{DIY Ideas} Mini Succulents: Eco-Friendly, Budget Wedding Decor

Source: Jasmine Star

Growing up, my dad had succulents in the yard of his California home. And he always watered them, which at 10 years old always struck me as odd. Since then, I have had a secret love affair with these strange, wonderful little plants.  They are certainly all the wedding rage these days -- from bouquets and bouts to favors and decor -- mini succulents are popping up on interesting and unexpected places. Another bonus? While succulents are necessarily cultural per se, they do a evoke a sense of desert, dry air, abundant sun found South of the Border. 

 Photo: This Modern Romance

Project: DIY Mini Potted Succulents

Mini succulents in aged terracotta pots are eco-friendly, super chic, and make a perfect favor or gift for your guests, centerpiece or as a simple, sweet decor piece. The endurance of the succulent plant is unequaled and will leave guests with a lasting and easy-to-care-for reminder of your wedding -- all they need is good drainage and sun.

Source: My One Sweet Day 

You'll need:

• Succulents - Go for a variety of different types to add some visual interest. Mini succulents are sold at gardening centers all over the place and are usually reasonably priced.
• Containers - Mini terracotta pots, small tin pails, or even recycled containers (a great DIY project for used peanut cans) - I found my containers at Family Dollar actually but Home Depot . Your local gardening center (my preference to support local businesses) or craft store will do.  Obviously, make sure the size will fit your plant.
• Succulent appropriate potting soil 
• Embellishments - ribbon, note cards, sticks, moss

Source: Santa Barbara Chic

This is a super simple project and a great way to get friends and family members involved in wedding prep.  Try to do this about a week or so ahead of your wedding date, enough time to let the plants take hold in their new home. Make a few extra just in case.

  Sources: Le Petit Gardenia |  Elizabeth Anne Design

• Fill your container with potting soil.
• Transplant succulent to pot - Make sure to water them three times that first day and then once every following day. It sounds like a lot of water for succulents, but they need it when they’re this small.  Keep in an area that allows for drainage, never let them stay in standing water.
• Add embellishments: Print or write out your message on card stock, fold around stick and glue or tape together, stick in the pot. Add a ribbon in your wedding color around the rim.  You can attach your message to the ribbon or even directly on the container as seen below. Add moss to the top to finish out the look or leave the soil as is.       

Source: The Knot

Source: My Ten Thousand Wedding

 Mason jelly jars are a great choice! Source: Wedding Chicks

If you decide to go with terracotta - my favorite choice, here is a technique for adding that aged look.  It is best to do about a month in advance so give yourself a little time.  
Key ingredient: Yogurt! You will also need a foam brush.

• Stir yogurt for smooth consistency.
• Brush yogurt on your pot in generous amounts. It yields more dramatic results when applied to dry pot. For a subtler look, soak the pots in water for 15 minutes first.  For a more natural look, brush on unevenly
• Set aside in a shaded place until pot achieves the desired look, at least 1 month.

FYI: The yogurt method attract ants (if outside) and will smell bad for the first few days. Place the pot in a location where this will not create a problem. 

What are some other great ways to enjoy succulents at your wedding? Let us a comment and we'll post it on FACEBOOK!

Happy Crafting,

Friday Giveaway: Win $100 Gift Card for Beau-coup.com

Party Favors, Wedding Decor, and More

Are you putting the final touches on your wedding and in need of favors, decor pieces, or maybe gifts? Have I got some Giveaway Awesomeness for you! Beau-coup is offering three lucky fans a $100 Shopping Spree on their site! I love Beau-coup; it's THE online go-to for party favors and supplies, ideas and budget decor options for all of life's special occasions. 

Beau-coup was one of my favorite places to shop for my budget wedding. I dig their wide selection of Wedding Favors but also their super crafty DIY Birthday Party Ideas gallery and Baby Shower Favors and Gifts. Their website is easy to use and chock full of one-of-a-kind favors from bridal to baby as well as but party supplies for holiday parties, religious celebrations and all of the milestones we love to share with friends and family!

The Real Deal:
I KNOW you love planning stylish celebrations and fun parties, that's just the way this dLA crew rolls! Well, Beau.coup wants your opinion on the BEST party idea! Pop over to Beau-coup, check out the goods, then head over their Facebook page to cast your Vote for your favorite party theme and you're entered to win!  Hey, it's worth $100 and takes 5 minutes! Hey, we all could use a little extra green in our wedding budget, this is just plain smart!  

Remember, you must vote, i.e. click the VOTE button on their FB site, in order to qualify, and be sure to SHARE with friends! There's lots of reasons to throw a fun and stylish party and Beau-coup has you covered.  AND, de Lovely Affair always keeps you up to date with all the fresh and fabulous ideas from Beau-coup, so stop here for the 411 before you buy. 

Giveaway Terms and Conditions: 

* Open WORLDWIDE
* Prize value does NOT include taxes, shipping or special fees
* The Gift Card is valid for 6 months after issue
* Voting is open until August 6th. Winner will be selected at random and announced on Facebook. We'll let you know here too!

Huge thanks to our sponsors at Beau-coup for the fabulous giveaway, and best of luck!
All photos courtesy of Beau-coup.com.

Happy Planning,

P.S - dLA is an affiliate of Beau-coup. This post is also a personal endorsement of their products and website.

Edible Wedding Favors: DIY Dessert in a Jar!

Happy Tuesday de Lovlies! Looking for an interesting, edible wedding favor?  How about these delicious mini treats that can also pull double duty as dessert? Hello we are talking mini-desserts in the super cute mini-jars! We love this practical planning idea because you cover dessert and create a personal gift to guests all in one fell swoop.

Cherry Almond Crumble, Photo via Lifetime Moms

These cuties would look great on a dessert buffet, and even better as take-home wedding favors! Plus they are easy create and assemble by you and your maid and moms DIY style, making it triply cost effective idea! The best part? They stack well and are easy to transport to your venue with no worries about smashing! Add that personal touch with wedding monogram sticker or a sweet message tag to your guests and you've got the perfect package.

Here are our top 4 choices for Edible Wedding Favors - DIY Dessert in a Jars.

Cupcakes!
Hello Red Velvet cupcake deliciousness....add some cream cheese frosting and you have pure heaven! But then again, I could be biased.  Wedding cupcakes are all the rage these days but we think they are just way more fun in a jar. We found the awesome recipe and DIY Cupcake in a Jar tutorial over at the super delicious blog Cakies. She makes it look SO easy. I simply love the Baker's Twine holding the spoon. This sweet treat has rustic, outdoor, summertime wedding written all over it

Photos via Cakies

Cake! 

Baked right into the jar, what could be easier? Transform your favorite cake into a deliciously-mini version of itself. We got a new take on old favorites poppyseed, pumpkin spice, and chocolate cake.

Recipe and DIY tutorial can be found at Delicious Days.

More DIY info can be found at Angry Chicken

Yummy chocolate cake couldn't be easier! Personalize your treat with a colored ribbon and a note tag to guests. There are so many easy ways to add a pop of color to match your wedding theme.

Complete recipe, tutorial, and photos can be found at Instructables

Pie!
What says whimsy, Americana more than pie? Apple pie deliciousness is should be a staple at any barn wedding or outdoor picnic reception. Does your Great Aunt have a killer pie recipe? Bake it into jars with love and then share the recipe with guests as part of your edible wedding favor.  Friends and family will love the personal touch.

Photo via Our Best Bites

Recipe and Tutorial found over on Home Made Simple. Photo via Etsy.

More pie and cobbler ideas and tips from Not Martha, who points out that you can make these in advance, freeze them, and then bake them on a later date so they’re fresh-out-of-the-oven.

Photo via Green Wedding Shoes

Cheesecake!
Can you imagine a delicious cheesecake in a small little jar? I totally can! What a fun little treat that would be for guests to dig into at the end of your wedding! Love this fabulous recipe and DIY tutorial from My Baking Addiction.

Photo via My Baking Addiction

This no bake strawberry cheesecake idea from Lloyd and Lauren might be an easier and less time consuming if you need to make a huge bunch to serve for wedding favors.

Pudding!
Ahhh pudding....the feel good yumminess that takes you back to childhood. Well, pudding has gone gourmet for weddings...add a fancy jar and you've got something pretty special. Any flavor would work but I think this banana dessert topped with meringue is delightful to the eye and the tongue. 

Found this super easy recipe and photo over at Rosemary and The Goat.

You know there are tons of fun options to choose when it comes to Edible Wedding Favors. We love the idea of DIY desserts because they can help reduce your cost, introduce a favorite childhood or ethnic dessert, and serve as a sweet to eat take away. Get creative! Combine the newlywed's favorite flavors for a totally unique, yummy creation! Include a long held family recipe so everyone can enjoy the good stuff.  Add personal touches likes color, tags, labels, use antique jelly and canning jars, use as part of your centerpiece design or the focal point of a dessert table. Practical planning at its very best. Enjoy!

If you like these goodies, check out our PINTEREST page for more delectable dishes and recipes. What other dessert can you create in a jar? We'd love to add to our list! 

Have a delicious day!

P.S. You can go here to buy jars for any of these baking projects.

 

{DIY Wedding Decor} Handmade Chalkboard Paint + Recycled Jars

Just when I think I've seen it all, I happen upon a wonderful blog called A Subtle Revelry by Victoria Hudgins. With the summer wedding season upon, I was thinking we could all use some last minute DIY inspiration like this simple, easy to recreate, and super adorable DIY vase idea. It is perfect project for your next bridal party wedding or event. How CUTE would this be at an afternoon tea or garden party? All you need: jars, chalkboard paint (she has a DIY chalkboard paint recipe...LOVE) and a little patience for drying time! 

Photography: Charlotte Jenks Lewis via A Simple Revelry

Project Instructions: Save a handful of glass product jars and soak in hot water to remove labels easily. Tape off the top and bottom of your paint line and use colored chalkboard paint to fill in between. You can purchase chalkboard paint at your local hardware store or follow Victoria's homemade chalkboard paint tutorial for making it at home. Let your paint dry and remove tape before writing a sweet note of thanks!

I love the look of one stem in each jar, simple, clean sweet, reminds me of summer. Seriously, this is a must do; and if not for a wedding, how about in your home organizing, kitchen cabinets or home office? Where else could you use these cuties? Leave a message below and let us know what you think.

Have a deLicious day. Enjoy the good stuff.

PS: Remember to pop over to our FACEBOOK and TWITTER pages and say hi! We've got lots more great wedding photos, ideas, and tips waiting for you.

{Thrifty Thursday} Your Good Fortune

Here is a Thrifty favor idea to help stretch a dollar for those who have only a few but want their wedding to feel like a million bucks.  Fortune cookies - yes I know, they get a bad rap; the stale, cardboardish, plastic wrapped, questionably edible "cookie" you get from take out Chinese places.  Truth is, they are a sweet, affordable, and personal ending to your already fabulous wedding.

There are a number of different routes you can choose for your cookies. You can go slightly more expensive and purchase personalized fortune cookies OR go thrifty and gather your ladies for a favor making party.   So we’ll go thrifty, since this is Thursday and the thrifty way, in my humble opinion, is just a lot more fun and memorable; the idea of lovingly assembling your own wedding favors with a gaggle of giggling bridesmaids, makes me smile. So let's get to it.

  

What do you need?  Cookies, dipping sauces/frosting, sprinkles if you choose, boxes and ribbons, and if you go the totally self made way, paper, printer, scissors.  

Cookies - There are a number places on the internet to purchase regular fortune cookies, with fortunes already inside.  The Oriental Trading Company offers a great deal with 50 for $6.99.  Another option is making them yourself – hence the need for a girl party. Here is a great tutorial/recipe for personalized cookies. I love the idea however as a stressed out bride,  you may not have to time since the cookies should be relatively fresh.

Delicious Dipping – For an extra touch of class and decadence, how about serving up cookies partially dipped in all sorts of yummy flavors?   Here is a super easy recipe for Chocolate Dipped Fortune Cookies using semi-sweet chocolate chips that just about anyone can master.  You can do the same with white chocolate, peanut butter or caramel chips. You can even add color or festive sprinkles to match your wedding color scheme.

Final Touch - Remember, presentation goes a long way in pulling off thrift. Head over to your local crafts store or online crafts vendor  for some favor or jewelry boxes, appropriately colored tissue paper and satin or grosgrain ribbon.  You might want to tuck in a sweet note of thanks or even a small love poem before your tie up your favor treat.   A label with your names and wedding date attached to the box or tied on the ribbon is nice but not necessary....they did get the invite after all

So there you have it, {Thrifty Thrusday} Your Good Fortune, a smart, delicious way to say thank you to your guests.  Enjoy!

Photo credits: 

Top and Middle: Exclusively Wedding www.exclusivelyweddings.com

Bottom: Sophia's Favors www.sophiesfavors.com