DIY Picture Frame Ring Holder

I've said it before... a RING HOLDER is the best gift for a recently engaged friend.  Believe me when I tell you, a bride-to-be's top fear is losing her ring.  If she develops the good habit of taking it off before bed and putting it in the same place each night, that ring will last a lifetime (as it is intended).

There are so many cute ring holders out there for sale, but DIY'ing it with your own special message to the bride makes it that much more personal.

I started selling these Picture Frame Ring Holders on my Etsy Shop and I can barely keep them in stock! They are actually really fun to make... here's how.

Supplies:

• (1) 4 x 6 picture frame (I get all my frames at The Dollar Tree)
• Scrabble tiles (depending on the message you choose)
• Scissors
• Chevron Stencil (optional)
• Burlap
• Acrylic Paint
• Paint Sponge
• (1) Small Adhesive Metal Hook
• Hot Glue Gun + Glue Sticks

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Choose your word or saying and make sure of two things - (a) you have the Scrabble tiles in all the letters you need and (b) you can fit it in a 4 x 6 space.
   
2. Cut your burlap (a bit larger than 4 x 6).  Hold your stencil over the burlap and using the paint sponge, paint the chevron pattern onto the burlap.  Set it aside and allow it to dry completely.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Remove the backing and the glass from the picture frame.  Hold the empty picture frame over the painted burlap and place your Scrabble tiles.  Using the hot glue gun, glue each individual Scrabble tile to the burlap.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Keep the empty frame over the burlap with the Scrabble tiles for placement.  Take the glass your removed from the frame and place that on top of the empty frame.  Decide where you'd like to place the metal hook.  Hint - make sure you don't put it too close to the bottom of the frame; there needs to be enough space for a ring to hang.
   
   
   
    
   
   
    
5. Peel the adhesive from the metal hook and secure it to the glass.  Make a small mark on the burlap where the hook will poke through.  Cut a very small slit into the burlap where the mark is.
   
   
   
   

6.  Put the frame back together in this order - burlap first, glass behind the burlap with metal hook poking through the burlap, frame backing last.

Here is the FINISHED PRODUCT:

I've also made other variations following the same steps as above.  You can get as creative as you want with this.  I plan on doing polka dots instead of chevron for my next round (crafting rebel, I know).

You can purchase all of these from my Etsy Shop - Backyard Cards & Crafts.

DIY Bride & Groom Champagne Flutes

Tis the season... TO GET ENGAGED!!!

My sister-in-law got engaged right before Thanksgiving.  Luckily, since her fiancé was a perfect gentleman and asked for my in-laws' permission, I knew ahead of time and was able to prepare the most adorable engagement gift.

You should know that my sister-in-law drinks champagne for pretty much any occasion.  I'm serious - the girl can find any excuse to pop some bubbly (a trait I admire).  Getting her a champagne-themed gift was a no brainer. 

However, since an engagement is such a festive celebration, this DIY gift is appropriate for any newly engaged couple.  It's also really simple to make if you have some patience and the right supplies.

I bring you... BRIDE & GROOM CHAMPAGNE FLUTES!

 

Here's what you'll need:

• (2) Champagne Flutes (I found a box of 4 flutes for $12.99 at HomeGoods)
• (1) Package of White Elastic
• (1) Small Swatch of White Fabric
• (1) Small Swatch of Black Fabric
• (1) Small Roll of White Tulle
• (1) Package of Adhesive Pearls
• (1) Small Package of Mini Faux White Flowers
• (1) Black Rubberband (I used a hair elastic)
• (2) Paperclips
• Hot Glue Gun
• Glue Sticks

Step-by-Step Instructions for The Bride Flute:

1. Take the white elastic and wrap it around the champagne flute.  Leave a little bit of overlap when you cut it and then secure it with a paperclip.
   
2. Remove the elastic from the champagne glass and hot glue it together where the paperclip is.  Remove the paperclip after the hot glue dries.
   
3. Cut a piece of tulle by measuring it against the height of the champagne flute.  Wrap the top of the tulle around the elastic.  Use the hot glue gun to secure the tool to the elastic.
   
   
4. After the hot glue dries, slip the elastic back onto the champagne flute.  Use the hot glue gun to affix the mini faux white flowers.
   
5. Remove a full strip of adhesive pearls.  Hot glue each end of the "pearl necklace" to the elastic.  The rest of the pearls will simply self-stick to the champagne flute.   
   
   

Step-by-Step Instructions for The Groom Flute:

1. Repeat Steps1 & 2 for The Bride Flute.
2. Take the white fabric and wrap it around the flute.  Trim  the fabric so that it covers the top 1/2 of the flute.
   
3. Hot glue the white fabric to the elastic by wrapping it around the "inside" of the elastic loop.
   
   
4. Slide the elastic back onto the flute.
5. Cut a 1" x 3" strip of the black fabric.  Twist the black elastic around the middle of the fabric to create a "bowtie effect." 
   
   
6. Hot glue the bow tie to the white fabric.
   
7. Remove 3 single pearls and hot glue them onto the white fabric for the "button effect."
   
   

{If you LOVE this gift but don't have the time or energy to make it, you can purchase it at my Etsy Shop, Backyard Cards & Crafts.  I'll never tell!}

For the Couple Relocating - DIY Moving Mugs

So my friend Giulia decided to drop two big bombs on me last week:
1.) She is ENGAGED!!!  (Huge yay)
2.) She is MOVING TO LONDON with her new fiancé.  (Huge yay for her but boo for me)

I once saw these adorable state-to-state "moving mugs" on Etsy and then again on Pinterest.  They are pinned on my "Perfect Gift" board and boy are they coming in handy.

 

Giulia and I worked together in NYC and went on many, many coffee runs together so I knew as soon as she told me about her happy news that her engagement/relocation gift would have something to do with coffee.  Giulia was born in Italy so she has an appreciation (more like obsession) of coffee like no one I've ever met.

Since I'm on a budget (who isn't) and one of the purposes of this blog is to see how many DIY projects I can get myself into, I decided to try and replicate these mugs for Giulia and Marco (her fiancé), with my own twist of course.

So here it is, step-by-step instructions (including some tips I learned along the way). 

1. Purchase 2 plain white mugs.  (The Dollar Tree - I bought 4 just in case I messed up.  I'm glad I bought 4).
2. Get your supplies ready - all you need is a pencil, a fine point black Sharpie, a regular black Sharpie, a regular red Sharpie, print-outs of the cities (or states or countries) you want to draw on the mugs.
   
3. The hard part - Draw on the mugs.  I decided to draw the NYC skyline and the London skyline because I'm pretty artistic.  But if you're lacking in those skills, you can always draw a simple outline of the state or country.  I used pencil first.  Don't worry if you mess up using the pencil or even the Sharpie.  **TIP - Don't use a regular pencil eraser on the mugs.  If you want to "erase" you pencil, simply use a damp tissue.  If you want to "erase" you Sharpie, take a Q-tip and dip it in alcohol.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. "Bake" the mugs in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  This ensures that your beautiful artwork will remain permanent and dishwasher safe.
   
5. Remove the mugs from the oven (with an oven mitt!) and allow them to cool.  YOU DID IT!

Here's a couple quick videos of the mugs so you can have a 360 view:

I'll let you know how Giulia likes her home-made gifts.  I have a feeling the message, "Home is where the heart coffee is", will make her smile.  And isn't that what gift-giving is all about?

As always, if you'd like me to make these for you, I can customize it to any country, state, city, town... email me at backyardbridenj@gmail.com.  I'm planning on opening up an Etsy shop soon so stay tuned for that!

Ring Holders for Every Type of Bride-to-be

One of the best parts about getting engaged, aside from ya know, the sparkly diamond ring and the promise of forever is... the gifts!!

One of my favorite and most thoughtful gifts given to me after I got engaged was from my two closest BFFs.  It was a simple, beautiful ceramic ring holder.  That ring holder sits on my night stand and I use it every single day. 

A ring holder is the perfect engagement gift for a bride-to-be because it is practical, useful and allows her to beautifully display her new rock.  She will always know where to find her ring during those rare times she's not flashing it for all the world to see. 

My go-to gift for any of my girlfriends when they get engaged is a ring holder, a bunch of bridal mags and a bottle of bubbly.  And the best part is that there are so many fabulous and affordable ring holders to choose from, you can really personalize it to the bride.  Below is a list of my top favorite ring holder/bride combos:

1. For the world traveler...

 

These famous landmark ring holders from Anthropologie are absolutely perfect for the bride-to-be who plans on traveling the world with her new hubby.  Bonus if you they happen to be going to London or Paris on their honeymoon!

 

    2.  For the animal lover...

 

 

How precious is this baby elephant ring holder from Red Envelope?  And the fact that it's silver keeps it from looking too childlike.

 

    3.  For the eternal optimist...

Give this umbrella ring holder from umbra.com to the bride-to-be who is always willing to look at the sunny side in life.  And tell her to use this as a reminder that it's good luck if it rains on her wedding day.

 

    4.  For the dreamer...

 

 

This unicorn ring holder from Urban Outfitters should be gifted to any beaming bride who lives in a fantasy world or appreciates a touch of whimsy.

 

    5.  For the fashionista

 

This high heel ring holder (found on Amazon.com) gives your fashion-obsessed friend enough room to not only store her engagement ring, but her funky, chunky costume rings that she's always been famous for as well.

 

   6.  For the minimalist...

 

 





This classic ring holder from World Market is simple elegance and the ideal gift for any future bride who exudes understated beauty and Jackie O. style.  She wouldn't be caught dead without her string of pearls (and of course her engagement ring). 

 

Feel free to add to my list in the comments below!

For the Couple Who Loves to Spoon

Confession - I'm addicted to Pinterest.  Like seriously addicted.  But here's another confession - I haven't even attempted about 99% of my pins.  Especially the ones on my "Craft-tastic" board.  While I consider myself a crafty person, I also consider myself a busy person and the last time I checked - busy people don't have time for arts and crafts.

Not the case with this adorable DIY gift I recently made for a bride-to-be.  I wanted to give her a silly little gift at her bachelorette party, especially since I can't make it to her destination wedding.  She and her fiancé just purchased a beautiful new home and I was racking my brain trying to come up with a gift that would be suitable for a housewarming/happy-bachelorette-party.  Pinterest to the rescue! 

I went to The Dollar Tree for most of my supplies; the others I had left-over from my wedding:

• Large silver spoon
• Small silver spoon
• 8" x 10" frame
• Burlap
• Twine
• Sharpie marker
• Pencil
• Hot glue gun/glue sticks

Ready to get my craft on.





1. I removed the glass from the frame and set it aside.  I ended up using it as a straight edge when I did my lettering. 
2. I cut the burlap to fit the frame.
3. I tied the spoons together with a piece of thin twine.
4. I hot glued the spoons to the burlap at the top of the frame (I used the frame horizontally).
5. I wrote out "Spooning since 2007" in pencil first on the burlap. 
6. I traced over the writing with black Sharpie.
7. I messed up on the word "since."
8. I cut another piece of burlap and re-wrote "since" and glued it over top of the messed up "since."  I actually really liked the 3D result.
9. I inserted the burlap into the frame.
10. I hot glued a piece of twine tied into a little bow at the bottom of the frame for a finishing touch.

Total cost: $4 (not including the stuff I already had)
Total time: 20 minutes
The look on my friend's face when she opened this unique gift: PRICELESS.