That time of year

As many of you may know, there are hundreds of different do-it-yourself projects for weddings. I've seen DIY save the dates, decorations, favours and even jewellery. With so much to see, I had a hard time deciding where to begin my DIY journey into the exciting world of weddings. I contemplated several different projects, but I've decided to start at the beginning...

I've been using Pinterest for a couple of years now. I find with so much creativity thriving in one place, it's an excellent resource for finding inspiration. During the month of December, while trying to find said inspiration for my Christmas gifts, I came across a bookmark for the blog From Glitter to Gumdrops. Here I found a project for a DIY Christmas tree ornament filled with clippings of the couples wedding invitation. I liked how the project would always act as a reminder of their big day.

You might be wondering why I am rambling on about a Christmas ornament. Well, we were one of those lucky couples to become engaged over the holiday season. So instead of using a wedding invitation I decided to take elements of my proposal and incorporate them into a christmas ornament of my own.

Supplies:

1. Dried flower petals  - These are from the roses I was given during my proposal
2. Photo Ball Ornament - I got this from Wal-Mart (after Christmas, on clearance, price $1.99)
3. Strips of paper with the date - For when I forget (haha... just kidding!)
4. Chocolate chips - Element of the proposal (for the whole proposal story, check our the Our Story)

Directions:

1. Take the strips of paper and run them along a blade on a pair of scissors. Be careful not to cut yourself! This will curl the paper so they will fit in the ornament.
2. Open the ornament completely to make this project easier. This may seem self explanatory, but many of the ornaments I saw were broken from people not knowing how they opened. Use caution.
3. Insert one curled piece of paper in each half of the ornament. This will ensure that it can be seen from both sides when closed.
4. Fill remaining space with dried flower petals and chocolate chips. I only used a few chocolate chips because I am not sure if they will hold up over time, we'll see, I suppose.
5. Carefully close the ornament and secure any safety locks. Thankfully the ornament I found locks by twisting the top, so I don't have to worry about it spilling open down the road.

Overall, I'm happy with the finished product. It's something we'll be able to look at year after year and will serve as a reminder of the Christmas we promised one another forever. I'm aware this post isn't exactly "wedding day" related, but you can't have a wedding without a proposal so I felt it was a good way to start.