just married decor

i've been quite busy this past month with preparations for a very special wedding we celebrated last saturday for this couple.  there were so many great ideas that the bride wanted, to add that special touch to their theme which was beachy vintage. 

i thought i'd share a few projects i worked on for the wedding.  most of the pics are staged on our property, both before & after. i was so preoccupied that i didn't take pics prior to the  wedding...ugh.   however, i did hand my camera to a groomsmen's wife and she included some of the decor in her picture taking (thanks erin!) 

this wedding was done on a very low cost budget.  i am very proud of these two for committing to start their lives without any wedding debt.  most everything used to decorate was either a bargain, low cost, re-used, borrowed or already owned. (my kind of decorating!)

first on the list was the table numbers that you may remember from this wedding.  some of them came up missing afterward so i had the task of remaking 3 of the numbers.  not much of an issue except that i couldn't find the file on either my desktop or laptop computer AND i couldn't for the life of me find the font that was used on them.  no problem, i would just use a similar font (as suggested by bride) as they would be on separate tables anyway.  but lo and behold, for some reason i had made a copy of some of the numbers and tucked it in with the iron-on transfer sheets.  the remarkable thing about this is that the exact three numbers i needed were the ones on this copy!  now if that isn't a God thing!
the vintage canning jars were filled with sand and a handful of sparklers for an evening send off for the bride and groom.  the centerpieces were layers circles of seafoam green, sand, seashells and candles.  several hand printed box of matches were on the table as well.

next was a bunting banner made out of burlap left over from the above mentioned wedding.  the bride wanted one for the gift table and one for the head table.  she chose "just married" and of course "gifts".  black lettering was the choice of color and looked great against the burlap texture.

the bride wanted to use vintage items in the decor. canning jars with wire bales in both aqua & clear were used for centerpieces & to hold the bouquets, various galvanized tubs held water bottles & ice, and a retro suitcase was used for holding cards.  

a mini banner with the word "cards" was a later addition but was simple & made from items on hand.  i had a strand of chipboard letters on jute spelling out "christmas" that i took apart.  i made a "d" from a thin heavy cardboard and then glued vintage dictionary pages to the fronts.  i personalized them by using pages with words related to a wedding: love, vow, marriage, kiss, and wed.  i restrung them on black & white bakers twine with added mini clothespins to clip the banner to inside the suitcase lid.  a small vintage embroidered round tablecloth and an authentic fishnet was added to the inside to add some pop & texture to the plain lining. (see above pic)

another decorative element that was on the "to do" list was a picture board made from a large empty frame (in my stash but purchased from hobby lobby clearance aisle).  i drilled holes on each side of the frame and wove vintage sissal rope through and across the opening.  to add some seaside touches to the frame, starfish were tied on the corners.  upon placing pics on the board, it was decided that a backing be added to direct the eye to the pics and not the easel or background behind.  i found some linen-like textured fabric in my stash and stapled it to the back of the frame.  you could also use burlap or coffee bags for another look.

a few signs were made to direct guests to their seats and to the wedding which were made from leftover fence pickets.  the word, "wedding" was stenciled onto the pickets (thanks to my cricut) and then a font from the computer was traced onto the wood for "reserved" and handpainted.  the wedding signs were cemented into empty paint cans placed inside sap buckets and then covered with sand.

the most important project that the couple wanted, to exude some beachy-ness was a trellis.  after seeing a pic of the "look" to achieve, i set out to do my homework.  lowes had rustic poles for less than $7 each. we needed 8 along with 8-inch carriage bolts/nuts.  once i sketched a pic for the mr., he and one of the groomsmen got to work building the trellis.  it took about 4 hours spread out over a few days to get the project to completion.  once they were done, the bride and i took a trip to jo annes to find ivory tulle and ivory fabric for the backdrop. 

measure twice, cut once

it's helpful to have good tools,
extra batteries on hand, along with some
kickin' socks & workboots



mr.1829 and a groomsman checking out their project

the completed trellis waiting for the bride and groom

if you have any questions as to the making of any of this decor, just send me an email and i'd be happy to help out.  these decor items are not our original designs but gleaned from many ideas & pics found on this wonderful world of blogs that we all share delight in.  we, of course, added our own personal touches to make them unique & personalized for our son's wedding.

thanks for stopping by,

*thank you for not copying or using my pics without written permission,

and please give credit where credit is due.

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my heart beats for barn sales!

has your heart ever beat so fast that you thought for sure everyone around you could see it? 

oh my, that happened to me on sunday!

i was on my way home and spotted a sign similar to this. 



source

my car couldn't turn fast enough down the road.  as i rounded the bend in the road i came upon this older house with a pole barn next to it.  i could tell right away that there was some goods to be found.  i wish that i had my camera with me so that i could show you but alas i did not.

there were years and years of collected items stuffed into this barn, a side garage and other areas, which included a parked tractor trailer! 

i.was.in.junk.heaven.

two brothers were selling off all that their father had collected and left to them.  the dad, i was told, had collected & sold various items with his mom as a hobby, bought out a hardware store, and was a carpenter/builder who liked to have things on hand.  there were tools that took up the whole garage, stacks of china, vintage hubcaps, boxes of canning jars, shutters, shelves full of glassware, enamelware, vintage car parts, yardsticks, glass baby bottles, safety glasses, knick knacks, linens, coke bottles, furniture, a "cadillac" baby buggy, metal signs, folding rulers, hardware galore, a vintage car and MUCH more.

as i was talking to one of the brothers, i asked if he had any furniture castors.   he said he thought there might be some in the trailer.  at first, i don't think he was going to show me, but then said, follow me.  well, he wasn't kidding...next to the barn was a tractor trailer filled with hardware.  it was arranged in a somewhat organized fashion along the outside walls.  he showed me where to start and then said, have fun. 

and fun is what i had!  i was in the trailer for almost an hour, solo with only the light from the door to illuminate the trove of pieces and parts.  there were boxes, bins, shelves and a makeshift hardware cabinet with about 25 drawers.  the drawer pulls were old nails pounded into the front.(love the thriftiness)  while i was treasure hunting, i came across a gym locker basket filled with more hardware.  i knew i couldn't leave that behind, so i emptied it's contents into another container.  then i found a second locker basket and did the same.   i filled the basket with castors, vintage coat hooks, locker hooks, latches, etc.  it was great fun as long as you didn't mind the mouse poo, nests made from insulation, years of dust, and the lack of lighting inside  i washed my hands 3 times with wipes, just to get the dirt off.  mind you, i was wearing a summer dress and sandals... the perfect junking attire, dontcha think?.

here's the best part.  i asked the older brother what kind of deal would he give me.  he said that the items i already had set aside were about $45 and that didn't include the trailer finds. whoa, that was much more than i had wanted to spend.  i counter-offered and held firm.  he asked his brother what he thought and he said,

i'll do it all for that amount. 

i like his brother's deals.  

don't you just love the vintage galvanized patina?!

it's about what i had in mind, considering i had 5 vintage folding rulers, 2 vintage metal signs, 3 aqua canning jars, a vintage baby bottle, lots of hardware, two locker baskets, 7 yardsticks and various other items.

i will most likely be going back...they plan to have this sale ongoing all summer long! 
did you hear me squeal with delight?   
i have my list ready. 
and as time allows some of these items will be in my etsy shop.   

i'll leave you with more pictures of my haul of treasures.

 black trunk locker was a $2 find at a garage sale on saturday

 see the lettered cottage for some furniture upcycling with yardsticks

(i plan to use these on my chicken crate)

 the two pieces of dishware are syracuse china

which i've started collecting because they are sturdy and last a long time.

my walmart made in china dish set is cracking and chipping.

time to replace it with something that lasts

 love the handlettered typography!

 folding rulers, worklight cages and lots of hardware!

perfect zinc lids

i'll be sure to let you see what else i discover in the barn.

what awesome deals or sales have
caused your heart to beat faster?

have a great week!