DIY Jingle Bell Favor

“What I wanted more than anything was one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh.” Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express

Growing up, every Christmas, my parents would read us The Polar Express. The book was gifted to my brother in 1986 from my parents, who even had Chris Van Allsburg write him a little message. Over the years, some of the pages have wrinkled and the dust jacket has acquired a few small tears, but all of these things indicate that this book has been well loved.

A wonderful children’s book and the simple gift of a bell is the inspiration for this DIY.

I know that the holidays can be very busy for all of us, rushing around, shopping, attending party after party, and perhaps even hosting a party or two. For those of you that are hosting a holiday party, there is so much involved and sometimes you just don’t have time for the little things. Apart from having me help you, the one piece of advise I can give is to slow down, relax, and just enjoy this time of the year. Also, to do lists are a must and keep things simple!

If you find yourself hosting a holiday dinner party, I have DIY favor that is super easy and can later be hung on the Christmas tree. If you want, you can even write the guest’s name on the bell and use it as a place card.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Jingle Bell Place Card Favor- Silver Jingle Bell Place Card Favor 1

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Jingle Bell Place Card Favor- Silver Jingle Bell Place Card Favor

What you’ll need:
• Large jingle bell
• Velvet ribbon (⅝” wide)
• Scissors

You can get large jingle bells at places like JoAnn FabricsPier One or even Amazon.

Instructions:
1. Cut a piece of ribbon to your desired length. I cut my piece about 10 inches long because I like to give my bows long tails.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Jingle Bell Place Card Favor- Silver Jingle Bell Place Card Favor - Step 1

2. Tie a simple bow at the top of the jingle bell.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Jingle Bell Place Card Favor- Silver Jingle Bell Place Card Favor - Step 2

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Jingle Bell Place Card Favor- Silver Jingle Bell Place Card Favor 21

“I shook the bell. It made the most beautiful sound my sister and I had ever heard.” Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express

DIY Antler Place Card

“People are partying, songs are being sung, Sugarplums are dancing, all in holiday fun. Presents are under the tree, reindeer fly high above, peace on earth, goodwill to all, sending joy and love!” D.M. Dellinger

For Christmas, I am decorating with plaid and faux antlers. I made a bunch of large papier-mâché antlers for a style shoot, and I have been in love with (faux) antlers ever since. I figured since I have these antlers, why not use them again, but this time as decor for the holidays. I then decided antler place card favors would be a nice addition to the holiday dining room tablescape.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Supplies

What you’ll need:
• Molding clay (air dry)
• Craft paint: white, cream, beige, brown, gold
• Small paint brush
• Hot glue gun + hot glue sticks
• Bakers twine (or ribbon)
• Cream card stock
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Black pen

Instructions:
1. Take a small clump of clay and roll it into a skinny snake shape, approx. 3″ long (this will be the main beam of the antler). Take 4 small clumps of clay and mold them into the 4 small skinny snake shapes of different lengths (these will be the points on the antler).

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 1

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 1

2. Attach the 4 small pieces to the large piece by scoring the clay and wetting the clay water from your paintbrush. Smooth out any bumpy areas out with your fingers and paintbrush.

While the clay is still soft, shape the antler into the appropriate shape.

If you need to, prop up the antler so that the points + beam dry properly and don’t bend over from their weight.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 2

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 2

3. Paint the antler white. Let dry.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 3

4. Take your glue gun and create a large base for the main beam. Then create small bumps + lines along the main beam.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 4

5. Paint random parts of the antler cream. Let dry.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 5

6. Paint the areas around the small hot glue bumps + lines in beige. Let dry.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 6

7. Paint the small hot glue bumps + lines that are located near the large hot glue base in brown.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 7

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 7

8. Paint the ends of all the points gold. I like to paint them all at different angles.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 8

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 8

9. Take your card stock and cut it into a small rectangular tag and punch a hole on one end. Thread bakers twine through the hole and attach the twine to the base of the antler. Write your the name of your guest on the tag.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 9

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 10

10. Place an antler on each plate or on the table for each guest.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 10

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Antler Place Card Favor- Gold Faux Antler Place Card Favor - Step 10

DIY Holiday Porch Urn

“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks. Dressed in holiday style.”

The holidays really are my favorite time of the year. On any given day, from late November through Christmas, I can be seen dancing (and loudly singing) to Christmas music, drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate, and watching every holiday movie I can get my hands on. I happily hang every ornament, decorate the dining room table to the nines, and wrap presents for hours on end. I am one of those people who wander the streets of Grand Rapids, in search for the prettiest decorations. Yes, the holidays and I are the best of friends. Being a florist means that I’m even more eager to decorate the house with garlands of evergreens, wreaths on every door, and flowers on every surface. So with that said, let’s start with a little outside decorating.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Tools

What you’ll need:
• Cutters
• Urn or planter
• Dirt
• Red berries (2 branches)
• Feathery Grasses (5 long stems)
• Blue Spruce (1 medium branch)
• Ponderosa Pine (4 short branches)
• Balsam Fir (3 medium branches)
• Douglas Fir (4 long branches)
• Scotch Pine (2 short branches)
• Juniper (2 medium branches)
• Hemlock (4 long branches, 4 medium branches)

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Tools

A few notes:
Honestly, you can use any evergreen branches your heart desires. I like having different textures, colors, and lengths, but use what you like and what is available.

I tend to pick branches that are somewhat straight. If this was a floral arrangement, I would pick a handful of flower stems that were more whimsical, but straight evergreen branches tend to bend and go where they please. When I tried using a few branches that were whimsical, it made the whole arrangement look messy and like it had a seriously bad hair day. But that’s just my opinion.

Lastly, as you place the branches, you may find that a branch may need to be trimmed in order to not be the exact height as branches next to it. The key is to never have any branch be the exact same height as another branch.

Instructions:
1. Remove any foliage (needles or berries) from the bottom 2 inches of all the branches. Having these few inches of clean branch makes placing them in the dirt a lot easier.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 1

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 1

2. Fill your planter with dirt. I didn’t fill the planter all the way to the top because leaving a few inches allows the branches to lean against the planter and have some support.

You also don’t need to use a black plastic insert inside your planter. I use one when I want the cleanup to be super easy or when I need to switch out arrangements quickly.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 2

3. Take 1 – 2 of the douglas fir and place them in the dirt to the back right of your planter.

Take 1 long hemlock branch and place it with the douglas firs.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 3

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 3

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 3

4. Take 2 branches of your ponderosa pine and place them across from the douglas fir at the front left of the planter, hanging over the edge.

These two clusters (step 3 ) will help guide you in placing the other branches.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 4

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 4

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 4

5. Take 1 – 2 branches of the scotch pine and juniper and place in the empty spaces around the outer edge of the planter, hanging over the edge.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 5

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 5

6. Fill in the planter with any remaining evergreen branches (balsam fir, blue spruce, douglas fir, hemlock, etc). Keep in mind the asymmetry and the flow of the tall branches on the right to the shorter branches on the left. Always walk around your planter and look at it from all angles. Try not to create a “flat” arrangement” but instead a “round” one.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 6

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 6

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 6

7. Once you have placed all of your evergreen branches, take a few of the longest feathery grasses and place them near your first cluster of douglas fir (step 3). Then take the remaining few grasses, cut to any desired length, and place them throughout the arrangement

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 7

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 6

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 7

8. Take your berry branches and nestle them in amongst the evergreens.

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 8

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 8

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn - Step 8

9. Stand back and admire your work!

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - DIY Holiday Planter - Christmas evergreen and berry planter or urn

Prepping Flowers

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner and Floral Designer - Prepping Flowers

1. Always use clean, sharp utensils (knives, clippers, or shears) when cutting flowers. Do not use paper of fabric scissors because these will crush the flower’s vascular systems and prevent proper water uptake.

2. Cut all flowers and foliage about one inch from the bottom at a 45 degree angle. Remove all the lower foliage that would be submerged in water. This will retard bacterial growth, which shortens the vase life of flowers and makes the water smell foul.

3. Immediately after cutting the stem, place it in a vase filled with cool water.

Ringing In The New Year

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

Grand Rapids Wedding Planner

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve.