Have you ever seen a “suite” of matching wedding accessories in a catalogue or bridal store? Embellished candles, guest book, ring-bearers’ pillows, flowergirls’ baskets; your cake knife and server and your toasting flutes, all “fabulized” to match. They look so pristine and coordinated, and they tie together your whole color/décor scheme so well within your venue. And . . . they cost a bundle, for what they are.
If you have several months until your wedding, of course you have plenty of timetables to keep and things to be attended to–and these little niceties do take time. But if you enjoy handcrafting, why not make a whole coordinated set of them yourself? It gives you something constructive to do when you’re thinking (non-stop) about your wedding, but it’s not yet time for the next step. And you can do each one on a different day, you don’t have to do it until you drop. And you will be accomplishing something.
It’s time-consuming but not difficult to create a custom set of white or ivory candles wrapped in ribbon (grosgrain, satin, or velvet–not see-through organza), with tailored (sewn) bows to match the dominant wedding color, centered with small rhinestone buttons or motifs available in the beaded-jewelry section of a craft store. Measure exactly where on each candle you want the ribbon to go, so that it’s uniform on all candles that are same size. Mark that spot on the candle. Wrap ribbon around the candle, lapping over 1/4 inch, and cut the ribbon. Place a dot of hot glue on the marked spot, touch one end of the ribbon to it, then wrap around the candle, securing it with another dot of hot glue where the ends overlap. If you need to wrap it more evenly or pull it tighter, do it right now while the glue is still warm.
To make a tailored bow, simply fold the ribbon under to the size of bow you’d like, then gather it in across the center by hand with a needle threaded with matching thread; then hot-glue on the center motif. To make it appear that it’s a "tied" bow, cut two pieces of ribbon about 3” long , with opposing diagonal bottoms, and hot-glue to the back of the bow so that they appear to be the “tips” of a tied bow. Then hot-glue the whole thing to the seam on the candle where you’ve wrapped the ribbon around it.
These are most effective on 3” X 6” pillars–although with a slightly wider ribbon, they are also an elegant finish if you have one or two spots where a large 3-wick, 6” X 6” pillar candle might sit, such as on a piano or banquet table. (Note: to prevent side-blowout and wax spillage if your reception will last more than 3 hours, designate a bridesmaid or family member to snuff them at 3 hours, pour out the melted wax, press a tealight into the melted-down opening, and re-light–or replace the flame with a worry-free battery-operated tealight.) These formal-looking, matching candles can be set on white or ivory candlesticks (or clear crystal or glass) of a variety of heights– for example on a mantle, where they’ll be twice as twinkly if sitting in front of a mirror. These candleholders may or may not match exactly in design as long as their color is the same. A mix of shapes is often an interesting contrast to the uniformity of the dressed-up candles.
Customize a homemade or dollar-store ring-bearer pillow, a simple 8-inch square of white or ivory satin with poly-fil stuffing. Purchase ¼ yard of crepe-backed satin to match the wedding colors. Cut a piece 7” wide (it’s best to cut with pinking shears to curtail raveling fabric), and the measurement across the pillow from one side seam to the opposite one, plus one inch. On the sewing machine, use ½ inch on each short end to double-fold and stich a small, even hem. Press the hem and the fabric, also pressing under 1-1/2 inches of fabric on each of the longer sides of the strip, now giving you a 4-inch wide strip. With the hemmed short end of the fabric facing up, with white or ivory thread, use small hand stitches to stitch the strip along the exact center of one side of the pillow (your stitching should go right at the side seam); pull the strip across and center it on the other side, and working under the finished side, repeat the stitching on the inner side of the other end of the strip of fabric. You now have just a straight 4-inch-wide strip across your pillow. Measure across pillow to find the exact center of the fabric strip, and mark it. Thread a needle with colored thread, and using a double thread and long stitches, come up from the underside of the colored fabric, make long even stitches directly across this center point by hand, ending with the thread coming out on the underside. Pull the thread tight, creating a narrow, gathered center-point for the trim to the pillow, and tie it off very securely. Center (and cover) the gathers with a rhinestone piece to match those used on the candles. On both sides of the rhinestone center, with white or ivory thread, securely tack down the center only of a 2-foot length of very thin (1/8-inch) ivory or satin ribbon, leaving the ends free. These ribbons will each be used to tie on one of the two wedding rings. Cut the ends of the ribbons diagonally into a point. These may be left as-is, or tied into a tiny knot about ¾-inch from the ends of the ribbons.
Flowergirl basket: two choices here, depending on your preference. If you prefer the wicker look of a real basket, buy the basket in white, or if the shape you love comes only in natural straw color, simply spray it white. Purchase double-faced satin ribbon in your accent color–two yards per basket should be more than enough. Simply tie the ribbon on each side of the basket where the handle meets the bottom, then fashion a pretty bow with about 6” of ribbon handing down on each side, which you trim diagonally at the ends. If you are having trouble getting the bow to sit horizontally instead of wanting to twist vertically, tie an additional knot before starting the bow, and this should straighten it out. If you’d like to keep to a strictly-tailored look to more closely match your other accessories, seek a satin-covered basket (experience has shown me that it is neither time- nor money-economical to cover it yourself). Suggestion: http://www.wrapwithus.com/Favors/4083-ns.html. Look below for instructions for the ornaments for the cake knife and server and champagne flutes, and simply make two more. Cut off the wires in the back, and hot glue them directly onto the center of the meager bow that comes attached to the basket (or, if you use a different basket from the one suggested, just replace whatever bow embellishes the handles with the ones that match your set.
Guest-book: customize a plain white or ivory dollar-store guest book in the same way as the ring bearer’s pillow (except after hemming the ends, they may be hot-glued in stead of stitched.) Again, gather in the center and trim with a matching rhinestone accent. Then simply choose a simple, inexpensive guest pen set (suggestion, which also comes in ivory): http://www.wrapwithus.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=KPE396wwsl-bb&Category_Code=. (If you should wish to have a photo album to match, one can usually be found, if not in satin (which is going to get fingerprints anyway, then in white or ivory lace. Just follow the directions for the guest book on a little larger scale.)
Cake knife and server, and wedding couple’s champagne flutes: using wrapped wire from the craft store floral department (this comes in small spools or packages of long, straight wires) cut two pieces about 10” long, and make a small version of “florist”-type bow with the same ribbon that you used to embellish the candles: starting at the bottom and looping upward, make a 3” loop, twisting the ribbon completely over (180°) at the center, and pinching that twist with the fingers of your opposite hand. Extend another loop out in opposite direction, and again loop it upwards, twist and pinch–then do another set of loops (for a total of 2 on each side). Pull the end of the ribbon to approximately the outer length of one of the loops, and cut diagonally. Work the wire under your fingers, and twist it very tightly on the back side of the bow, to maintain the gathered look where you have twisted the ribbon. Next, using sheer, wire-sided white or ivory organza ribbon (usually sold in small spools in fabric or craft stores) in the same width of ribbon (or smaller), repeat the instructions above, but give it 3 loops on each side. Wire the colored bow atop the center of the sheer bow, and twist each set of two wires together. Hot-glue the rhinestone-motif center to the top of the center blow, covering the wire. You will need to make 4 of these. Wire one each to the cake knife and server where the handle meets the blade, and to the stems of the couple’s champagne flutes. Wrap the wire around several times so it feels secure, hiding it under the fluff of the bow (2 or 3 times). When it feels secure, twist the two sets of wires together securely, underneath the bow in front, and cut about 1 inch from the twist, working in the ends so nobody gets stuck with a wire.
Put a white cloth on a table, and line up all your candles on their stands. In front, arrange the guest book, the ring pillow, the flowergirl basket, the cake knife and server, and your toasting glasses. This is a lot of décor, and accessories you would have purchased anyway. Take a picture of the set all together, for your wedding book.
I had a response to an article from another Factoider, Charlene Collins, who shared the idea that a relative of hers who regretted having no daughter to whom to pass down her wedding dress, used the fabric to make keepsakes for her sons. If there’s an old wedding dress of lace, or with beautiful embroidery or beading, sitting around getting moth-eaten in the closet, using the fabric to make the ring pillow or to cover a guest book, photo album (or, yes, even a basket; it could also become the bride’s garter!) would be a lovely and meaningful way to give someone’s cherished gown another trip down the aisle instead of a trip to the Salvation Army–and it would become a new generation’s cherished mementos for another lifetime, all the more valued because of its history.
