Category

Diy

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Oh-so cute! These DIY wedding favour bags will do double duty as table activities for younger guests and takeaway bags for sweet treats.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Gift bags
Scissors
Felt
Craft glue

METHOD
1. Cut out ear shapes from the top of each bag.
2. Cut out felt ears, eyes, whiskers and noses and glue on to the bags to complete.
3. Set up a kids’ table with the pre-cut bags and felt, and let them create their own masterpieces.

Say your I-dos under this fresh, fun balloon wedding arch. Prepare the wire structure and balloons the day before, then just add greenery in the morning.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

6 m chicken wire
Florist’s wire
Wooden rods or fishing line
Florist’s foam
Balloons
Flowers and leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Roll your chicken wire lengthways into a tube and bend in the centre to create an arch. Keep the arch together by tying florist’s wire at intervals along it.

Step 2

If the arch is going outside, use sturdy wooden rods or poles to stand it upright. Insert one end of each rod into the ground at least 20 cm deep. Place the bottom ends of the arch over the rods and secure with florist’s wire. If the arch will be placed indoors, suspend it from the ceiling with fishing line.

Step 3

Insert bits of damp florist’s foam into the arch, ensuring they are hidden.

Step 4

Blow up as many balloons as you like (we used 150) and attach to the arch using florist’s wire.

Step 5

Insert your flowers and leaves into the foam, using florist’s wire to hold them in place.

Step 6

Cover any exposed florist’s foam with balloons or flowers.

Soft and tousled, straight-cut, crinkled or dyed, let these paper craft ideas in their myriad forms be a part of your wedding story. 

1. A message notebook as a striking centrepiece

Paper flowers, Love Paper Sew

2. Add paper flowers to your stationery

Menu, invitation with envelope and RSVP card, table number, name tags, and paper flowers, all Chrystalace Wedding Stationery

3. Paper cones with confetti

4. Sweet treats adorned with paper flowers

Nougat, MaMère Confections; paper flower, Chrystalace Wedding Stationery

5. A paper bouquet

Paper flowers, Love Paper Sew; laser-cut leaves, stylist’s own

6. A paper garland

Paper garland, stylist’s own; paper flowers, Love Paper Sew

7. Cupcakes with windmills

Cupcakes each, Florentines Cakes; paper windmills, stylist’s own

8. Chinese lanterns

Paper Chinese lanterns, The In Thing

9. A paper cake topper

Cake, Florentines Cakes; cake topper, Chrystalace Wedding Stationery

10. Hand-written thank you notes for your guests

Thank-you tag, Chrystalace Wedding Stationery; pencil crayons, The Deckle Edge; lined napkin, stylist’s own

Decor: Rochelle Malherbe
Photography: Gareth van Nelson/hsmimages.co.za

Your guests will make short work of these scrumptious thank you shortbread biscuits. We love the idea of adding a personal touch to your wedding, and this is one of the easiest ways to do this.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
250g butter, at room temperature
½ cup caster sugar, plus extra to dust
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
2 cups flour
½ cup cornflour
Custom-made rubber stamps
Biscuit cutters

METHOD
1. Have your rubber stamps made with the greetings of your choice (you can order stamps from rubberstampsa.co.za).
2. Preheat oven to 160°C and grease a 20 cm baking tray.
3. Beat the butter until soft, then beat in the caster sugar and vanilla seeds until light and fluffy. Mix in the rest of the ingredients to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll the dough out on the baking tray so you don’t have to move it afterwards and cut them with your cookie cutters. Stamp each one with your rubber stamp.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and immediately dust with caster sugar.
6. Carefully remove the shortbread fingers from the tray and transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.
7. Once they’ve cooled completely, you can put your biscuits in gift boxes or tie them up with cellophane and a pretty ribbon.

Create a striking focal point with an elegant DIY candle table runner. From there you can soften the candle base with a spray of greenery.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
4 cm × 4 cm pine strips, cut to the desired length
Drill with 10 mm drill bit
Whitewash
Paintbrush
Dinner candles
Glue gun

METHOD
1. Drill holes 2 cm deep and 7 cm apart along the length of each piece of wood.
2. Whitewash the wood (or leave natural if preferred).
3. Insert the candles and secure with a glue gun.

DIY candle table runner

Simple things such as table runners, crockery and cutlery can cost a fortune once you add them together. With these two DIYs, you can reduce the cost of your table settings without skimping on style.

PAPER PLACEMATS

Placemats KL Nash

What you’ll need

• Ruler
• Pencil
• 120g craft paper
• Scissors
• Fine paintbrush
• White acrylic paint

How to do it

1 Using the ruler and pencil, measure and mark the size you want your placemat to be on the craft paper. Ensure there is enough room for an underplate, a large dinner plate and cutlery. Once you’re happy, cut out the placemat.

Placemats KL Nash

2 Measure 2 cm from the top and sides of the placemat to create a border where you will write the name of your guest.

Placemats KL Nash

3 Draw the border and write out the name of the guest in pencil, then paint over it with the white paint until the pencil is no longer visible. Allow to dry and repeat for as many placemats as required.

Placemats KL Nash

Placemats KL Nash

PAINTED PLACEMATS

Placemats KL Nash

What you’ll need

• Plain fabric placemats
• Paintbrush
• Black fabric paint

How to do it

1 Lay out the fabric placemat completely flat.

2 Dip the paintbrush into the paint then splatter it onto the placemat. Allow to dry and repeat for as many placemats as required.

Placemats KL Nash

Placemats KL Nash

Find this DIY and more in Issue 1-2017, on sale now

Text Robyn Lane
Styling Francoise Jeanne de Villiers
Photography Kendall-Leigh Nash/HMimages.co.za

Having a winter wedding? Give your guests a warm gift to take home with these cute – and totally easy to make! – hot cocoa favours. Plus, we’ve even created the perfect labels so you have one less thing to do – click here to download them now.

Hot cocoa wedding favours KL Nash

What you’ll need

• Sheet of paper
• Test tubes with corks or lids
• Hot chocolate or cocoa
• Chocolate nibs
• Mini marshmallows
• Labels printed on self-adhesive paper

How to do it
1 Roll the sheet of paper so it fits inside a test tube. Then scoop two teaspoons of hot chocolate or cocoa into the tube and add a few chocolate nibs.

Hot cocoa wedding favours KL Nash

2 Remove the paper and top off the tube with mini marshmallows. Close with a cork or lid.

Hot cocoa wedding favours KL Nash

3 Stick the printed label on the tube. Repeat for as many favours as you require.

Hot cocoa wedding favours KL Nash

Find this DIY and more in Issue 1-2017, on sale now

Text Robyn Lane
Styling Francoise Jeanne de Villiers
Photography Kendall-Leigh Nash/HMimages.co.za

The art of paper folding often associated with Japanese culture has long fascinated Westerners – and for good reason. The intricate designs that result look gorgeous and are often a talking point. Which is why, inspired by one of the real weddings featured in Issue 1-2017, we found four easy origami napkin styles to wow your guests.

What you’ll need

• Square napkins in the colour of your choice

How to do it

For the windmill:

Origami napkin windmill KL Nash

1 Fold all the corners into the centre of the napkin.

Origami napkin windmill KL Nash

2 Fold the bottom of the napkin upwards to meet the middle then do the same for the top.

Origami napkin windmill KL Nash

3 Fold the left side to the middle and repeat this on the right, ensuring both sides are equal.

Origami napkin windmill KL Nash

4 Turn the napkin over nd pull out the corners from the inside until all four corners are exposed. Repeat for as many napkins as required.

Origami napkin windmill KL Nash

Origami napkin windmill KL Nash

For the heart:

Origami napkin heart KL Nash

1 Fold both sides into the middle, ensuring they are equal. Then fold in half lengthways.

Origami napkin heart KL Nash

2 Fold the top of the napkin down towards the bottom. The take the top and fold it sideways, creating a 90-degree line. Repeat on the opposite side by folding the bottom towards the top.

Origami napkin heart KL Nash

3 Turn the napkin over then take the top right corner and tuck it in. Repeat this on the left then turn over to see the end result. Repeat for as many napkins as required.

Origami napkin heart KL Nash

Origami napkin heart KL Nash

For the three-fold:

Origami napkin three-fold KL Nash

1 Fold the napkin in half from side to side, then fold from top to bottom to create a smaller square.

Origami napkin three-fold KL Nash

2 Using the top piece of fabric, roll the right corner into a tube. Do the same with the next two pieces of fabric on the right.

Origami napkin three-fold KL Nash

3 Turn the napkin so the tubes of fabric are horizontal then turn over the napkin and fold the right and left corners into the middle until they meet. Turn over once more to see the end result. Repeat for as many napkins as required.

Origami napkin three-fold KL Nash

For the sitting fan:

Origami napkin sitting fan KL Nash

1 Fold the napkin in half then fold the bottom about 1 cm upwards.

Origami napkin sitting fan KL Nash

2 Fold the same section for 1 cm towards the alternate side of the napkin. Continue folding for 1 cm on alternate sides until you have about 3 cm left.

Origami napkin sitting fan KL Nash

Origami napkin sitting fan KL Nash

3 Fold the napkin in half with the folded pieces horizontal. Then fold the leftover fabric into the centre and pull out all the folds into a fan. Repeat for as many napkins as required.

Origami napkin sitting fan KL Nash

Find this DIY and more in Issue 1-2017, on sale now

Text Robyn Lane
Styling Francoise Jeanne de Villiers
Photography Kendall-Leigh Nash/HMimages.co.za

We may think of it as out of date but there’s a reason the older generation enjoyed a macramé piece or two – they’re decorative without being overwhelming. And, in today’s modern age, they add a touch of nostalgia to a rustic wedding theme. If you like the idea of a macramé touch, try your hand at this chair drape that adds a subtle yet quaint feel to a summertime wedding.

Materials

What you’ll need

• Rod or stick
• 15 strands of 2m string
• Scissors

How to do it

1 Suspend your rod in a horizontal position. Take one strand of string and attach it to both ends of the rod to create a hanging base loop. Starting at the far left, take one strand of string and hang it over the suspended string. Pull both ends through the resulting eyelet. Repeat this with the remainder of the strands, leaving a distance of 1.5 cm between each set.

2 Again starting at the left, take the first set of strands in your left hand and the second set in your right. Spread the strands of each set between your fingers with the centre strand of each set touching.

Macrame KL Nash

3 Taking the strand at the far right, move it between the two centre strands and bring it forward between the strands of the set on the left.

Macrame KL Nash

4 Bring the strand across the front of the centre strands and back between the loop formed by the set of strands on the right. Then pull the strand tightly towards the top.

Macrame KL Nash

5 Taking the strand at the far right, move it behind the centre strands and push it through the loop formed by the set of strands on the right. It should form a second loop.

Macrame KL Nash

6 Take this loop across the centre strands and push it through the left loop of the set of strands on the far left.

Macrame KL Nash

7 Pull tightly and let go.

Macrame KL Nash8 Repeat this process (steps 2–6) with each of the next sets until the first row is complete.

9 For the second row, start at the second and third sets of strands and repeat steps 2–6 until the row is complete.

10 For the third row, start with the two sets of strands at the far left and repeat steps 2–6 until the row is complete.

11 Continue using two sets of adjacent strands to form diamonds until you reach your desired length.

Macrame KL Nash

12 Once you’ve reached your desired length, cross two sets of strands at the far left. Take one set over and backwards in-between the two sets. Pull tightly to form a knot.

Macrame KL Nash

13 Make multiple knots using the same set of strands until you reach your desired length of knot.

Macrame KL Nash

Macrame KL Nash

Macrame KL Nash

14 Repeat steps 12-13 with the rest of the adjacent sets of strands to create knots. Then use the scissors to cut the ends of the strands to your desired length.

15 Untie the horizontal base from the rod and attach it to the sides of a chair so the macrame falls across the chair back. Repeat for as many chairs as required.

Macrame KL Nash

Find this DIY and more in Issue 1-2017, on sale now

Text & styling Francoise Jeanne de Villiers
Photography Kendall-Leigh Nash/HMimages.co.za

Getting the perfect thank-you gift for your wedding guest can be tricky. You want something that shows your appreciation but gifting a lot of people can end up being very costly. The best solution? Personalised DIY gifts that you can prepare months in advance!

1 Infused oil

infused-oil-2-thank-you-gift
Infuse cooking oil (olive oil is a favourite) with chillies or your favourite herbs for a yummy, flavourful salad dressing or base.

2 Spice mix

spice-thank-you-gift

Mix various spices and place it in a jar to create your own flavoured rub or spice mixture that goes with your wedding’s theme.

3 Plant a tree

plant-thank-you-gift

Give your guests the gift of nature with your favourite tree or plant seeds. This is a great way of helping the environment while showering your guests with a gift they can cherish.

4 Personalised fortune cookies

fortune-cookie-thank-you-gift

Buy ready-made fortune cookies from your closest Chinese wholesaler and fill it with personalised messages for your guests.

5 Sugar scrub

bath-scrub-thank-you-gift

Add colouring and scented oils like peppermint to sugar. Allow it to soak and dry, then place it in a jar for an amazing sugar body scrub that tastes delicious too.

6 Jam jar

jam-jar_thank-you-gift_-unsplash

Preserve your favourite fruits to create a tasty jam – your guests will remember you with every bite.

Text Sharne Cupido
Photography Pinterest, Olia Gozha/Unsplashed, Kristina Balic/Unsplashed