DIY Archives - Taylor Street Favors

Posted on March 16, 2018July 13, 2019 by Derek

Your Wedding Day Time Capsule Awaits

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” -Dr. Suess

We all know Dr. Suess is right, we just don’t necessarily act on this knowing, especially when in the midst of wedding planning. And while beautiful wedding day photos and a professionally edited video are wonderful to look back on too, they do not re-connect us emotionally in the same way as a personal message tucked inside a wedding day time capsule does.

I’ve collected a few ideas to help you incorporate some type of time capsule into your wedding day. Confession, we did not do this on our wedding day – not because we decided against it, but because we were not aware of it. [And I absolutely am sufficiently cornball/romantic to have included this.] So heads-up, David. I am thinking of including some version of this into our lives now – almost 2 years post wedding day.

There are two ways couples usually incorporate the time capsule idea into their wedding day: “Day of” ceremony time capsule or a Guestbook time capsule.

“Day of” Time Capsule

Supplies: A box & paper.

Really, the supplies required do not create too high a bar, even for those of us who are DIY-averse or flat-out-of-time. We have some options on Taylor Street for boxes & stationery that will not only add symbolic significance to the occasion, but also create a true wedding day keepsake. A shoebox with blank paper or note cards, however, will do just fine.

Boxes: Both of these keepsake boxes could first be used for your wedding reception, so they would not only be pulling double duty, they would have the added significance of having been a part of your wedding day itself.

9742-i_tin-box-with-aged-finish-and-blackboard-panel-displaye7f78743c9cbe49c5f9b080822500074__76898-1457381049 — **Tin Box with Blackboard Panel Display**

9611-33-i_vintage-inspired-wood-case-with-hinged-lidc95734588dbfdba04e83603ee0386dc0__07793-1461195286 — **Vintage Inspired Wood Case with Hinged Lid**

Paper: There are many awesome stationery alternatives available for you to consider. We have a few for that would work well, like these:

1177-04-c95459b25d93970e1309ec2d79b01d223f5 — **Dandelion Wishes Note Card**

1065-0432dec75297c30d45d75290b7be2541c9 — **Fleur De Lis Note Card**

The directions are straightforward. You each write a love letter to your soon-to-be spouse, expressing your feelings on this day — your wedding day — what you are most excited about, your hopes, what is most important to you about this day, and why & when you fell in love with him/her. You know, the emotional kind of “stuff”.

[And this idea is really awesome for a blended family ceremony – including your children in on the time capsule by adding their own notes makes it even more memorable. And, it creates a potential family tradition with the opening of the time capsule and its periodic updating.]

Guestbook time capsule

This version has you asking guests to write you a note on a postcard you provide and drop it in your “time capsule” to be opened on your 1st anniversary. This invites your guests to participate in a way that a guest book signature does not. Here are a couple of ideas for collecting your postcards.

93711deaf93273fcf41e069519339bce58a5__57204-1511287399 — Acrylic Box Card Holder

112436__21423-1480321261 — **Wine Barrel Card Holder**

Kick it up a notch: So a year has passed and you’ve opened up your time capsule on your one year anniversary. You’ve read your letters over a glass of wine and eaten what remains of your wedding cake. So now what?! Here are a few ideas for what to add for “the next time” — regardless of what time capsule option you decided on — for your 5 year anniversary, 10 year, … or whatever year you agree to re-open it.

Take a picture of the two of you with the time capsule the day you open it up & include it for the next time;
Include that day’s front page from your local paper or print-out from your favorite news source;
Write about:
1. The hardest moments you faced as a couple your first year;
2. Your favorite memory of year one;
3. A goal or prediction for the next time you open your time capsule;
Write another personal note to each other.

You get the idea, there are lots of things you could include. Just don’t make this list so long that it gets tedious.

Close it up, store it somewhere safe. Done.

This may become a ritual that you continue the rest of your lives or it may be something you enjoy once and set aside. Regardless, your notes to each other or notes from your friends & family will become something you will be able to look back on, reflect & reminisce when you do happen upon it – especially after it has gathered dust for years. Your children may also enjoy the opportunity to glimpse a bit more about you as well, in your own writing and in your own words … “when you were young”.

Life goes by pretty fast and if you are like me, unless we force some pauses along the way to reflect and reconnect, we miss some awesome & inspiring moments, unique opportunities to really connect with each other.

Your time capsule may help you both re-connect, to a younger you and to each other. Sweet.

Posted on February 27, 2018July 13, 2019 by David

Awesome Gold Spray Paint Ideas – Total DIY – Total Inspiration

Gold decorations for weddings is elegant, sophisticated and timeless. A great accent color for any time of the year.

Here are a few simple ideas to add some glam on a budget. Each of these are affordable and easy to do – so what are you waiting for? Check out our pinterest page for more ideas.

Old vintage frames from garage sales in all shapes & sizes.

Old books to glam up your vintage look.

Leaves sprayed gold as place cards

Balloons and gold paint make a perfect pair for a glam wedding!

Branches sprayed gold and hung over tables or placed in vases.

Pine apples on display.

Pineapple – sophisticated yet quirky.

Sophisticated, elegant and timeless. Perfect.

Logs sprayed gold used for decoration.

Feathers – Gold dipped or sprayed.

Plastic toy animals and gold spray paint

Rocks, rocks and more rocks with a little DIY become gold nuggets.

Seashell, gold paint and done!

Super simple – pull used bottles or all shapes for centerpiece gold.

Wine bottles, painters tape, rubber bands and boom – Centerpiece!

Posted on January 6, 2018July 13, 2019 by Derek

Our 5 Favorite Wedding Favor Jars

Though it may seem there exists an endless list of possibilities, the truth is that many of the jars pitched as wedding favor containers are too small, poorly made, or too impractical to be of much use. We’ve eliminated those that didn’t measure up in three important categories and then selected our favorites. What makes these favor jars best of class? These jars offer a combination of these characteristics…

1. They are a good value for the price.
2. They are versatile – they can be adapted to differing wedding styles AND can be used after the wedding, at home everyday or for other celebrations…like a baby shower!
3. They are captivating. They are a detail your guests will notice.

I also listed a couple jars that just did not measure up at the end of this article, along with a brief explanation. Take a look.

SMALL BELL JAR WITH WHITE FLUTED BASE

9237_i_miniature_glass_bell_jar_with_white_fluted_basec7f718f0154f20ff8e2b528c96d62e7f__75687.1441235873 — **Miniature Glass Bell Jar | Taylor Street Favors**

Our favorite thing about these jars is how little you need to do to make these shine. They are really interesting just to look at, especially massed together, and make anything inside of them look better — cookies, cupcakes, small plants – anything! They are not so good when it comes to storage — the glass lid just sits on top and they are not very large. You’re not going to be storing last night’s dinner leftovers in one of these. Individually, these may not be as useful as when you have 6, 8 or a dozen that you could use at a dinner party. They are a reasonable size at 3″ X 3″ x 4″ high and are well made.

MINI COOKIE JAR

EB2393NP_large1__01341.1515104947 — **Mini Cookie Jars | Taylor Street Favors**

These jars are a good value, sturdy & definitely something your guests will easily be able to find uses for at home. Only consideration – they are small. Note the 3.75″ X 2.75″ dimension. Depending on what you are putting inside of these, their size could be an advantage…less needed to fill these jars!

GOLD CONFETTI MINI GLASS JAR

4562-55-w_gold-foil-confetti-mini-glass-favor-jar-with-lidffce335d810ef79d58bc5673cbd0f594__62331.1479943178 — **Gold Foil Confetti Mini Glass Favor Jar**

These jars are AWESOME. They look better in person than even the image. They have a heavy [‘expensive’] weight to them and the lid fit is nice and snug. They are sleek and modern, a nice alternative to many of the other options available. Downside – they are a bit pricey.

MINIATURE MILK BOTTLE WITH CORK STOPPER

6795lg__47827.1472081689 — **Glass Milk Bottles with Cork Stopper**

These continue to be a very popular jar, with good reason. They are versatile, they are really cute with a truly vintage vibe to them, and they are about the least expensive glass favor jar we carry. Their downside is that they do not seal, so these are not appropriate for liquids and you would not want to use these in situations where they are likely to tip over. They are sturdy too — we’ve knocked a few of these off our table onto a carpeted floor while taking photos — did not break.

SQUARE GLASS JAR

IMG_4608-cork-jar-gatsby__08631.1491943839 — **Square Glass Favor Jar – Gatsby Collection | Taylor Street Favors**

We love their shape and vintage feel. We also love the unusual and vibrant colors that these come in, though that does make it impossible to clearly see what is inside if that is important. [These are the jars in our lead image] They have the same cork top issue as the milk bottle – the cork stays put, but it’s not going to keep liquids in or prevent spills of any sort should these tip.

And TWO that didn’t make the cut:

DIY Blank Glass Milk Bottles

diymilkbottle__04707.1425408177 — **Glass Milk Bottle with Screw-on Lid | Taylor Street Favors**

These milk bottles absolutely get the job done, and are a great choice for safely storing liquids or anything you don’t want to accidentally spill. They are reasonably priced, and do allow for some creative personalization options with labels and ribbon or twine. They are a bit too functional. Especially with the lid off and the threaded finish showing, these may be too commercial for some people. We’ve looked around for something other than the plain white metal caps as well, and have not found anything much better (other than black).

Miniature Mason Jars

27094NA-CHK-chalk-mason-jars-ka-lg__88921.1465323239 — **Miniature Mason Jars | Taylor Street Favors**

The mason jar wave crested a few years back, but they remain popular today, particularly when creating a casual & comfortable feel for an event. These have the same screw-off lid issue as the milk bottles above – the threaded glass top and simple design give these a mass produced feel. Our main issue with these is the size, especially when used for drinks with the cut-out lids. These are small, holding barely 8 oz. Further, with the flower cut lid added they also are no longer spill proof either. They are a better choice as favor jars for small colorful candies, or mini-terrariums. Personalization is very limited as well – really limited to the size and type of label you use.

There you have it, a short, straightforward, and we hope, helpful wedding favor jar summary. Let us know what you’ve found that made an impression. We are always on the look-out for new and interesting products. Send us a picture too!