July 21, 2011

DIY: Bridesmaid Cards

The girls you ask to stand next to you at the alter are, obviously, special to you. They're the women who have been there for you for as long as you can remember: your relatives, your sisters, your soon-to-be sisters, your best friends. How are you going to ask them to be your bridesmaids on the most important day of your life? Sure, you can write them a message on Facebook, or just blurt it out whenever you feel the urge, but why not make it something more special?

For my bridesmaids, I decided to make cards and send them to my girls, asking them if they would be in my wedding.


The reasons I loved this idea:

1. Handmade = time, effort & appreciation from the reciever.

2. I could personalize them to include whatever I want. The more personal, the better.

3. It would be a nice surprise for them (if you can keep it a secret!)

4. It would be something they could hold on to forever.

So, that's what I did. I went to the store, bought supplies, and just kind of went for it. I love the way they turned out.




 

Cute, aren't they? I'm really happy with the way they turned out. I made each one different to reflect their personalities, but you wouldn't necessarily have to.

I don't have a pic of the inside, but basically I glued a piece of printed paper to match the dress on the inside flap, then I wrote each of the girls poems and attached them too (keep reading for an example of the poems).


If you would like to make them yourself, here's some easy steps. They can me made in a couple hours and are cheap to put together!

You will need:

1. Cardstock for the actual card. Get as many or as few colors as you like.
2. Cardstock for the bust of the dress if you want it to be white (I chose one with a swirly pattern).
3. Printed paper for the skirts/inside the flap of the card. You can get this in the scrapbook section of any craft store.
4. Tulle. You can buy small rolls of tulle in any craft store.
5. Stickers for decoration. I bought sticky pearls for the side of the card, as well as the waist of the dress. You can get anything you like.
6. Very thin elastic.
7. Monogram beads (one for each girl)
8. Glue. 

Instructions:

1. Cut the cardstock to the size of card you want.

2. Carefully, fold the cardstock in half. You will now have a normal-looking, folding card.

3. Cut out the busts of your dresses (the white part) I basically cut out a heart shape, then cut the point off. They don't have to be perfect! Glue the bust to your card.

4. Cut out a piece of tulle for each skirt. Make sure you put enough under each skirt to make it poof out, and stick out the bottom.

5. Glue the tulle to the back of your skirt. Then, glue the TOP ONLY of the skirt to your cardstock, where it goes (butt it up next to the bust to make a dress)

6. Embellish! Stick your pearls or whatever embellishments you have along the side of the card, the bottom of the card, the waist of the dress, wherever you want!

7. Cut out a piece of printed paper (the same print that was on the skirt of the dress) to fit on the inside flap of your card. Glue it down.

8. Write a note, poem, or whatever you want on the inside. I actually wrote four different poems on the computer, printed them out, then glued it to the printed paper on the inside.

9. Once your card is ready to go, slip your monogram bead on the elastic, wrap it around the card to hold it shut and tie it in a bow!

10. Send or give them to your girls!

Here is the poem that I wrote for my maid of honor:


Rashelle,

The day has come when I will be
Married to Brandt, finally.

I love him so much, that is true
But one thing’s for certain, I love you too.

You’ve been there for me for years gone past
Our friendship is one that’s made to last.

As I stand at the alter next year,
With you by my side I’ll have nothing to fear.

There is just one thing that I’d like to ask,
As I’ve chosen you for an important task.

I need you now more than ever,
Be my maid of honor today
and my best friend forever.




Steal mine (I won't care!), or write one of your own. Trust me, they will love them. My girls were so excited. I even got some tears. It's well worth the effort for them to feel special and have something to remember it by.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

12 comments:

Karla said...

SUPER ADORABLE! I did something like this for my bridesmaids.. however not detailed and creative as yours! I also put a picture of my and my bridesmaid.. since I have been knowing most of them for years!DIY gift are the best... shows you trully care in my opinion!!

Shannon said...

Awwww. That poem was so sweet! I probably would tear up over something like that. Great job!

eliz said...

Love the poem...they look great. I am not much of a DIY person but I also did personalized cards...oh and I love all the color you added!

Brandt & Shardi said...

Karlita: I'm sure your cards were just as cute. And yes, I think people really appreciate DIY gifts. Definitely worth the effort! Thanks!

Shannon: My future father-in-law even cried a little! So funny. Thanks for the input!

Elvi: Thank you! Yes, personalized cards are such a great idea. Ya, I love color too. Thanks!

Stylish Bliss with MiMi said...

Love the poem!! I did this for the bridal party thank you cards in the rehersal dinner gift bags. I love yours. They look so professional.

Annie said...

Shardi,

Great idea for a blog!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog, leaving a comment and following - I really appreciate that.

Looking forward to following your story and your blog!

PS congratulations!

Annie

Simply Made By Erin said...

Those are adorable, I will have to show my sister who is getting married soon, although she isn't crafty like me.

Thanks for visiting and following my blog too!!

Erin

Brandt & Shardi said...

Mimi:Thank you so much! I tried really hard to not make them look overly handmade haha I"m sure yours were great too.

Annie: Thanks! I'm looking forward to keeping up with your blog too. I love meeting new people and reading new blogs. So fun!

Erin: Thank you! Yes, show her. They are so easy, even un-crafty people could handle it! :)

Leah said...

These look great! Thanks for your comment on my little notecard DIY. It's nice for your bridesmaids to feel extra special.

xo L.

Anonymous said...

Those are awesome! I just asked my girls in person. I didn't see the point of Will You Be my Bridesmaids cards. HOWEVER, those would be perfect thank you cards for the wedding!

Brandt & Shardi said...

Leah: Thank you so much. I love finding other blogs with great DIY projects :)

Miss Tat: I liked the idea that my girls would have something to keep. I know them, they are all really sentimental keepsake type of people, so I knew they'd appreciate it, which they did. But not everybody would.

But yes, thank you cards! That's a fantastic idea.

Anonymous said...

Shardi: I meant thank you cards for the bridesmaids. ha ha ha. I don't know if I was clear. I think they would love these!

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