Very Merry Christmas

December is upon us and with that comes jolly tunes, twinkle lights, sugar cookies, presents, and CHRISTMAS CARDS! You have to admit, in a digital world receiving a holiday card via snail mail puts a smile on your face (unless you're the Grinch.) Here are some of our favorite and most popular holiday cards for 2012!

DIY Burlap Bunting Banner

Who doesn't love those adorable bunting banners you see used at weddings and parties? If you go on Etsy you can find HUNDREDS of adorable varieties of these babies. They can run you $15-$60 on average. If you're on a budget or more interested in DIY activities, these are very easy to do (and extremely budget friendly.) If you're a crafter you are going to have 90% of this on hand. You might have to run out and pick up a spool of jute twine, but that's only going to set you back $5-$6, or stencils (unless you're super confident in your painting skills and then you can just skip that all together.)

What You Need:
- Burlap (I'm using a burlap sack)
- Scissors
- Letter Stencils
- Acrylic Paint
- Sponge Brushes
- Jute Twine
- Liquid Stitch
- Sewing Machine

Before I started I quickly ironed out my burlap sack, not perfectly but just to remove some of the huge wrinkles, and then I cut out my four triangles. To get uniform triangles for the banner I created a template triangle out of cardboard. I went back over each triangle with the iron to make sure they were all nice and flat.

Be sure to lay something down under your burlap before you start stenciling (or you'll end up with paint on whatever surface you're working on.) Use your sponge to apply a thick layer of paint in each stencil.

After my paint dried I folded each top of my triangle and ran them through the sewing machine (before this, I actually put down a bit of liquid stitch just to give me a guide.) Once you're done sewing your triangles all you have left is to feed your twine through! Now you're done!

Wedding Inspiration | Burlap & Lace

I think burlap and lace are two of the most perfect elements to combine for a wedding. Burlap easily represents your casual and rugged groom, while lace represents your soft and elegant bride.

Both are a super popular item for weddings, which means both seem to increase in price at a rapid speed. Did you know that your local feed store will have burlap sacks you can purchase for a fraction of what you pay for a couple of yards of burlap at a craft store? You can cut them up and re-purpose them for your wedding. The same goes for lace. Purchasing lace at a fabric store is just crazy. Talk to your local seamstress or even look up scrap lace on Ebay. You'll be surprised at the price differences! If I could give just one piece of advice when you're planning and purchasing for your wedding, it would be: SHOP AROUND! If you found it for one price, chances are you're going to find it cheaper.

Here are some awesome ideas on how to incorporate burlap and lace into your wedding!
(Burlap & Lace Invitations | Burlap & Lace Table Runner)
(Burlap & Lace Bunting | Burlap & Lace Covered Bottles)
(Burlap & Lace Cake | Burlap & Lace Guestbook)
(Burlap & Lace Garter | Burlap & Lace Bouquet Wrap)