Hanging lanterns
Paper lanterns are a great way to incorporate any theme because they come in a variety of prints and colors and can easily be hung from a ceiling because of their light weight. If you have the opportunity to hang lanterns indoors from can lights it is a great alternative to making holes in your ceiling.
To make: We bought a spool of pearls and attached one end to the lantern and the other end to a large paperclip, securing with some thin silk ribbon. The paper clip is then tucked into the lip of the can light to hang. If you are looking for a little something extra you can easily attach things to the bottom of the lantern - in this case we used mirror balls but anything would work.
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| Paper lantern and mirror ball hanging decor. |
Using personal photos
It's always fun to add a personal touch at a shower with pictures of the couple. In this case Linsey and Craig had done a lot of traveling together so we showcased all their wonderful adventures.
To make: I printed these pictures in black and white and on matte paper - I think it looks a little nicer than gloss. Simply attach the photos to paper that matches the theme. Purchase clothes pins and spray paint them in a coordinating color. Attach pictures to garland or ribbon and hang.
Statement with fabric
It is often hard, especially when decorating a large space, to figure out how to fully incorporate a theme. Fabric is great for this because you can get a lot of it for a little money - if you aren't picky and buy from the clearance area. Besides framing an area like pictured below you could also use fabric on your table or draped around doors to create an entrance.
To make: Measure fabric to length needed. Tie a knot in very center and attach to large nail. Drape fabric evenly on both sides and tie a ribbon around the fabric to mark the spot. Hang ribbon from nail on each side to drape.
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| Draped print fabric. |
Flowers
Flowers are a great way to add small punches of color. By placing coordinating flower arrangements around a room you can do a lot to tie in different areas with out having to decorate everything.
To make: We used solid red vases. We found animal print sheets of duct tape but you could also use ribbon and attached it in various sized stripes to make the vases coordinate with the theme. For ease, use multiple types of flowers in the same color. Trim flowers longer for the outer layer and shorter as you work your way to the center in order to create a round shape.
Party favors
Nothing extravagant is ever needed but you should have something fun for guests to snack on when they leave. In this case we found animal print wrapped mints and filled small black pillow boxes. Chocolate kisses also work well as fillers.
To make: The label is printed on round white labels available at any craft or office supply store. We made the O in LOVE out of some fun ring stickers. Once the labels were printed and the sticker added, we stuck each label to a flattened mini cupcake liner. The entire thing was then stuck to the black pillow box with a small piece of double-sided foam tape.
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| Pillow box favors. |
Banners are a great way to make a statement, literally. For this shower our caption was "Happy Wife, Happy Life" which was also printed on the invitations.
To make: Detailed instructions coming soon in later post.
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| Happy Wife, Happy Life banner. |
To make: For this veil we took a store bought one and made some additions. Fabric was attached to the back layer, sequins were sewn around both layers of trim, and the top layer was completely blinged out. Instead of leaving the veil on a comb we hot glued it to a thick fabric head band for comfort. The center area of the headband was then also blinged!
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| Bride with zebra veil. |
