The Weekend Project

By Anna Sachse

CTW Features

There's never been a better time to be a DIY bride. All it takes is a few store-bought items and a little time and even the most undomestic diva can be on her way to crafting creative, stylish décor and accessories for her wedding. Just follow the expert tips below.

Hair Accessories

Want to wear a fun headpiece in addition to - or instead of - of a veil? Two experts at the DIY magazine ReadyMade, assistant editor Alexa Fornoff and editorial apprentice Riane Menardi, came up with these three ideas for making your own:

• Pop into a department store for a normal elastic headband that matches the color of your hair, and then attach your great aunt's awesome old brooches.

• Visit a fabric store for all the supplies necessary to cut out a series of stars from a glittery fabric, line them with felt, and attach them to a band of black elastic.

• Make colorful fabric flowers by cutting "petals" from old thrift-store blouses, and sew them on hairclips from a beauty supply store.

Ceremony Space Décor

To really set off the area where you will say your "I Do's," Sarah Trotter, owner of Lasting Impressions Weddings and Event Coordination, Minnetonka, Minn., is a fan of hanging décor that frames the focal point, such as luminous lanterns or romantic ribbons from antique shops or craft stores. Or if you want to get literal, fabulous old window or picture frames from salvage or thrift stores make for a whimsical backdrop.

Chair Embellishments

To decorate the seats in the ceremony space, Fornoff and Menardi like tying twine around the tops of mason jars (both can be found at a local discount retailer or hardware store) and attaching one to the top of the chair at the end of each row - just add fresh blooms from a U-pick garden for a fairytale walk down the aisle

At the dinner tables, they recommend hanging fun signs over the chair backs. Assign guests to tables that are based on a decade and have the signs list that decade's best love songs. All supplies are available at craft stores.

Escort and

Place Cards

There are countless creative ways to direct your guests to their seats, says Trotter. Purchase a large cheap chalkboard from a discount retailer and write the table assignments with chalk that matches your wedding colors. You also can hang cards (purchased from a stationery store) on pieces of fresh fruit or bottles of water from the grocery store. And yet another fun idea is to:

1. Write guest names on magnetic photo frames that contain pictures you have taken of yourselves in various settings.

2. Hang the frames on a piece of corrugated sheet metal.

3. Have guests find their seats by looking for the table named after that setting - e.g., the "Sunset Table" or "Beach Table." Let guests take home the frames as favors. Frames and sheet metal can be found at a discount retailer and hardware store.

Centerpieces

For an affordable centerpiece with a bountiful aesthetic, all it takes is a quick trip to a thrift store for mismatched glass bowls, jars and vases, or to any discount retailer where you can get cheap glassware. Fill these containers with colorful local fruits, such as apples, pears, lemons, oranges or cranberries, acquired at a farmer's market, orchard or grocery store, Trotter says.

Favors

Candy stations are a popular and memorable way to thank guests for celebrating with you. Make your own by picking up basic glass bowls and platters from a discount retailer and filling them with sweets from a local grocery or candy store - select from artisan chocolates, colorful candies that match your wedding colors or old-fashioned favorites. The discount retailer also should have serving utensils and a party section where you can find small bags or adorable boxes so that guests can take the goods to-go.

But if you'd rather give guests a parting gift that will last a lot longer, Fornoff and Menardi suggest making tiny terrariums that feature local foliage. You will need to get small glass containers that have lids from a container store, activated charcoal from the aquarium section of a pet store, and sand, moss and small plants with roots from a home and garden store. After thoroughly washing and drying the containers, fill the bottom with an inch of sand, place a teaspoon of charcoal in the center, place the moss over the sand to create a pillow for the plants, use a pencil to dig small holes through the moss and sand, arrange the plants in the holes, place the lid on top, and voilà! It's a living reminder of your fabulous event.

(c) CTW Features