Posts tagged wedding favors
Cookies that look like mini cakes? Uh, where do we sign up? These cute confections are perfect for an afternoon shower, post brunch or as gifts when wrapped in pretty boxes or clear bags with ribbons.
(Source: zazzle.com)
All it takes to make delicately scented tablets is a little mixing, some gradual spritzing, and a few minutes of molding. When you’re finished you’ll have dozens of effervescent treats in a variety of shapes and colors that will scent and soften bath water as they bubble. They make great gifts for all the ladies on your list, including mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and grown-up nieces. Experiment with colors and scents; mix yellow and red to make orange, for example, and try blending lemon with lavender.
Tools and Materials
How-To
1. Sift 1 3/4 cup baking soda, 1 cup citric acid, and 2 cups cornstarch through a sieve to remove chunks. To make different tints, fill small spritzer bottles with water and add about 6 drops of food coloring to each.
2. Pour 1 cup of powdered mixture into a glass bowl. Lightly spritz, stirring after each spritz, until powder is desired color. Add water slowly, so mixture does not fizz. If mixing two tints, alternate colors as you spritz. Check the consistency of powder with your fingers; when it can be tightly packed or shaped, stop spritzing (this may take a little while).
3. Select an essential oil. Add 5 drops if it’s one of the stronger scents (peppermint, lavender), 6 if it’s a weaker one (lemon, grapefruit). Mix well. Firmly pack mixture into small baking molds. We used 1/4 cup for each fizzy, which is good for one bath. Allow mixture to set for 2 hours, then pop out carefully. Repeat with different tints for remaining powder.
* Photo & Instruction Credit: Martha Stewart
This cookie gift bag is so cute. Simply display a platter of them for your guests to take when they leave. For these designs, you can print directly on the bag. Just change the printer settings to use a 5×7 piece of paper. If that won’t work for you, you can always print them on labels, and cut them out. I like these labels.
Here are the supplies:
* 5×7 Kraft paper bags
* Skewers. You could also use toothpicks, and little food picks, but I like how thick the skewers are.
* Enjoy! design (Download)
* Bag design (Download)
* Tape Runner
* Plastic Baggies
* Scissors
* Exacto Knife
Put between one and three cookies into some plastic baggies. After you have printed out the bag design either directly onto your bags, or onto labels to put on your bags, put the cookies into it. Fold over the bag top a couple of times and give it a nice crease. Then take your enjoy! labels, and run the tape runner along the back, at the end of the design. Simply wrap the design around the skewer pressing the paper together to create a flag. Then snip of about 3.5 inches of the skewer. Once you have done that use your exacto knife to cut two small slits into the bag, all the way through for your flag. Insert your flag into the slits and you’re done!
* Photo credit: Spoon, Fork Bacon
This DIY was inspired by a gold monogram necklace and it might just be the easiest project ever. A glittery gold alphabet sticker is placed on a gold mailing seal to create the metal on metal effect, and that’s pretty much all there is to it!
Materials:
* Gold alphabet stickers
* 1/8″ hole punch
* Gold mailing seals
* Gold cord
* Favor box
* Scissors
Step 1 – Punch 2 holes on a gold seal.
Step 2 – Place an alphabet sticker on the seal.
Step 3 – Cut a piece of cord long enough to wrap around the favour box, plus a little extra to tie a knot.
Step 4 – Thread cord through the gold seal
These chocolate classics would make cute wedding favors.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
2. Add butter, shortening, and sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat together, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
3. Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on each baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of oven, 10 minutes; switch the positions of the baking sheets, and rotate each one. Continue baking until the cookies spring back to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes more.
4. Remove from oven; let cookies cool on baking sheets, 10 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meanwhile, line a cooled baking sheet with a new piece of parchment; repeat process with remaining batter.
5. Spread 1 scant tablespoon buttercream on flat sides of half the cookies. Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together. Transfer pies to a tray.
6. Melt half the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; add remaining chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip (Ateco #2 or #3) or a small parchment cone. Pipe chocolate in a spiral pattern on top of each pie. Let chocolate set before serving, about 1 hour.
Materials
Ink Jet Color Printer
5×7 White Paper Bags
Treats
Instructions
1. Download the bag graphic and type in names and event date in spaces provided. Follow the directions in the PDF for printing with an Ink Jet Printer. If you don’t have an Ink Jet or if your printer doesn’t allow you to print odd formats, you can print directly onto sticker paper (found at office supply stores) and post apply to the bag.
2. Help maintain freshness and keep sweets from leaving oil stains on the paper bag by lining with a glassine envelope.
3. Add a little more detail to the bags and scallop the top with a pair of pinking shears or rotary cutter.
4. Fill bag with treats and serve!
* Design & Photo Credit: Thig and Thistle
Lucky little four leaf clover bags make an adorable accessory for any event that needs a little extra green.
You will need:
Directions:
Punch a clover out of a piece of freezer paper. With a clothes iron, iron the freezer paper square, wax side down, onto your muslin bag. Place a scrap piece of paper inside your muslin bag to prevent the paint from soaking onto the back. Paint over the clover punch. Peel off the freezer paper and allow your bag to dry.
You can make as many clover prints on your bag as you want, just repeat the instructions above and allow the paint to dry in between each clover. This same idea can be repeated on a bigger tote, shirt, scarf or basically anything you might want to wear on St. Patrick’s Day!
*Photography, and styling by Sara Schmutz.
(Source: zazzle.com)
These Do It Yourself Eco Friendly Place Settings and Favors are a fun idea for a spring/summer wedding and easy to put together. Plus they are an affordable favor your guests can actually bring home and enjoy them long after the wedding.
Supplies:
1. Scissors
2. Any small potted plant
3. Potting Gloves
4. Potting shovel (if needed)
5. Twine Hole Puncher
6. Small Terracotta Pot
1. Start off by planting one of your flower/herb plants into the small Terracotta pot.
2. Print your saying of choice on your recycled paper. We used “Please plant this flower to remember our day and watch our love blossom in your garden everyday”
Once printed, cut into small strips.
3. Using the hole puncher, punch a hole in the top left corner of the strip. Cut the twine to desired length (determined by how many times you wish to wrap around the pot).
4. Cut the twine to desired length (determined by how many times you wish to wrap around the pot).
Last but not least, wrap twine around the pot and tie off in the front, making a bow, and place at each place setting.
* A special thanks to Hilton Pittman Photography and Viva L’Event for this adorable wedding project.
Guest Blog: Kayla
Instructions
Prep a 9x9 or a 9x13 inch dish with wax paper. This will help you remove the block of fudge and cut it nicely.
Mix the chocolate chips & butter with the sweetened condensed milk and melt over medium heat in a saucepan.
Once smooth, add in the cheesecake mix and stir until combined. It’ll look grainy at first, but keep stirring for a minute or two.
Add in the marshmallow fluff and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Pour 2/3 of the mixture into your pan.
Add 1-3 tbs of the strawberry gelatin mix into the remaining mixture. Stir until even in color.
Pour the remaining mixture into the pan, use a toothpick to swirl the two together.
Refrigerate until set, remove from pan and cut! That’s it!!
* Recipe and Photos by Say Not Sweet Anne (Special Thanks to Kayla!)
Tools:
Step 1: Print out both printables on heavy cardstock. Cut the circles into long strips.
Step 2: Use a 3/4″ circle punch to punch out the small circles. (Or cut out with scissors).
Step 3: Use a glue stick or glue dots to adhere the circles to the base of the kisses.
Step 4: Use scissors or a large 2″ circle punch to cut the ‘To:’ circles.
Step 5: Toss a few kisses in a small zip-close craft bag and staple on a large circle tag.
DOWNLOAD: Hugs & Kisses Free Printable
*Photo Credits: Meckmom.com
I’ve been at a few weddings where buffets are used for dessert. It has become quite popular, and for good reason. It saves you a bit of money and keeps the guests happy as there’s a lot to choose from and a great variety.
For today’s DIY we have some handy labels you can print on bags to use at your dessert table, be it for a wedding, kitchen tea, or birthday party . They can either be used while serving dessert, or as little doggy bags (there’s always plenty left afterwards – don’t want it to go to waste).
Believe it or not, but household (single feed) printers are the best for printing on paper bags. Bigger printers will most definitely get paper jams and create lots of frustration!
Here are some pointers to keep in mind:
1) Change your page size to A5 (or whatever is closest to your paper bags size), and remember to select “fit to page”.
2) Make sure you set the bag up properly in the feed tray of your printer with any loose flaps facing down, away from the side you want printed.
3) Don’t let the design go to close to the outer sides of the bag.
* Photo Credits:The Pretty Blog
Recipe (Please see photos & video below)
Salted Caramels (recipe from America’s Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook)
1 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1½ teaspoons fleur de sel or flake sea salt ( I especially like Maldon Flakes)
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
1⅓ cups (9⅓ ounces) sugar
Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Combine vanilla bean seeds, cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon fleur de sel in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make parchment sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of parchment paper so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of parchment in greased pan perpendicular to each other, with extra parchment hanging over edges of pan. Push parchment into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing parchment flush to pan.
NOTE: The thing to remember about working with caramel is that you can never turn your back on it. You can stand and watch sugar syrup bubble for what seems like hours without even the slightest color change, but walk away to answer the phone and your caramel will burn before you have the receiver to your ear. It knows. Trust me on this.
First, before you mess around with the caramel, you’ll need to infuse a mixture of heavy cream and unsalted butter with the seeds from a vanilla bean and a teaspoon of salt. This butter-cream mixture adds richness to the caramel, of course, but it also helps keeps the caramels soft and chewy.
Bring this mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat and let the flavors meld for at least 10 minutes. If you feel like washing your hair before starting the caramel, no problem—just turn off the burner and let the cream mixture steep a while longer. The longer it sits, the more vanilla flavor it will develop. Meanwhile, prepare the pan (because you sure won’t have time to when you’re holding a pan of foaming hot caramel). Since the caramel is sticky by nature, it’s a good idea to make a parchment paper sling to line an 8-inch square pan (for easy removal) and spray it with vegetable oil spray for added insurance.
It’s finally time for the caramel showdown! Use a large saucepan to make the caramel. Judging by the volume, you might think you could use a smaller vessel, but be warned: the caramel will foam up when you add the cream mixture, and you don’t want a sweet version of Mt. Vesuvius erupting all over your too-small saucepan. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in the saucepan over high heat. Try to resist the urge to stir.
One of the dangers in making caramel is recrystallization, where the dissolved sugar recrystallizes and seizes up due to the presence of fat or other foreign particles in the solution. To safeguard against this, you can periodically wash down the sides of the saucepan with water (using a very clean pastry brush).
Gently swirl the pan periodically to make sure the sugar is heating evenly, and wait for the color to change to amber. You can also watch the bubbles as the caramel cooks: early in the cooking process the bubbles are separate and boil vigorously; as the caramel cooks, the bubbles become smaller and more delicate—almost foamy. If neither the amber color nor the foamy bubbles is a helpful clue, use a candy thermometer; when the mixture reaches 350 degrees, it’s at the right temperature and color.
Carefully remove your saucepan full of very hot caramel from the heat (just wanted to hammer that point home). Carefully stir in the cream mixture, watch it foam, and breathe a sigh of relief that you listened to me and went with the high-sided saucepan.
Return the pan to the heat and cook the caramel until it reaches 248 degrees. Now that the cream mixture has been added, it’s not only safe but also imperative to stir the caramel so it doesn’t burn. This step should only take 3 to 5 minutes, so you won’t be stirring long.
Remember the temperature of that caramel when you’re tempted to stick your finger into the pan and taste the buttery mixture you’ve just made. Also keep it in mind as you’re pouring the caramel into the prepared pan. Caramel burns are no fun.
Smooth the surface of the caramel and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then add the best part: fleur de sel. These large, flaky grains of sea salt add great flavor and crunch to the caramels. If you’re slightly more daring (and of course you are), try substituting smoked sea salt. Yes, please. Then, try to find something to take your mind off the caramels as they sit and cool to room temperature for about 1 hour, and then in the fridge to chill for another hour. Walk the dog. Do some laundry. Whatever you do, stay out of the kitchen.
Once the caramels have cooled, lift the sling to remove them from the pan and peel the parchment paper away from the caramel. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the caramel into ¾-inch squares. Since they tend to stick together, it’s best to individually wrap them in pieces of wax paper.
Guest Blog: Brandy
Filling Ingredients:
so using your new tool 
or a spoon, which will work just fine…
While cookies are cooling, make the filling by creaming together:
Note…I tried filling the cookies first, and then cutting the whole thing together. Didn’t work as well! so cut first, then fill.
Scrape off excess filling from edges with an offset spatula or the dull edge of a knife.
*Photo Credits: LeAna
(Source: zazzle.com)
Sure, matchbooks have become a go-to wedding favor, but there’s more to these clever versions than meets the eye. Give away a surprising something to remember in the form of a cheery, charming pack of forget-me-not seeds. The best part: Long after the big day, guests will watch the dainty blossoms — and the memories — spring to life.
Download editable clip art, and type in your first names and wedding date. There are two pages, one for the covers and one for the planting instructions inside the matchbook.
Print the front of the matchbook covers onto 8 1/2-by-11-inch card stock. Turn the paper over, and print the page of instructions on the back (test the alignment by printing one copy first, before printing the rest).
There are three creases you’ll need to make, and there are three sets of dotted crop marks to make it easier to do so. Use a bone folder (or butter knife) and a metal straightedge to draw creases between the dotted crop marks.
Use a craft knife and the straightedge to cut out the matchbook covers, cutting along the edges of the colors.
Fold matchbook along creases.
Scoop seeds into 2-by-3 1/4-inch glassine envelopes, and fold top edge over twice by 1/4 inch.
Tuck seed-filled glassine envelope into the bottom flap, with the folded edge down, and staple once in the middle of the flap.
Wedding seed mix, $45 for 1 pound, Flower Art & Soul
Glassine envelopes (G7), $2.75 for 50, Clearbags
*Photo Credits: Martha Stewart
