wedding is an incredibly exciting and sometimes completely overwhelming undertaking. No matter how large or small, formal or informal, offbeat or traditional, your wedding, there will be more than a handful of decisions to make along the way - not mention numbers to keep track of, appointments to keep, and people to coordinate.

If other offbeat (read "creative and inspired") brides out there are anything like me, they are masters of scheming, and dreaming, and bookmarking, and "to-do"ing, and sketching and scribbling, and "favoriting" all over the place!

So....

Resolution for the new year: get all those names, and numbers, and ideas in one place!

Bonus: With a little help from other creative people, like the shop owners at Etsy.com, organization doesn't have to be boring. In fact, your wedding planner, should be the first thing you purchase or create for your wedding that radiates the oh-so-in-love personality you hope to capture on the big day.

~ * ~

PickMePaperDesigns

Custom Wedding Planner Binder by Pick Me Paper Designs

By far the most comprehensive planner out there - custom-designed to match your wedding colors and motifs; chock-full of check-lists, logs, and organizers; includes pockets for vendor materials and weekly and monthly calendars as well as available customized add-ins.

Custom Weekly Planner and Notebook Set, Handwoven with Satin Ribbons

by PriaVanda 

Great for a bride who wants one place for dates and "to-do" lists and another carry-everywhere notebook for jotting down ideas. Available in all colors!!

Oilcloth 3-ring binders by rbtbags on Etsy

Or for the true DIY-er, there are loads of wedding planning printables available on the web to help you get organized in any beautiful book or binder that you choose!