Create a Simple Boutonniere for a Wedding or Prom

The purpose of a boutonniere is to add an elegant touch to a man's suit jacket or formal coat.  Create a simple boutonniere using a flower that matches the occasion, your dates attire, or a flower from your bride's bouquet.

Boutonniere's can be made from real flowers or silk.  I chose to make my boutonniere from a real carnation.   Carnations are hardy and will stay looking fresh for a long time.  Other flowers that, I think, work great for boutonnieres are orchids and roses.

To view my full step-by-step tutorial head on over the Bowdabra Blog.

Always and Forever Wedding Frame

A wedding frame makes a wonderful gift!  Using a wedding themed cardstock I decoupaged a Plaid Crafts wooden frame and added the sentiment "Always and Forever" inside!  I attached ribbon along the top and the bottom and finished the frame with an elegant Mini Bowdabra Bow. 

Create your own handmade wedding frame easily following my DIY tutorial featured over at the Bowdabra Blog.

Supplies Needed to Make the Frame:

• Plaid Wood Frame
• Black Satin Ribbon 3/8" wide 
• MAMBI Specialty Cardstock Pad 12X12 48 Sheets - Wedding
• Mod Podge CS11202 Original 16-Ounce Glue, Gloss Finish
• Double Heart Silver Charms (20pc)
• Darice Mini Bowdabra Bow Maker W/ Favor Maker & Craft Tool Mini Bowdabra Hair Bow Making Attachment Kit with Instructional CD Darice Bowdabra Wire 50 Feet

To purchase this handmade item - mozy on over to visit my Etsy Store - Sewing and Crafting with Sarah.

Soul Mate Throw Pillows

What is a soul without its mate?  This pair of soul mate throw pillows are great gift for weddings or bridal showers.  I made the pillows using bandana fabric, I lined them with sheer fabric to keep the fiberfill tight inside of the pillow.  I finished each pillow with a grosgrain Mini Bowdabra bow.

Visit my Etsy Store to Purchase the Soul Mate Pillows

Want to make your own pillows?   Head on over to the Bowdabra Blog to view my step-by-step tutorial.
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3Birds Straight from the Nest Love Birds Congrats Card

I have gotten so much use out of my Cricut cartridge 3Birds Straight from the Nest.  The designs are perfect for so many different occasions.  I created a love birds congrats card that would work wonderful for a bridal shower, wedding, or anniversary.

3Birds Straight from the Nest Love Birds Congrats Card by Sarah Forhan

Interested in 3Birds Straight from the Nest?  I invite you to visit the item on Amazon.com.  It has received great reviews!  And, it is on sale for 68% off right now!

• Use with all Cricut machines
• Six creative features: layer/shadow, corner, slider, border, phrase, and phrase shadow
• Contains 50 images with layers and shadow
• Includes decorative corners, sliders, borders, and phrases
• Comes with handbook and keyboard overlay

The cardstock that I used to assemble my love birds card is mambiSHEETS.  I highly recommend this cardstock pad.  It is full of great designs and specialty paper.

 

To make the beautiful bow I used the Mini Bowdabra along with the Hair Bow Tool & Ruler.  Head on over, to the Bowdabra Blog for the step-by-step tutorial along with links to purchase these great bow making tools!

Click here to go to the Bowdabra Blog for Step-by-Step Instructions

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Crepe Paper Roses Tutorial

During my weekly trip to the Dollar Store I found purple crepe paper - The exact color of my soon-to-be sister-in-law's accent color for her wedding.  She chose a very deep purple official name: Lapis.

I have searched and collected Lapis silk flowers, Lapis ribbon, Lapis crafting gems...but Lapis crepe paper - SCORE!  I bought every package of purple (Lapis) crepe paper at the Dollar Store!   Below is two of 10 rolls I bought.

I have been assigned the designing and making the table centerpieces.  I have almost everything I need to make them but I needed filler!  You know something not that expensive that I can mass-produce in the hundreds!!

At home with piles of purple crepe paper streamers around me I began making crepe paper roses.  After I finished a few I  decided to do a quick google search to see if any other crafters had made crepe paper roses.  Yep, so many crafting people out there I was not the first to make crepe paper roses, from crepe paper purchased at the Dollar Store, no less!!  Filth Wizardry used crepe paper to make small ribbon roses for her children's class for Valentine's Day.  She even shows a video of how she made them!! The video is so cute with her children talking in the background!  Entertaining and informative.

.....The only thing I did differently when I made my roses is I didn't fold the crepe paper in half but used the full size so my roses are bigger.  Like Filth Wizardry I didn't use a glue gun.  The crepe paper is sticky and holds together very well!

Materials Needed:
Crepe Paper
Floral Stems
Floral Leaves
Floral Tape

Instructions:

1. Create a 6" to 7" tail by folding the crepe paper down at an angle.

2. Start to roll the crepe paper in to create the inside of the rose.

3. To create the rose petals fold the crepe paper slightly and bring the edge to the center and pinch.

4. Continue folding and turning your rose until you are happy with it.  Tear the crepe paper from the spool and twist it around the bottom.

5. Add floral leaves by wrapping the wire around the rose's crepe paper stem.  Add a floral stem and cover everything with floral tape.

6. Create as many crepe paper roses as you would like.  In my case only 97 more to go!

No Sew Rag Bow

What do you do with left-over scrap fabric? 

I designed a step-by-step tutorial at the Bowdabra Blog for making a "No Sew" Rag Bow.  I love to sew but sometimes you just want to put down that needle and thread and make an easy and quick project.  Best of all with this tutorial children can make a rag bow, as well.  This is the perfect summer-time project, camp project, Girl Scout craft, or birthday party favor.

Where the rag bows as pins, corsages, in your hair, or use it as a gift package bow!  The possibilities are endless.

Rose Ball Wedding Centerpiece

A rose ball wedding centerpiece is easy to make using fabric rose petals.  By using fabric rose petals you can easily determine your color scheme and add as many colors as you would like.  The floral rose wedding table centerpiece is easy to make and is gorgeous either in a vase or just placed on the table.

Supply list is from Consumer Crafts (http://consumercrafts.com):

• RC-7209-51 Purple Loose Rose Petals (2 packages)
• RC-7209-102 Silver Finish Loose Rose Petals (2 packages)
• TW05CL Clear Glass Tower Vase - 24 in
• 38002 1 1/2 in white round head corsage pin
• V35442-102 Single Rose Leaf Silver Metallic
• 01007 4 in white styrofoam balls
• VL23 Clear Plastic Faux Ice - 8 oz. Bag
• 2902-142 5/8 inch purple poly satin ribbon

Instructions:
1. Begin by inserting the ends of the fabric rose petals onto a corsage pin.  I used several purple petals and then finished with silver.

2. Next, insert the roses onto a Styrofoam ball.

3. Completely cover the Styrofoam ball with roses.  Optional: Place the rose ball onto the table as a centerpiece or continue with the instructions for larger style centerpiece inserted into a vase.

4. Wrap a large wooden dowel with ribbon and add a few metallic silver leaves.

5. Insert the wooden dowel into the bottom of the Styrofoam ball.

6. Display the rose ball in a large vase filled with clear plastic ice.

For a variation of this craft visit my Mini Roses Tutorial at Crafts Unleashed, where I am a Senior Craft Designer.

Craft Designer: Sarah Forhan
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Craft Stumbles: Beach Wedding Favors

This weekend's Craft Stumble is: Beach Weddings.  I stumbled-upon some beach theme wedding favors that I have to share.   I found my inspirations at American Bridal

I found these gorgeous blue starfish dishes.  I am a "ribbon girl" and I will absolutely use this tiered look with a ribbon sleeve on my table in the very near future!

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How absolutely adorable is this!  The concept is very simple but elegant.  I also love that the bottles are personalized, what a wonderful keepsake.

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Beach pail wedding favors, adorable!

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Using sea shell frames as place cards that guests can then take home is a brilliant idea!  For my crafty readers this is probably a DIY type of item and another recycled use for some smaller shells.

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Craft Stumbles: Beach Wedding

Craft Stumbles are the crafty finds I stumble-upon during the week.  Usually there is one craft or theme that will precipitate this post. 

This weekend's Craft Stumble Theme is: Beach Weddings.   The catalyst for the theme is inspired by Vicki O'Dell, The Creative Goddess.  While perusing her archives I came across a genius project: Sea Shell Candles.

I love when an anything can be recycled or reused!  We have all collected sea shells but the question is what to do with them once we have them?  Imagine sea shell candles lining the beach during a romantic wedding ceremony, or being used as table decorations at the wedding reception.  Genius!

How about sea shells as wedding favors?   Yes, Vicki has a creative way for that, too!  Visit the Creative Goddess to see how it is done! 

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Baby Shower Centerpiece

Recently, I made several table centerpieces for my cousin's baby shower.  They came out so great I had to share.  To make the chocolate ribbon roses I used a tutorial I had designed years ago for Valentine's Day.  However, instead of using just one color ribbon I used two.

I made a total of twelve chocolate ribbon roses for each centerpiece.  I added the roses and greenery into mason jars. Helpful Hint: I used recycled mason jars.  We eat Classico Spaghetti Sauce that always comes in large mason jars.  I never throw them out I just rinse and save them.  

To finish the centerpiece I attached ribbon around the mason jar and added a sheer bow.  I made my sheer bows by using my Mini Bowdabra.  All the ribbon I used can be purchased at Bowdabra's Ribbon Crafts & Things Store.  I found the little pink bird clips at a Michael's Craft Store.  The bird's had little alligator clips that I just attached to the front of the bow.

These centerpieces not only worked great for a baby shower but I think would look great at an Anniversary Party, Wedding Reception, Sweet 16 Party, or other formal gatherings.

Craft Designer - Sarah Forhan
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Flower Tissue Paper Napkin Rings

I love the Tissue Paper Flowers that I designed using tissue paper and my Bowdabra.  I love them so much, I decided to make the same style flowers only smaller for napkin rings. 

The napkin rings along with the tissue paper centerpiece really complete the table.  Both projects are very inexpensive to make and would be wonderful for weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, or even for Easter dinner!  Now, that I have started making these flowers I can stop.  They are very simple, fun, and easy to make and cost very little to make.  Inexpensive and beautiful my favorite combination when it comes to craft projects.

Materials Need to Make One Napkin Ring:
Bowdabra
Bowdabra Bow Wire
1 Sheet of Standard Sized Tissue Paper
2 Silver Floral Leaves
1 Strand of 5/8" Satin Ribbon
1 Stand of 3/8" Satin Ribbon

Instructions:

To begin, I placed my Bowdabra Wand into the towers of my Bowdabra to widen the opening.  I found if I didn't widen the opening the tissue paper tore.  Then fold a 24" piece of Bowdabra Bow Wire in half and place into the Bowdabra.

 

Next, fold a standard sized tissue paper in half lengthwise and then in half again.

Once tissue paper is folded, fold it width-wise twice, and then cut along the folds.

Now, slowly start to feed the tissue paper into the opening of your Bowdabra.

Start to fold the paper in an accordion shape down into the Bowdabra.  Place all the tissue paper into the Bowdabra.

Once tissue paper is completely in the Bowdabra, thread the Bowdabra Bow Wire through the loop that you made when you folded it in half.  Pull the wire tightly.  Take the tissue paper out of the Bowdabra and tie it in the center.

Next, using sharp scissors cut along the folds that were formed when you placed the tissue paper into the Bowdabra.  Turn the paper over and cut the folds on the other side.

 

Slowly, begin to separate the pieces of tissue paper move some to the left and others to the right. However, move all the tissue paper towards the top leaving the bottom flat for tying onto the napkin.

Once all the tissue paper has been separated tie silver leaves onto the back of the flower using the Bowdabra Bow Wire.

When tissue paper flower is complete attach coordinating ribbon around a cloth napkin.  Then using the leftover Bowdabra Bow Wire attach the flower to the ribbon.  Spiral the remaining Bowdabra Bow Wire for fun ringlets.  Make several napkin rings and the centerpiece to decorate your table for a special occasion or just because.  Who really needs a reason to make their table look pretty?

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Sarah Forhan - Craft Designer