Dressing Your Candles

Very few things in this world are both beautiful and functional, but candles are just that. They give us light, they symbolize hope and unity, they provide warmth, create intimacy, and are used during almost every holiday season. For its many uses, it’s no wonder that candles come in so many varied forms. Candles have even become works of art. Just take a look at these.


Most candles however, come pretty plain. So here are a few ideas to dress your candles for any occasion.

1. If you have candles that are thick, by thick I mean their circumference is large, they can easily be dressed by taking some decorative paper and just wrapping it around the candle. Tie a coordinating ribbon around it, finished with a bow for a beautiful finished look.

2. Place your candles in beautiful organza bags. This is perfect for gift giving or wedding bombonniere. They add a simple elegance that is perfect for saying thank you.

3. When you’re using floating candles, take some simple cylinder vases and fill them three quarters of the way with water. Then pick some bright beautiful flower blooms. Using just the blooms, immerse them in the water. Then take a simple floating candle and set it on top. These are absolutely stunning; they can be used as elegant wedding centerpieces, or add some style to a beautiful dinner.

4. If you’re using tea lights, you can easily dress them up by adding messages to the outside of the tin they come in. You can use a label machine to produce these, or you can use decorative paper and handwrite your own messages. These are a great way to personalize table settings.


The possibilities really are endless, but hopefully these ideas will help you to make the best and brightest use of your candles. Enjoy!

Great Use For Your Extra Paper

I know every paper crafter, scrapbooker, and card maker out there has come across this scenario. You are in a store and have just come across the most fantastic paper; you just have to have it. So on an impulsive whim, a purchase is made, but it’s okay, you tell yourself, because even though you don’t have a specific use for it now, you’re sure that a project will come along that will definitely need it. Well weeks go by, then months, and your beloved paper is still unused.

We’ve all come across this. We have some great paper that just wasn’t right for anything that we’re currently doing. ‚We may also have extra paper which came from a scrapbook block that was purchased some time ago. Whatever the case, you’re stuck with it until you use it, so here is a great way to use it up.

Create some personalized envelopes. These days, card and stationary envelopes are just as pretty as the cards themselves. Use your extra paper to create some pizzazz. After all, the envelope is what you see first, and what a great way to make a first impression and introduction to your card.

Use an accent colour on your card or stationary to coordinate your envelope. On the outside, you can use a plain colour, and use a patterned sheet to line the inside. But don’t get stuck thinking only inside the box, or in this case, the envelope. Don’t forget, if you’ve got all this beautiful patterned paper, why not use the designed side to be on the outside. Then use a plain paper to line the inside. It’s a great way to create some contrast and visual appeal.

“A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet”

The process of getting married involves a lot of things; purchasing a wedding gown, gift registries, centerpieces, etc., but what no one ever talks about are the serious things. Things that need to be attended to before your wedding so making a transition into “couplehood” is easier.

First and foremost, while this doesn’t have to happen before your marriage, it should be something that you decide upon as soon as possible. I’m talking about the age old question, “should I change my name, or keep my name?” As a modern bride, several options are open to you.

1. Keeping Your Name: You can choose to keep your name as it is and not worry about changing your identification. The problem with this is that you may also have to carry around a copy of your marriage certificate to prove that you are married. Problems or difficulties may arise when you have children who have a different last name than you.

2. Legally Changing Your Name: If you choose to legally change your name to your husbands, you are giving up your identity legally. Now sit down for this one girls, because I was shocked to find this out. If you decide to legally change your name, the person you are now will cease to exist. A new birth certificate will actually be given to you with your husband’s last name. And of course, if anything should go wrong and the marriage dissolves, you will once again have to go through a legal process to become who you once were.

3. Hyphenating: Some women choose to have both names to identify their married name, and their maiden name. This can sound great at first, but keep in mind that you still need to change all your identification and paperwork, and when your signature is required, you’ll have to sign using both names.

4. Using Your Maiden Name Instead of Your Middle Name: Choosing this option to keep your name is one that is not used quite as often, but it does allow a bride to keep both names. Using your maiden instead of your middle name can provide you the opportunity to keep both your identities.

5. Assuming Your Married Name: This option allows new brides to be able to take on their husband’s name, without legally having to change their own. This still requires that all identification and paperwork be changed, (except your birth certificate), but you do not change who you are legally.

Whatever you decide, make sure that it’s something that you will be comfortable with. Remember, in the words of William Shakespeare, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Personalize Your Wedding

There are so many ways to make a wedding memorable. You can make it the biggest and most grand wedding anyone has ever seen with a fireworks display and all; you can do something completely unconventional; or you can opt to make your wedding a great one by adding personal touches.

While the sound of grandeur is alluring, it’s probably not in the budget for most couples. Unconventional can be fun, but most couples usually want a mix of both traditional and new. Adding personal touches is a classic way to make your wedding day memorable for everyone. Here are a few ways to add that style and elegance to your big day.

1. Get some personalized ribbon. Never before in my life had I used so much ribbon for one event. I used it to decorate, to wrap bomboniere, to hold flowers; the uses were endless. Why not pick a ribbon to match your colour scheme and have a message printed on it. Your names and the date of your wedding can run continuously on the ribbon. Creative Bag is a great place to get your ribbon if you’re in the Greater Toronto Area.

2. Decorate your aisle runner. There are so many ways to do this, but a simple way to personalize is to add your initials to the runner. You can use fabric paint to paint it on, and make this a project for the bridesmaids. If you don’t want to use traditional fabric runners, don’t be afraid to use paper instead. If you want this professionally done, places such as The Original Runner Company can do it for you.

3. Give your wedding meaning. Choose a charity or two and make a donation to them on behalf of your guests. I’ve always loved children so I chose to make a donation to a local hospital, “The Hospital for Sick Children” for my wedding. My husband chose cancer research and made a donation to “The Canadian Cancer Society.” So many of our guests were touched by the gesture and truly appreciated the gift.

4. After your wedding, make a genuine attempt to hand write a thank you note to your guests. It’s so easy these days to sit yourself in front of the computer and type a generic message, and press print 300 times. Sit down and consider why it was important for you to have these people share your big day. If you listen to your heart, it will tell you exactly what to write. It will warm the hearts of your guests to know that you’ve put into words why they are important to you.

5. Create a family tree. I’m not talking about a regular “blood relative” family tree. I’m talking about the circle of life, your life. The people that you’ve chosen to surround yourself with are your family. Take photos of everyone coming to your wedding. Arrange your photos in such a way that you are in the centre. Then start adding links, explaining who they are and how they’re related to you. Before you know it, you end up with a huge web. Display it at your wedding. People will have a great time trying to figure out where they are. Who knows, you may even find a long lost relative.

6. Create a memory book. When you’ve compiled your guest list, start remembering things about them. Get nostalgic and write down your favourite memories of them. You’ll be astounded by the emotions that come flooding back to you. This is a long process so take your time. You may even want to get together with family and friends to remember “the good ole days.” When you’re done, take your memories and put them in a booklet. Give these out at your wedding and people are sure to have a good laugh, a good cry, and a good time.

Weddings happen every day, but yours only happens once in a lifetime. Make it the most extraordinary day possible. Remember, your love is a personal thing, so make the day when you celebrate it, a personal one.

Think of Your Guests When You Plan Your Wedding

Summer weddings are spectacular, especially when they are held outdoors. You have the beautiful background of fresh green grass, beautiful trees, flowers in bloom, and if you’re lucky, a lake or an ocean. With the summer breeze gently kissing the cheeks of all your guests, nothing could ruin the feeling of romance in the air. The site of your family and friends dancing under the stars in celebration of your love takes your breath away.

I love summer weddings, and I love it even more when the host and hostess of the wedding have taken every detail into consideration for their guests.

I recently attended a wedding held outdoors and was delightfully surprised at the thought and consideration that went into it. The wedding was an outdoor ceremony under a bright blue sky. My husband and I went to take our seats for the ceremony, only to be stopped by bridesmaids and groomsmen offering us a gift from the bride and groom. We were each handed a pair of designer sunglasses. The bridal party explained that it was a gift from the bride and groom so we could enjoy the ceremony without having to deal with the bright glare of the sunlight. I was then offered an old style Asian fan to cool myself if need be. It was delightful.

The party went on late into the night, and as the sun went down, women in their party dresses began to feel the chill of the summer breeze, something that our bride and groom had anticipated. Almost as though on cue, the bridal party made their way around each table offering a pashmina to each female guest.

All the little things that were done over the course of the ceremony and the reception were great. We really felt special and honoured to be sharing this wonderful moment. The bride and groom did a wonderful job of making all their guests feel special. It all added up to a wonderful touch of class.

Masking With Stamps

This is a great technique to add dimension to your paper crafts without the chaotic look of layering stamp on top of stamp. The technique is called masking, and it’s possible because of a product called masking fluid.

When you begin your project, choose the stamp image that you’d like to appear in the foreground. This is the image that you’d like to appear closest to you. Take that stamp and stamp your image as you normally would.

Then take your masking fluid and apply the fluid directly over top of the entire image. Masking fluid comes in a pen tip applicator allowing you to apply it over fine lines and intricate patterns. Once you have finished, let the masking fluid dry.

Now take another stamp and apply it to your design, overlapping your original image as desired. The portion covered in masking fluid is protected against the ink and will not show. Continue this process until your finished image is complete.

When you’ve completed all your stamping, simply peel off the masking fluid. Use your finger to delicately push off and peel the mask.

Unique Flower Centerpieces

Setting the stage for your wedding can easily be determined by the décor you choose. Aside from the décor of the building, the most visual aspect you have to work with are your table centerpieces.

Most people choose flowers to decorate their tables, but let’s face it; flowers can be very redundant and can become fairly boring.

To add a twist, here are 5 new ways to recreate your floral centerpieces.

1. Using a tall vase, get some dry bamboo sticks and cut them slightly longer than the length of the vase. Get enough to cover the outside entirely. Glue each stick onto the vase making sure to place them closely together. This will ensure that no spaces are left to peek through. Let the bamboo sticks dry completely and adhere to the vase. Once completed, simply fill the vase with water and flowers.

Note: if you can’t find dry bamboo sticks or want a more budget friendly alternative, you can also use barbeque skewers. These can be purchased at any grocery store, and to add a personal touch, you can also spray paint these to match your colour scheme before gluing.

2. When you think flower centerpieces, people think they should always be housed in a glass vase, especially for weddings. To add a touch of down to earth home sweet home charm, try using terra cotta planter pots. They can really add some style and elegance in an understated way.

3. Choose a glass vase and add jellybeans the same colour as your flower bouquets at the base of the vase. This may sound a little juvenile, but it has a wonderful classy effect.

4. Like our first idea, wrap your vase in something that will enhance the flowers you are trying to showcase. In this case, I suggest using a fabric to compliment your table décor. The fabric should be complimentary to the style of your wedding. For instance, if you’ve showcased your wedding using silk and chiffon, then using a great raw silk fabric to match your colours will add character and style to your décor. If you were having a more casual wedding outdoors, using a heavier woven textured linen fabric would probably work better.

5. Lastly, instead of having a centerpiece, try using flowers blossoms to create a large wreath on your table. After having your place settings set, decorate your table using the inside perimeter of the place settings as your guide. Loosely place flowers evenly all around the table, ensuring that the flowers are mixed well so no colour is more dominant in one spot than another.

Whatever your style, using any of these ideas will definitely make a great statement for your wedding day. Try them out before you decide. You might be pleasantly surprised to see which one works for you.