Before we started wedding planning, I had two speeds when it came to DIY projects: full speed or full stop. I almost never chipped away at a project slowly. I did it all or I didn’t do it. When it came to making our table numbers, I went full speed and got them done…three different times.
I mentioned my first project when I talked about my table number inspiration pictures. I made clay plaques to use as numbers and I didn’t like them. The second round was with IKEA Tolsby frames, which seem to have become a staple of wedding DIYers. I liked the frames, but they didn’t really go with our wedding’s style. Finally, I decided to use this Style Me Pretty picture as inspiration for my third and final attempt at table numbers:
From Style Me Pretty / Photo by Shannon Lee Images
I love fabric. I knew I could find a fabric that worked with our colors if I searched long enough. I looked locally, I looked while I was on a business trip, and I looked online. I found plenty of possibilities, but one fabric stood out among the thousands of swatches I saw. It was a Robert Allen for Dwell Studio fabric that I saw at Calico Corners. While the colors weren’t right, the feel of the fabric was.
Vintage Plumes by Robert Allen in the Birch colorway / Photo by Miss Mink
After looking around, I realized that it came in a blue colorway, but Calico Corners didn’t have that in stock. I took the sample home with me and decided that it would be perfect for a few wedding projects. The $70 per yard price, on the other hand, was not perfect.
A quick check online showed that most online fabric stores were selling the fabric for around $56 per yard. While this is an okay price for upholstery fabric, it’s not great for something that’s going to be used in crafts. I debated for a few days while I looked for other options. Nothing compared. I ordered two precious yards. When it arrived, I unrolled the fabric and couldn’t help starting at it for a while. Isn’t it pretty?
Vintage Plumes by Robert Allen in the Jade colorway / Photo by Miss Mink
My next task was to find some nice, but relatively inexpensive frames. I imagined wood frames with a weathered, silver finish looking great with my fabric. Stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s had plenty of frames, but couldn’t find too many multiples of the ones I liked. Michael’s and Hobby Lobby had a few possibilities, but nothing jumped off the shelf at me.
On a whim, I went into a craft store called Ben Franklin while in Richmond one evening a couple weeks ago. I remember there being a Ben Franklin in a neighboring town when I was growing up, but the store had closed long ago. A staff member told me that they originated in Richmond, VA and only operate seven stores now, all of which are in Virginia. As luck would have it, they had the perfect frames. The price on them was so low that I had to ask if it was correct.
Photo by Miss Mink
I had thought I’d spend about $10 per frame originally and I wound up spending just over $12 for all ten frames!
Next I had to pick a paint color for the wooden numbers that would be mounted on my Robert Allen fabric and framed in my $1.20 frames. Mr. Mink was a champ as I debated colors in the paint aisle at the craft store. He didn’t see a difference between the two colors I decided to test. I thought there was a clear winner. I painted each number, then sprayed them all with a matte, acrylic top coat.
The paint on the right won / Photo by Miss Mink
Assembling all the pieces was my favorite part. The weave of my fabric wasn’t tight, so I flipped the frame liner and glued it to the back of the frame so black wouldn’t show through in the end. I cut ten, 4×6 rectangles of my precious fabric and used a Mod Podge to mount them on the back of each picture frame. Mod Podge has a formula specifically for fabrics, but I used a jar of the basic kind that I had on hand and that worked just fine.
Photos by Miss Mink
I let the glue and Mod Podge dry for a while, put the frames together, and then glued the painted numbers to the fabric with light, even strokes of hot glue. Start to finish, the assembly part of this project took about an hour and a half, not counting drying time.
Photo by Miss Mink
I have to admit that I was almost giddy over how well this project turned out! This might be my favorite DIY so far!
What have been your favorite DIY projects?
These are gorgeous. We are planning a very similar project, except instead of fabric, we were going to use craft paper for the background. We may end up changing our minds after we do one, however it is something we have on hand and are hoping it works out well. 
I would love to know where you bought your numbers though. I love how simple but yet 3-d they are.
@Mrs. Candy Apple: Thanks! I kind of want to use the fabric in our home, too. I love it!
@Msbryt: I got the numbers at Michael’s craft store. They were in the back of the woodworking aisle, in little cubbies.
Those look really pretty I love the blue you used for the numbers.
@Coffee cup: Thanks! Mr. Mink wasn’t totally sure why I was giving so much time to the paint selection, but I think I made a good choice!
Maybe this is just . . . me being obtuse but those two paint colors look IDENTICAL. And all of this for TABLE NUMBERS? They aren’t even the focal point! Some of this wedding stuff I just don’t understand. I guess that’s why I’m not a Bee.
@daybyday:
No one is saying you have to do these projects. Clearly, weddings are highly personal events and more and more couples are finding ways to infuse their style into aspects that were traditionally quite generic.
This isn’t just a function of the Bee. Wedding blogs are full of great inspiration for how we can be creative with details with handmade items. It’s a nice alternative to the mass-produced items that are being sold by many companies that cater to people planning a wedding.
As you can see, the project too less than two hours…not really a huge effort and the visual impact is quite nice, in my opinion.
@daybyday: Regarding the paint colors, I’m a design blogger and am the first to admit that I’m particular about color. I am the first to poke fun at myself for it! Mr. Mink didn’t see a different, either.
@Miss Mink: Men uh? Lol. The overall looks great, I just wish you gave us a front picture.
@coffeecup: I was letting everything dry yesterday and didn’t stand the frames up as a result. I’ll get an upright picture soon.
YAY! These look amazing!! I’m so happy for how they turned out and I’m totally snagging this idea for my own wedding
@TinyTina: Thanks! I’m loving the fabric, too. I used the edges for these frames, but I have some other projects in the works that will show off the main part of the design.
@Mrs. Trail Mix: Thank you so much!
@Stephanie Marie: Double yay! I hope you share some of your inspiration on your blog soon! I don’t even know what colors you’re into!
I love your blog posts! Because I live in DC, I’ve already been inspired by you (thanks!) to drive all the way down to Richmond in January to seek out cheap bridesmaid dresses and now I know I’ll be heading to a Ben Franklin as well. Here’s hoping I have as much luck as you! PS I’m a little obsessed lately with trying to figure out cost-effective ways to make my wedding feel like my FI and I and not just mass-produced, cookie-cutter-ness, so I totally understand the time and effort that went into this. My biggest problem is that I get so caught up in inspiration images that I end up doing nothing, just being so overwhelmed by the crafty possibilities!
These look fantastic! What a steal of a deal on the frames. I’m doing table numbers that necessitate frames as well so I’ve been doing the thrift store and garage sale hunt for the last 6 months, then spray painting them. Awesome job. I think the splurge on the fabric was worth it.
Mrs. Mink, Charlottesville, Virginia Age and Occupation: 34, College Administrator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer Consultant Engagement Date: November 26, 2010 Wedding Date: June 2012 Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards About Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
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