Rustic Bridal Craft Idea: Wooden Slab Stands

Image via www.oncewed.com

Rustic weddings are a huge trend these days, and the theme is particularly appealing for a fall wedding. Natural wood pieces have become the surprise hit of the season, and they are a fantastic way to bring the outdoors in.

Creating wooden display stands for your wedding can be as easy as cutting a piece of a tree limb into a level piece. Your fiance will love this project - he can get to use a chainsaw! Use a nice solid hardwood for the best results. The wood can be sealed with polyurethane, both for appearance and to keep the bark from shedding.

Charming rustic wooden votive candle holders. Image via www.apaperproposal.com

A very nice design is to attach a smooth slab to a tree limb to create a pedestal. Consider it the ultimate in rustic elegance! You can buy the flat round or oval slabs online, or have your fiance get out his trusty chainsaw again to slice one for you. If making the flat slab yourself, sand it smooth and coat it with a food safe wood sealer.

From there, all that is left to do is attach the base to the slab to complete your pedestal. Use a generous amount of extra strong wood glue, and clamp the two pieces together until they are fully set. Top your gorgeous wooden stand with a beautiful wedding cake or some flickering votive candles for a charming addition to your rustic wedding.

Beautiful Bridal Crafts: DIY Beautiful Floral Pomanders For Your Wedding

One of the most beautiful parts of any wedding is the flowers. Round floral pomanders (a.k.a. "kissing balls") are a popular wedding trend due to their romantic style. This is how to make charming pomanders to hang as decorations or for the bridesmaids to carry instead of regular bouquet.

The first step is to choose your flowers. It is important to select sturdy flowers which do not wilt quickly. The flowers should also be very round, to ensure a nice fullness and that your pomanders do not have any blank spots. Roses, carnations, mums, hydrangeas, and daisies are among the best choices. You will also need floral foam balls (available at any floral or craft supply store), 20 gauge wire, wire cutters, and a pretty ribbon for hanging. To prepare the ball, wrap the wire around it, dividing it into four sections. Twist the remaining wire at the top of the ball to form a small loop for hanging. At the very end of the project, you will slip the ribbon through the wire loop to make the handle for the pomander. Soak the foam in water to moisten it.

Then it is time to prepare the flowers that you will put on the foam ball. Trim off the stems, leaving about an inch on each one below the blossom. Trimming stems at an angle allows the maximum surface area for absorbing water. Some varieties have nice strong stems that can be pushed directly into the foam ball. If your favorite flowers have softer stems, simply fold a four inch piece of wire over the flower to create a hairpin shape. Push the ends of the wire into the ball to secure the flower.

Crepe paper flowers also make gorgeous pomanders. Image via House of Smiths.

To get a nice even coverage, start by making a row of blossoms around the "equator" of the foam ball. Then you can fill in each half, working row by row to the top and bottom. The heads of the flowers should overlap a little so there are no blank spots. Once you think you are all done, stand back and look at your pomander from every angle - if any foam shows through, fill in the gap with another flower to create a lush, full effect.

Finally, slip the ribbon through the little wire loop you made into the beginning to create the pomander's handle for carrying or hanging.

A really fun alternative to ribbon is to string large faux pearls to make the handle. It adds a sophisticated detail to the sweet pomanders, and looks fabulous with pearl wedding jewelry. Sometimes brides will also choose to insert a faux pearl into the center of some of the blossoms on the ball for a pretty detail. It looks especially pretty with mums. Then your beautiful DIY wedding pomanders will be ready to use! If you make them ahead, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two to keep them looking fresh. Everyone will be impressed with your fun kissing balls, and no one but you will know how easy they were to make!