Our jam wedding favors

Our jam favors turned out so cute thanks to the many hands who not only helped to make it (Shakirah Simley, owner of Slow Jams took the lead in teaching me and my bridesmaids how it's done) but also to package it (thank you groomsmen and their significant others!). The flavors were strawberry lavender and bacon-onion relish.

I bought fabric from Jo Ann's Fabric for $4.99 a yard and elastic silver bands for $1.99 a yard. I used pinking shears to cut 5x5" squares and then cut the elastic cords (and also leftover lace) and tied them in loops. A tag that was handstamped with the phrase "Handmade because you're worth it" was threaded through the loop and slipped over the top of the jars. Each jar featured a custom label that read "Spread the Love, Vera + Fred, 10.10.10."

Here's how they turned out (thanks, Jason Chong, for the photos):

Spread the Love

This Sunday, a couple of my bridesmaids and I are joining Shakirah Simley, of Slow Jams, at La Cocina to make the last batch of our wedding favors: onion-bacon relish! Chef Peter made the bacon himself, so there will be lots of extra love put into these.

Here is some jam-favor inspiration to get me through until our favor-making extravaganza! The "Spread the Love" label is available on Etsy.com from Miss Pickles Press for $15.

{From OnceWed.com}

{from Whimsical Wonderland Weddings}

{the Spread the Love labels remixed}

{from DailyCraft}

{Not jam, but I love the doily and baker's twine! From We Met in a Bar}

5 Retro Ways to Package Your Favors

**For the Mid-modern pop girl**

{Above from Bake It Pretty}

 {Above from Hey Yo Yo on Etsy}

**For the Girly Girl**

Vintage inspired brown bags

{Bit of Vintage on Etsy}

I love buying secondhand

I love buying secondhand. Not only do you save money, you prolong the life of an object!

On Friday, I dropped by Mignonne -- a boutique that specializes in giving old furniture facelifts -- especially with bold paint jobs. I picked up a newly painted table in metallic silver for $40 (as-is). I didn't mind its condition because I plan to use it as our cake table, which will be onstage with me and Guitar Fred -- no one will see that the back is missing except for us. Here's the table, including a bouquet from Gorgeous and Green and two bluebirds and a nest I picked up as potential cake toppers (yes, I bought a vintage bride and groom but I'm still attached to the bird motif).

Today, my friend, Brittany, and I met up to do a little party planning. We dropped by one of my favorite places for bargains -- the Center for Creative Reuse in Oakland, CA -- and scored some pretty fantastic deals on photo booth props. We got a lime green "Irish" wig still in the package, 100 sheets of black scrapbook paper, dowels (for our black paper mustaches), Mardi Gras beads, vinyl carnival posters, plastic cowboy hats, a large frame, and goggles for $8 including tax.

If you're planning on making liqueur favors, run over to the Center now! They have petite glass bottles with cork stoppers for $1.00 each (or 25 for $18.00). They'd be fantastic for Meyer Lemon limoncello di crema, or an herb infused olive oil.

DIY: Easy seating with popsicle sticks

Spotted this clever idea on Hi-Fi Weddings. Looks like the bride stamped popsicle sticks with letters and used them to help alphabetize her guests' favors. Thankfully, she also placed an alpha-list next to the favors box.

{Via Hi-Fi Weddings}

Inspiration #64: Grubbin' Favors

 

{Photo of Grub from Bryant-Terry.com}

A few years ago, I picked up Anne Lappe and Bryant Terry's cookbook, Grub: A savvy and practical guide to organic eating for urban dwellers. It was the first time I had ever owned a cookbook that also recommended a music playlist (by the way, Bryant has since written his own book, Vegan Soul Kitchen, that focuses on animal free Southern inspired food).

Since music and food are passions for me and Guitar Fred, Grub has inspired me to create favors that reflect them. 

I was heartened to find recipe card favors by Sunday Suppers of New York (see below). These will be perfect for tying to our Stumptown CD covers.

The cost of 100 3x5 index cards at Sam's Club is only $0.56. I would need at least 600 cards for 5 recipes for each of our 120 guests -- that's less than $4.00. Printing may be the most expensive cost in terms of ink cartridge. Fortunately, I've already got natural fiber twine, but I should probably look into purchasing colored twine.

As for the recipes, we're going to share our favorite comfort-foods, including a potato-bacon pie, a succulent wine-braised pork roast, the Goodyear family's Brunswick stew, dino kale with a ginger-soy dressing and a couple favorite dishes from our chef friends, Peter Jackson of Canvas Underground and Efrain Cuevas of Clandestino Chicago.

{Photo from Sunday Suppers}

Inspiration #43: Stumptown Printers CD Covers

Our save-the-dates by Lollipop Event and Designs are printing this week, and we've decided to go with inexpensive kraft A7 envelopes ($12 for 100 pcs) to mail them to our guests. I headed to Michael's to buy some embossing ink, glitter embossing powder in teal, and alphabet and themed stamps for less than $20 so I can jazz up the envelopes (I'll share these in a future post!). 

{By the way, iDIY is hosting a contest where you can win a L Letterpress Tool Kit (worth $150); details on how to enter here}


This is a test run for possible wedding favors (CDs of course). We like Stumptown Printers in Portland, OR and the kraft CD covers are affordable ($20/50 pcs). I envisioned a stamped image on the cover, and here are some real CDs reflecting my ideas:

{JeremyBleich.com}

{GigPosters.com}

{Traci Rae Letellier}

{Pressing Letters.com}

Bridal Shower on a Budget

My little sister's bridal shower is this weekend, and I tasked myself with the decorations and favors.

The wedding entourage chose a tea party theme, and I upgraded it to a Parisian tea party with pink, black and white as the main colors. My sister got engaged in Paris, so I thought it would be a nice tribute.

I did all my shopping yesterday -- hitting Paper Outlet, the Party Warehouse, Ichiban Kan (a Japanese equivalent of the 99 cent store), Pier 1, TJ Maxx, IKEA and Target (whew!).

Here's how I fared (all totals include tax at 9.75%):

$2/pp incl. tax for favors
Packaging

• Eiffel tower mini gift bags 2-pack $0.50 ea. x 10 (Target)= $5.49
  
• Scallop edged premium tissue paper $2.99 (24 sheets) = $3.28
  

Favors

• Rum raisin votives for $0.38 ea. x 20 (Pier 1 Imports) = $8.34
  
• Body lotion/bath gel for $0.68 ea. x 20 (Pier 1 Imports) = $14.93
  
• Tealight votive holders for $1.49 for 4-pack x 5 (IKEA) = $8.18
  

TOTAL = $40.22


As for the decorations, I'm borrowing a couple Eiffel tower candle towers from my own MOH, and stringing hanging paper lanterns and garlands. I'm using black and white polka-dot gift wrap as a table runner and pink flower pots to hold white flower topiaries.

• Eiffel Tower table decor - free (borrowed)
• Paper garland (pink) - $1.50 x 4 = $6.58
  
• Hanging paper lantern - $2.50 x 2 = $5.49
  
• Pink flower pots - $1.99 x 3 = $6.55
  
• B/W polka dot gift wrap (as table runners) - $0.50/yd x 3 = $1.65
  
• Flowers - $10

TOTAL = $30.27

GRAND TOTAL = $70.49 or $3.52 pp

I can't wait to see how it turns out! I'll post photos next Monday.