DIY Wedding Card Box

Weddings are expensive. It's one thing to say the average wedding costs $35k. It's another to live it. (Tho trust me, my budget is nowhere near that!)

Today we are going to explore an alternative.

Wedding card boxes are expensive. Whether you are looking at a traditional card box, wire bird cage, or something in-between... it's going to be $20 minimum for a 'nice' style. However, you can get something cheap- and cheap looking- for less than $10.

NO MORE I say! If you have a little time to spare and are crafty, you can get something way more unique and cheaper! Because I'm a DIY craft junkie, the only real out of pocket expense for me was the box itself. I could have stopped there, but why?!

Worst case scenario this is going to cost $20, for me it was just over $10 and took maybe an hour to do.

Materials:

-Large fake book storage box: at Michael's 40% off plus an additional 25% off coupon= less than $8!
-Hemp Twine- or string or whatever you have
-Scrapbook paper- if you don't have any laying around, look for alternatives (think of your theme-comic books maybe? or Michael's has specials all the time)
-Template
-Pencil
-Scissors
-Misc. embellishments- optional
-Di-cut Shiny Red Damask letters- previously purchased ~$3 (I've been holding onto these for the perfect wedding craft so I am including the cost here) or if you have a Kricut or something you could make your own

I don't want to spoil too much, so here is the incomplete card box!

The outside- fits our "Adventure theme" and colors.

Nice and roomy on the inside! Dare I say- BIGGER on the inside?

 The materials.

 The layout.- All I did was trace a template on the side of the scrapbook paper I didn't want to use (this way messy lines won't show) and cut 'em out. Then, hole punched two corners on each for my twine to string them up inside the book.

Not done, but you get the idea. The black/gold things in the corners are picture corners. I'm planning on hiding the end of the string with them. I also need to add the di-cut letters to spell out  C A R D S.

BONUS: the fiance loved the idea and picked out the book to use.Teamwork and collaboration.

So tell me- what crafty projects are you up to?! (Doesn't have to be wedding related!)

Got Blood? An Afternoon Craft

In my closet has been a T Shirt that my dad gave to me, oh let us say 2 years ago. Sure. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make a pillow out of it. So there it sat. Until today. If you find yourself with some free time (about 30min) and the following items laying around your house, I challenge you to make one!


What you need:
-A pillow
-A T Shirt (that you WANT to cut up)
-Scissors
-Aileen's Tacky Glue OR Needle/Thread
-Some creativity

First off I needed a pillow- so I picked one up at Ikea (*swoon*) the other weekend for $5. The TShirt I had in mind was black with a Red/White design. I opted for the red pillow as the background (although there were also black, navy, green, and off white).

Don't mind my arm there. 

Anywho, next I needed to work out the details of cutting up the shirt.

 

I cut the small blood drop out of the back of the shirt. Then cut the front of the shirt off so it was easier to work with. After I got that off, I went in closer around the design, but not so close as to risk cutting into it. 

T Shirt material is a slippery/stretchy foe.

My mangled shirt.

What I learned from cutting this out was my mom's new scissors were no match for my safety scissors from elementary school. The large ones worked well enough for cutting the front of the T Shirt off but were terrible for cutting closer to the design.

See my sticker label on the green ones had my name on them!

Now that everything is cut out how I like it, it was time for some fun with tacky glue! TACKY is an understatement. Maybe its the fact that my mom has had this glue sitting in the cabinet for an eternity, or the name of it is spot on. Either way, it beat the alternative to trying to sew both pieces on by hand.

Could I do it you ask? Yes. Did I want to? No, not really.

For about 20-30min worth of work, I know own the coolest Halloween pillow ever! So thanks Dad for the shirt. :)

 This is actually my second attempt at turning an old shirt into a new pillow. I can't find pictures of the first right now. Sadface. It was much more labor intensive, as I simply cut the front and back of the t-shirt off and hand stitched them back together to form a square pillow cover for a pillow I again bought at Ikea. (It is possible I need to get a sewing machine.) Surprisingly it turned out quite nice, but alas you won't get to see it here. I, for one, am feeling accomplished for the day.

Tell me, what items have you picked up from around the house and made into something new? Or share your T-Shirt-to-pillow success stories here!