The White Gown's Blog

by: Nichole

Having a wedding in December offers a wealth of opportunities in of themes, looks, and the feel you want your wedding have.  You could go over the top with an all out Christmas wedding extravaganza, play it low key with a laid back wintery feel, or strike a cord anywhere in between.

No matter which way you decide to go, an ornament chandelier is an easy way to get that holiday/winter feel.   And the best part about it is you can moderate the amount of X-mas the look gives with the selection of the ornaments used.

Step 1: Choose your ornaments.  Using colors like red and green really plays up the Christmas feel, but if you use white, ivory, and silver balls instead, the look becomes more chic with just a nod to the holiday season.

Step 2: Select coordinating ribbon to hang the ornaments.  Cut the ribbon to varying lengths, and tie on to the ornament.

Step 3: Hang the ornaments in clusters at varying heights.  It’s easiest to start with the middle ornament and work your way out, as this allows you to better control the shape of the chandelier.

A quick and easy way to infuse the holidays into your wedding day!

Images from Pinterest.

by: Nichole

With a camera on every smart phone and millions of people “twitpicing” and “instagramming”, is there any wonder we have become a society that can’t pass up a photo op? Give the guests at your wedding the perfect picture taking opportunity with a custom made wedding backdrop. They are so simple to make and guests will use them the duration of your reception.

1. Start by choosing an image or graphics that compliment your decor. For example, if you have a winter wonderland theme, you may consider using a photo of a snow covered landscape.

2. Use your favorite image manipulation software to customize the image to fit your color scheme and sizing needs. Make sure that you save the file in a format that can be used by the printer.

3. Send the file to the printer, and have the image printed on canvas or poster paper.

It’s as simple as 1,2,3!  See the backdrops below for inspiration:

Plain and simple, this backdrop works to frame those special moments…

Image from marthastewart.com

A beautiful snow covered tree to highlight a wintery theme…

Image from 123rf.com

by Keely

If you love Instagram (like me!), you’ll love these fun ideas for your favorite Instagram photos. Why not turn some of these ideas into unique save the dates or gifts for your bridesmaids? I can’t wait to try some of these!

Instaprint brings the vintage vibe of Instagram pics that we all love to life. You can connect one of these printers to a custom hashtag and your images will print instantly! They’re not available yet, but you can donate to their Kickstarter page to be sure that these gadgets come to life!

Prinstagram offers a wider range of options for printing your favorite Instagram photos, including stickers, mini books and the seriously cute ‘tiny book’. CUTE!

Why are mini versions of normal-sized things so adorable? Anyway, hope you have fun with these!

Happy DIYing!

by Keely

I love keeping up with the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog by Emily – everything she posts is well thought out and full of lovely details. The same goes for this weekend’s DIY project, which we’re reposting from Cupcakes and Cashmere! Perfect for your Spring bridal showers and weddings, this stationery is easy to do on your own and would be perfect for those thank you cards.

Are you a maid of honor? Why not give the blushing bride a set of these handmade cards with the envelopes already addressed for the thank yous after her bridal shower. You’ll save her lots of time and everyone will love the handmade touch!

What you’ll need:

good quality paper – you can easily get a hold of this at your local craft store or online

glitter – because who doesn’t love just about ANYTHING sparkly?!

glue pen – the perfect way to write custom, dazzling messages on your cards

decorative paper – perfect for custom envelopes!

stamps – we can’t stop swooning over these stamps from Paper Source

And that’s it! The options are endless. Send us photos of your own creations and we’ll post them here on the blog!

Happy DIYing!

Here is a great, easy DIY project for those vintage Save the Dates you have been dreaming about, from Ruffled Blog!

All you’ll need is a stamp kit from Staples and some vintage postcards that you can find online (at sites like eBay and Craigslist) or in an antique store!

Just place the letters on the stamp with some tweezers (they’ll come in the stamp kit) and then stamp until your heart is content! You can use the same technique for place cards, menus, even invitation envelopes to tie the entire wedding together! So easy!

Happy DIYing!

by Keely

You’ve probably noticed that we’re big Pinterest fans and this easy DIY is just one reason why! I’ve been into making smoothies lately – they’re a great way to jump start the day. I like to add some kind of fruit along with some soy milk and a form of protein – usually either a dab of peanut butter or some protein powder to keep me full throughout the morning. This is a great, healthy breakfast or snack for all you brides who are on the go!

The worst part about smoothies is the prep and the mess, so when I saw this idea on Pinterest that practically eliminates both, I had to share! Thanks to Lacie in Love for the great idea and the photos as well.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Your favorite fresh and frozen fruits
• Your favorite yogurt
• A muffin tin
• A knife to cut up your fruit
• Plastic sandwich bags
• A baking sheet or silpat mat

Start by portioning the yogurt into the muffin cups – you’ll find that a heaping tablespoon should do the trick – and pop them in the freezer!

Next up, cut your fresh fruit! You’ll want to cut the pieces and lay them separately so they do not clump together while freezing – that’s what the baking sheet or silpat mat is for! Once the fruit is all cut up, pop the baking sheet or mat into the freezer as well.

Then comes the fun part. Get your sandwich bags ready and divvy up your fresh and frozen fruit into bags – you can get as creative as you’d like with the different combinations! Let the yogurt muffin tray sit for a few minutes and then scoop the portions into the bags along with the fruit. Seal up the bags, pop them back in the freezer and you’ll be good to go the next time you’re craving a smoothie! Just add a bit of milk or juice and maybe even a bit of protein powder or peanut butter and voila!

I can’t wait to portion out my own interesting fruit combinations. This will be a quick and easy way to prepare breakfast in advance each week!

Happy DIYing!

by Keely

We know that keeping to your wedding budget is important and when we saw this DIY wedding on Style Me Pretty, we couldn’t help but share! The entire wedding was just $7,000! Can you believe it? Sure, the guest list was small (26 people!), but we still think the overall wedding looks far more expensive than the actual total cost. Check out some of the beautiful photographs below from Lora Rodgers Photography.

Happy DIYing!

by Keely

I love making handmade Valentines for all of my lovely friends and family, so when my friend send me a link to these amazing cards from Cupcakes and Cashmere, I just had to reblog! I love the clean lines and sparkly details. So, if you’re making your own cards this Valentine’s Day, why not try some of these techniques? Your Valentines will love you forever (and ever!) once they see the time and energy you put into these homemade beauties. Thanks again to Cupcakes and Cashmere for the images and inspiration!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

by Keely

I found this idea while browsing Pinterest the other day and am obsessed! What a great idea. Thanks to Just B for the great tutorial! I’m definitely going to try this soon – will post pictures when I do!

Here’s what you need: a large leather clutch (American Apparel has some great options), acrylic paint in white and the bright color of your choice, paint brush, painters tape, blow dryer and acrylic coating spray.

Mark off the section that you want brightly colored with painter’s tape, as seen in the photo below.

Then mix the white acrylic paint with a bit of water for the first layer to help it adhere to the leather. Start brushing onto leather from tape down so that you don’t get too much stray paint under the tape. After the white dries, get your neon ready and paint using the same technique but without the water. The white will act as a primer so that your color will pop bright against the muted leather.

You can also use a blow dryer to help speed up the drying process!

When you’re happy with the painted color, cover the non painted leather with paper or cover with a magazine of some sort, then spray with the glossy acrylic. This helps protect the paint from water and wear while also giving it a soft smooth finish like the leather! Let this dry for at least 2 hours and you’ll be good to go!

Happy DIYing!!

by Keely

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I have a thing for mason jars. It’s just that they are so USEFUL! You can put anything in them – spare change, hair ties, cotton balls, anything! So here’s a fun DIY that will turn a few of your beloved mason jars into the most precious DIY votives you’ll ever see. Thanks Fellow Fellow for the great idea!

Here’s what you’ll need:

In the small cup, mix together the craft glue and some water – you should mix about twice as much water with the glue. Then trim the fabric into strips that are the same length as the jar is tall.

Dip the strips into the glue mixture removing any excess glue with your thumb and forefinger, then place the strips with the design facing out on the inside of the jar. Use the small paint brush to smooth out any bubbles. Repeat until you’ve covered the entire jar and let dry over night.

Check out the final product! Such a great idea, Fellow Fellow!

Don’t forget to make sure the mouth of the jars are big enough if you’re using real candles. We tend to prefer the battery powered tea lights – same soft light but much, much safer! Happy DIYing!