Weddingbee Blog

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The color scheme was something I really wanted to nail down early on so that I could start envisioning all the little elements of our big day. Part of that accomplishment came from purchasing samples of DIY goodies like paper, ribbon, and fabric!

After reading a lot about other brides’ DIY adventures, I hit up some of the major paper players first: PaperSource, Envelopments, and Cards and Pockets. I ordered samples online from some and ventured out into the ’burbs to pick up some of the others in person. What did I end up with? A crap ton of paper. BUT, I also finalized the color scheme AND got some great ideas for save the dates and invitations! Here’s an idea of how things went down:

• PaperSource - a hugely popular choice for DIY brides, I knew I couldn’t pass this company up. There happened to be a sale going on (I have since learned that this is actually a very regular occurrence), and so I was able to order a variety items so that I could get a feel for color as well as their products. While I ended up striking out in the purple department, their sage and leaf colors fit right in with my vision. But what I really ended up loving were their #10 card stocks and envelopes as well as their variety of colorful labels. I kept my purchases, knowing that I would be putting them to good use later.

• Envelopments - knowing that online ordering was unavailable to me, I found a retailer close by that sold their products and headed there one rainy Sunday. The cute little shop, The Pleasure of Your Company, had a pretty big selection of Envelopments products and their paper swatch books (very key), as well as the option to order anything from the company that was not available in-store. I grabbed some purple and green paper and headed home, not sure if I had found anything that I would be using in the future.

• Cards and Pockets - drawn to the site because of their super prices on pocketfolds, I also found a huge selection of different paper products and colors! I immediately ordered paper samples for color (purples, greens, whites/ivories, blacks) as well as a few envelopes, pocketfolds, and panel cards as well. Pleasantly surprised when my package arrived just a few days later (with a personalized note from the women who run the store!), I loved what I saw. The pocketfolds were excellent quality, and the variety of different purple and green cardstock that I got to choose from was amazing! I ended up selecting the final color scheme through their products: Merlot (a deep metallic purple), Lilac (a pale metallic purple), and Pistachio (a pale metallic green).

To refresh your memory, here is our color palette created from the paper products!

created here

Once the paper was picked and the colors were chosen, I started scoping out ribbons to use in projects as well. I wish there was a systematic process here, but really, I just ended up grabbing up purple and green ribbon at Michaels and Walmart. I ended up really liking Offray brand ribbon, and gravitated toward these particular colors:

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left to right: Amethyst, Chalk Violet, Lilac Mist, Spring Moss, Lime Juice

I am now the proud owner of about 20 rolls of ribbon in different sizes that I have used for quite a few projects!

Fabric was one stop shopping. Wait, back up. Why did I need fabric, you ask? Well, you see, this bride thought it would be a fantastic idea to DIY her table overlays. Sewing experience? Nada. Sewing machine? Nope. Sounds like it might be a difficult task, huh? But THAT is another post, so you’ll just have to wait and see what happened!

Anyway, I wanted some fabric samples, and when I found House of Fabrics, I was sold! Their selection was fantastic, their prices were reasonable, and their customer service was great (they even have a separate section for Bridal Fabrics!)! Below are the samples that I received:

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Iridescent Taffeta: Fuchsia, Dusty Rose, Olive, Beige, Ivory

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Sparkle Organza (left): Eggplant, Grape, and Lettuce

Chiffon (right): Amethyst, Grape, and Lettuce

(all photos from House of Fabrics)

I started toting around the eggplant sparkle organza and the fuchsia iridescent taffeta samples- they were great for coordinating other DIY items and even picking the bridesmaid dresses! I also ended up buying some yardage and putting the fabric to good use… but I’ll let the suspense continue for a bit!

Where did your DIY projects begin?