Shae's DIY Centerpieces, Favors, Swizzle Sticks & Escort Cards

PaperBagPrincess: THANK YOU for the link for the magnets. I've been struggling with a cheap favor that is personalized, can be used again after the wedding, and won't take up much space in people's baggage. When I saw shae's magnets on here, I about jumped up and down... it's PERFECT!

thanks everyone for your advice on the centerpiece! i agree and will keep the planter natural.

 

i used marthastewart.com's directions for the favors which are not as detailed as the link from notmartha.org....either way they're easy to make, cheap, cute and practical.

 

i would advise to buy extra marbles. a lot of them have imperfections and end up looking cracked after you glue the paper to it.

 

i might actually use the favors as placecards as well. i can probably create a hang tag and attach it to the tin somehow.

Love the magnets! These are being sold all over the place & I never realized how simple and cheap these are to make. Great gift idea!

 

I also have seen them made into a charrm for a necklace. I'll have to do some searching as to how the hook is attached. Could make Bride, Bridemaid, etc charms that can be hooked onto any chain.

 

Also love the swizzlers! You all are so creative

Really great job on the DIY stuff. WOW!

super cute! Great job!

I love your favors! I have made these magnets myself for my fridge at home. I was looking at buying favors like this on one of the many wedding favor websites but it was so pricey. You reinspired me to still do the magnets, just to make them myself Thanks!

Shae, when I did these before I tried printing the design once, instead of a magazine clipping, the ink always ran on me. Guessing because I have an ink jet. Did you have any problems with the ink running?

Thanks!

jules - yes, you should totally make them yourself. it's an added bonus when your guests know that you've made them.

Great job, some of the best DIY stuff I have seen! Very professional looking!

hey there – yes, you must use a laser printer. lasers use toner (powder substance) instead of ink and require laser-specific paper that doesn't easily absorb water as regular copy paper.

a few other tips:

if you don't have access to a color laser printer you can get a few sheets printed at staples or something which will probably cost a few bucks (be aware that colors on your computer screen differ from what you will see on paper). i was able to fit 120 of the little circles on a sheet of paper and 30 of the large ones on another sheet so you'll only need to print a few sheets of each!

i used aleene's clear gel tacky glue from michaels to adhere the paper to the marble. it worked great! make sure to smooth out any air bubbles before the glue dries.

i used weldbond, also from michaels, to bond the magnet to the back of the paper/marble. this glue was a little frustrating to work with and think there are probably better glues that you can experiment with. i just chose to stick with it because it was the only brand that claimed to be "green".

if you buy your canisters from another supplier other than specialtybottle.com make sure to measure the height and width of your marbles and canisters so they fit perfectly.

also, as i mentioned below, make sure to get extra marbles since ALOT of them will likely have imperfections or dimples in them.

just holler if you have other questions!