Weddingbee Blog

So, hive…I know that I teased you with some of my wedding projects upon our introduction. And I think now is as good a time as any to show you my table numbers, which I must admit I am in lust with.

But first: Here are some ideas that ran through my bridal brain prior to our current digits…

Image via The Ethereal Bride from Martha Stewart Weddings

Wine table numbers would be perfect for a winery wedding. Amazing? Yes! Cost-effective? No!

Image via Mrs. Crepe

I’m kinda obsessed with Mrs. Crepe’s hand-embroidered numbers!

Image via Firefly Group Events

I know that a LOT of bees are digging the succulent craze. How cute are these?

Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Ken Kienow

I love seeing all the seating charts on the bridal blogs nowadays, like this one using old windows. It’s totally vintage and clever…but not what we decided on.

Well, I knew that I wanted to use my inspiration fabric. And I had an idea about using definitions for words that emulate marriage using an old dictionary.

Image via ddeforest on Etsy

I just love vintage fonts in books! Look at this French lovebird confetti.

Well, mixing my wants to get something I desired, I came up with this!

I swapped out vintage dictionary paper for something else. I love the Ballpark Weiner font oh so much that I had to incorporate it. The numbers stand out in their yellow and gray dreamy fabric glory.

The cost for these pretty little pieces? Since I had almost everything on hand, with the exception of the frames—almost pennies! (Well, 99 of them to be exact…per piece, ladies and gents, per piece!)

And I promised to show you the ropes with respect to my DIY table numbers…so are you ready?

Things You Will Need:

• Numbers printed out to use as templates (I used Ballpark Wiener via dafont.)
• Picture frame (Mine is Ikea’s Tolsby—99 cents apiece and double sided!)
• Fabric (I used my inspiration fabric.)
• Heat’n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive (I got it at my local fabric shop and had it lying around.) OR duct tape
• Glue gun and hot glue
• Thin Sharpie/marker/pen
• Background printouts (I typed out definitions of words I loved in sizes adjusted to the desired frame.)

I looked up words like love, sweetheart, friendship, marriage, wife, husband, spouse, partner, kiss, embrace, hold, cherish, heart, adore, honor, etc. in the good old dictionary and got to work transcribing.

Numbers all cut out to use as templates

First you iron on the adhesive to the back of the fabric. This will make it stiff and give you something to trace your numbers on. If you cannot find the iron-on adhesive, you can just put single layers of duct tape on the back. The point isn’t to use it as an adhesive, but to get it stiff so that you can trace and cut, and so that it holds up in the frame.

Once this is finished, you can trace the numbers using your templates—but be sure to do it backward so that they read right to your guests. Also make sure to measure up the template numbers in your frame to be sure that they fit. I had to make the double digits in a smaller font so they would work.

Numbers all traced and ready be cut

Number three getting cut out and ready to be mounted on the frame—both practical and beautiful

Peel the paper off the back.

Then you will have your number.

Here’s the definitions all typed up in their Ballpark Wiener glory and cut to size. This is one of my favorite fonts of the moment. I chose to do gray and yellow since those are our wedding colors.

Slide the definitions into the frames. (Since Tolsby is two sided, you can put numbers on both sides. I didn’t, but you can! I liked the idea of the guests being able to see what it is.)

Hot-glue the back. I’ve noticed that more is better, especially at the edges. Then smack them on your frame. Press each part until sealed completely.

Tada! Table #7 and Table #14 look vintage and dapper, I must say.

It was funny to see that a definition of “kiss” is “a baked confection of egg whites and confectioners’ sugar” and that the term “sweetheart” started in the 1200s. And I love the way that they turned out.

Did you whip out the craft supplies for your table numbers? Did you stick with traditional numbers or do something more creative (like sea creatures or exotic locales you visited together)?