Kristen On Her Wedding Day

Kristen on her wedding day, September 18, 2004.  

Gown by Maggie Sottero.

Fall Wedding Bows

You can add fabric fall leaves with silk roses or any silk flower to the tulle bows for tying on chairs or the church pews.  Add ribbon in your wedding colors for another pretty accent. 

Wedding Candle Gift

Are you wondering what to give that special couple in your life for their wedding?  These are fun and easy to make.   And you can pick up the supplies at any hobby shop.  Start with a candle in the color and size of choice.  For the paper you can use scrap booking paper in the 8 x 11 sheet size in velum or any pretty paper you desire.  Make sure it can be printed on with your computer's printer.  You will then need 1/8" wide ribbon, 1/4" wide ribbon in same or contrasting color, beads or pearls with the hole in them for pinning.  Use the 1/2" size pins (can be found in a sewing isle with the sewing pins).  You can add accent charms like the ones shown at the top of the candle, if desired. You can use the creams or whites for colors or the couple's wedding colors.  It's fun to add beads and the ribbons in the bride and groom's colors for their wedding. 

First, using a print shop or design program on your computer (you can use Microsoft Word for this too),  type in the above words or use your own along with the couple's names and date.  You can also scan into your computer the couple's invitation and using a print shop program, you can import that image and size it to fit the candle.  It helps me to practice first on plain paper.  Center the writing while editing your image.  After you have printed the image onto the scrap booking paper, using a paper cutter, cut the edges evenly.  I tore the edges on this paper by placing the paper into the cutter and holding down at the paper holder, I gently tore the excess paper away making this type of edging.  It all depends on the type of paper used if it will work.  You can practice on a separate sheet, if you desire this effect. 

Next, take that image and center it onto your candle.  Using the 1/2" or smaller straight pins, pin a pearl or bead at each corner of the paper.  Hold the pin straight and slowly push in with your thumb or a flat item against the head of the pin.  I like this method better than gluing because I make a mess with the glue.  ; )
You can pin just about anything you'd like onto the candle after that.  Ribbon, bows and charms were all attached with the pins.  You can also make the couple's or your own unity candles with this method.  We've made memory candles for the couple's loved ones to display during their ceremony who passed on with an image printed on with a favorite poem or "in loving memory of" and the name onto the decorative paper.  Have fun designing your own candle!

Here is another idea for a couple's anniversary candle.  All items were purchased at Hobby Lobby Crafts Store. Wouldn't this idea make for a pretty centerpiece on the tables at a wedding reception?  You could use the couple's invitation or photo for the larger candle. 

Watermelon Salsa

Watermelon Salsa

2 cups of watermelon, diced
15 1/2 ounce can of crushed pineapple
1 cup of diced red onion
3 tbls cilantro, chopped fine
1 tbls jalapeno pepper, diced fine
1/4 cup of lemon juice
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Combine above ingredients into a large bowl.   Let set in the refrigerator for one hour.  Serve with favorite chips. 

Fall Wedding Bouquets

Beautiful wedding bouquets made by Karla Wadas Hickenbottom for Kristen and JR's fall wedding.  The bride's bouquet featured cream and deep burgundy roses with the fall leaves accent.  The bridesmaid's bouquet featured deep burgundy mums with sunflowers and the fall leaves accent.

Baby Shower Gift Decorations

Here is another example of the painted pots.  Kristen did these along with the letters to match.  The letters can be purchased at a craft store and painted.  These made darling table decorations and our friend Karla got to take them home after the shower. 

Pink & Grey Lady Bug Pot

Kristen painted these garden pots to match the lady bug baby shower with acrylic paints and added small baby gifts with the cute matching bow.  They were used to decorate the shower and given to the mommy as a gift after the shower.   Fun idea! 

Lady Bug Diva Diaper Cake

Kristen came up with this diaper cake for her sister-in-law's baby shower.  It is three tiered with the middle tier wrapped in a tutu.  She made the lady bugs out of styrofoam and pipe cleaners.  The dots were made from zebra print card stock.  We made a newborn size tutu out of glittered tulle purchased at JoAnn's Fabrics.  The "fondant" is fabric made into burp cloths and wrapped around the diapers to look like the frosting.  You can add any trimming purchased from fabric stores.  To make the tutu, you can find many tutorials on the web. 

Sunflower Seed "Packet" Wedding Favor

For Kristen and JR's wedding favors we made these cute gifts for their guests.  You can purchase the seeds at a feed store or nursery.   We printed the front and back on one sheet of card stock using a Print Shop program for the computer.  They were then cut to a seed packet size and a heart shape hole punch was used in the top left corner.  They can be tied onto the bag using the ribbon ties.

Baby Gerber Shower Favor

This is what Kristen thought of for the same baby shower where we did the John Deere diaper cake.  She was able to get several empty baby food jars from a day care and we made the labels on a program called Print Shop for the computer.  We filled it with white chocolate candies made from some baby item candy molds.  The lids were discarded and the tops were then covered with fabric and ribbon.  We cut a circle the size to fit over the top as shown.  After placing the fabric on top of the jar, it helped to place a clean rubber band over the fabric around the top of the jar before tying on the ribbon.  Below the photo are the two labels that were used.  I printed them onto the mailing address labels for your computer that you can get at places like Wal-mart or Office Max.  The bottom label went around the back of the jar.

Wedding Shower Favor

A canning jar votive makes a perfect wedding shower gift or favor.  We filled a canning jar with glass nuggets purchased at the Dollar Tree along with a votive candle.  A label with the names of the bride and groom and their wedding date were printed out on card stock.  Then the labels were cut to fit inside the lid for the jar.  A magnet strip was hot glued onto the back of the jar lid to be used as a refrigerator magnet.  Fun!