The Next Dilemma…
August 13th, 2007 @ 6:53 pm by Mrs. Corn
So, here is one of the pictures that I have held on to for the past year which is my inspiration for our escort cards:
Mr. Corn and I have searched for a year to find two branches long enough to use for a display like this. It seems much easier than it is. First, the branches need to be straight enough to accommodate putting them in the ground facing up. Secondly, they need to be sturdy enough to get into the ground. Lastly, they need to be long enough that once you put them in the ground you aren’t left with 2 feet left of branch to work with.
After several failed attempts at finding something, we finally gave up and I purchased two shepherd’s hooks on sale from AC Moore. The problem - they are actually quite difficult to get into the ground and once they are in there, they are quite wobbly.
I plan on hanging cones filled with hydrangeas from smaller shepherd’s hooks along the aisle (you know, since I won’t have garden chairs to hang flowers off of) and so I figured I would just get extra cones and hang them from the escort card display as well.
I did a mock up of the escort card display yesterday and realized we had a small issue. Even though there was only a slight breeze in our backyard, the wind caught the escort cards and blew them like sails. Most of them stayed on, but a few did fall off. I was able to take a picture when they were relatively still, and it looked great…but what do I do to keep them from tossing about wildly in the wind?
Below is a picture of what we came up with. I really hate it. I think it looks ridiculous. But I can’t think of any other way to keep them from flying away. Does anyone else have a bright idea?
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24 Responses to “The Next Dilemma…”
Use the bigger version of that wooden clothes pin. It will make the “clasp”point further down toward the center of the card, making it more stable!
How about using a piece of fabric. Cut it about three inches wide and the attach it to both of the shepherd’s hooks. Then instead of clothepins, use safety pins to attach it into the fabric!
Those babies won’t budge!
i actually did something like this for a wedding. but for that, i didn’t have an open space to hang the string onto. i ended up doing it on a board, placed string across and hung the cards on the string while clipping them with the mini clothespine. it looked so adorable and totally functional and easy for guests to use. there was wind, but my board kept the cards from flying off. you might look into using the medium sized clothespins. yours look like the itty bitty smallest ones. i couldn’t use those. they weren’t secure enough. good luck!
It might not work with those particular cards, but maybe use a decorative punch and thread them onto the line? That would mean the guests would have to tear them off, though. Or punch them, and tie them on with small ribbons that can be untied?
Miss Corn: I see how the wind will be problematic as is…but why else do you hate it? I guess you’re upset about the branches? The shepherd’s hooks don’t look ridiculous! For what it’s worth, I think it looks amazing!
I think the nametags look adorable. Maybe hang lanterns from the shepherd’s hooks or figure out a way to fasten the small hydrangea arrangments directly onto the hooks. I think that would lend a nice tailored, structured look that still has a lot of charm.
what if you punched holes near the edges of the cards so the clothes pins have something to “catch” onto and the cards won’t slip off so easily.
oh and i actually love the hooks more than the branches!
In a photo store, I saw some really nice metal photo clips, with each one attached to a wire loop kind of like a shower curtain ring. The clips would be stronger than the clothespin, and in the wind the cards would just fly up and swing back down - there’s no tension to pull them off the string. I can’t find a picture, but they were available in a couple of photo stores I went to (ironically, at the time I was looking for regular little clothespins for my sister’s escort card display at her wedding!)
put something on the bottom of the card to weigh it down
I was thinking:
1. Punch a hole and tie a piece of raffia in a loop. Then, clothespin around the raffia. That would allow the clothespin to close all the way with no gap and the raffia and the string will be in the hole part of the clothespin. That’s harder to explain than it actually is to do!! Raffia is sorta beachy.
2. If you don’t like raffia, you could put a clipiola through the hole and clip that on the clothespin– same effect of the clothespin touching itself. http://www.amazon.com/Day-Timer-Clipiola-Italian-Paper-Clips/dp/B000I620UY
3. Or, punch a hole so the clothespins would close and touch each other instead of the card (same as Mrs. Spider) if you don’t like the idea of any extra “fluff”.
Maybe you can add a strip of heavyweight cardstock to the edge that’s being held by the clip. The thicker edge might make it more difficult to fly out.
Maybe you could use a decorative punch throughout the cards so the wind could blow through them. Have you ever seen those commerical vinyl banners for advertisements or on street lamps? They have holes or slots through them to prevent the wind from turning them into sails.
hmm, maybe try putting the cards horizontally instead of veritcally.. and put 2 clothespins than one?? Just a thought, but i dont think it looks too silly.
Wow…thanks for all the great suggestions, guys. I should point out, as I think most of you understood it, I don’t hate the shepherd’s hooks…I dislike the double paperclip look. I think i am going to try thicker string. Also, those blue things in the pictures are the baby envelopes that the escort cards will go into. The cards themselves should add a bit more bulk. Hopefully the two combined will work. If not, I may try the clipiola idea…I actually already have those on hand, so I could at least try it out.
Thanks for your help!!
How about adding a small weight to the card at the bottom to prevent it from blowing in the wind, much in the same way you add an anchor weight to the bottom seam of a curtain?
It could be a lucky penny or a charm.
Or, you could do a woven string lattice, similar to what you would make to grow string beans on.
Another idea is to run 3 strings across the poles, spaced about 1/2″ apart. Clip the card to the top string and then weave the card between the two other strings to keep it from blowing around. It will act in a similar way as the double clips on top and bottom, but look nicer.
You could also use ribbon instead of string, which will provide even more rigidity 
Miss Corn, I’m so glad you brought this up…I was pondering the same dilemma!
I saw a picture (can’t remember where) with a similar concept, but instead of strings tied between 2 poles, it was tied around a thick tree. I may do a mock-up of that, as we have them at our venue, to see if they won’t blow around as much….and it looks nice too, especially with pretty ribbon!
Wait! What’s wrong with it?!? I think it looks great. I like the hooks, I like the cards…I’m soooSOOOooooSOoooooo confused.
I wanted to do this for my wedding as well…but I couldn’t figure out a solution in time.
You should also look into metal clips, some of them have teeth so it will grip the paper.
You could try using the bigger clothespins, like in this photo: http://www.wpja.com/wedding_photography_galleries/contest/07/q1/05-16.htm
if you strung a couple pieces of ribbon from the sticks (as you did with the string) about halfway down the escort cards, you could tuck the escort cards so that a ribbon is on either side. That should keep them from blowing away…
Since you are using envelopes, why not rest the envelopes over the string? Have the (unsealed) flap of the envelope go over the string, so on one side of the string you have the main part of the envelope, and the other you have the flap? Then you could clothespin them for security.
Kind of like the second and third cards in this picture:
http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/27212/110746/t/744450-Christmas-Cards-0.jpg
Why not hang the flap of the envelope over the string, and then clothespin it? I thing it would give the additional bit of stability you need.
You can see what I mean by the second and third cards in this picture:
http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/27212/110746/t/744450-Christmas-Cards-0.jpg
[...] you remember, during my escort card trail run I had a hard time keeping the little envelopes attached to the string. We actually ended up folding [...]
Mrs. Corn, Newport, RI
Age and Occupation in '07: 31, HR for public accounting firm
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Consultant for public accounting firm
Engagement Date: October 7, 2006
Wedding Date: September, 2007
Blogging Since: June 1, 2007
Venue: North Lawn of Fort Adams State Park
About Me: I am a lazy scrapbooker who loves the instant gratification of making cards and I am very easily distracted by all things shiny. In honor of my childhood nights spent hibachi BBQing on the beach with my family, we are hosting a traditional New England Clambake for our reception.
what if you used a thicker string? Maybe the tension is too weak with the clothespins?