Table tags

LusterStone embossed tags

Pretty happy with the way these turned out! With an anticipated guest list of 100 to Corinne & Brett’s wedding shower, I wanted to try an inexpensive (but adorable) method to customize table number tags.

I purchased these Avery labels for about $12 per pack of 96, then printed them in navy blue ink.  

I then coated them with a water-based sealer called “Varnish Plus” in a Satin sheen, using a whiz roller. This seals the ink in, but more importantly seals the paper for the next step. 

I recently designed a stencil for walls called “Roxy” that I love, and thought how perfect it might be as a tiny flower for furniture and projects like this!

“Roxy-mini”

I then mixed a combination of 3 LusterStone colors to get to the coral shade of the wedding. Using a little piece of plastic I scraped the LusterStone through the stencil and onto each name tag.

LusterStone embossed tags

Wedding colors

 

Photo Blocks

Decorating parties with photographs is one of my favorite things to do; it makes the event completely personalized, and I’ve discovered a way to do that with very little money.

First, I ordered 9 Black & White photo’s of the Bride & Groom in an 8″x10″size from Costco ($14 total).  

I then had a 2’x8′ board from Home Depot cut into 10″ pieces ($7 total). After lightly sanding each piece, I used SetCoat Black to cover the wood (all sides)

The next day, I trimmed each photo to be sure it fit exactly on to the wood.

Using a foam brush, I coated the back of the photograph, and one side of the wood with SetCoat Clear. This is a high quality acrylic paint that dries clear. It was superior bonding agents that will actually glue the photograph to the wood, but it will also serve as a durable, clear topcoat.

After positioning the photo on the block, I used the same foam brush to completely coat (and press down) the top of the photograph. At this point it’s a good idea to paint the sides, too. I made sure I finished with vertical or horizontal strokes, then I used a chip brush to strie over the top both horizontally and vertically. (This leaves a “linen” look when dry, and makes them look like they are almost on canvas).After drying you can sand the edges for a more distressed look, otherwise you’re done!

SetCoat Clear takes the place of ModPodge and/or Liquitex Gel Medium, which is basically $1 per ounce.  SetCoat clear is half the price, and has multiple uses.

Photo Blocks