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This blog originally started as a place to keep track of all of my craft projects and the many wedding cards birdcage holders I was making in my Etsy store, so it was a huge shock to everyone that I said “no DIY projects” for our wedding last September.
I knew my schedule would be busy enough leading up to the wedding (hello full-time job, college, blogging, etc.) and I didn’t want to take on anything that wasn’t necessary.
In 2012, when I first met Houston, I had an Etsy shop where I sold birdcage card holders for weddings, baby showers, or any other event where cards would be present. I spray painted, decorated, and customized over 30 cages and enjoyed every second. I wasn’t going to make one for our wedding (trying to stick to my no DIY policy and a budget) but my best friends urged me to do it and it would be a nice way to corral the wedding cards during the reception.
I was lucky to find a beautiful white birdcage on one of our many trips to Hobby Lobby and it was 50% off – hooray for a great price and for not having to spray paint anything!
Houston and I went back and forth trying to pick the color of the kusudama flowers for the birdcage and I was undecided about whether to use a navy damask print or a plain navy cardstock. I tested a couple of damask papers, but the elegant and simple navy won out – having cardstock that is colored on both sides is an added bonus when it comes to folding (read: I don’t have to be as meticulous).
How to Decorate your birdcage:
I folded the flower petals, with Houston’s help, and I hot glued the flowers together at two o’clock in the morning, sitting in the hallway, half asleep. Need an easy tutorial on how to fold these pretty flowers? Click here to see how it is done.
Just as I suspected, the week of our wedding was bonkers and the couple projects I needed to finish were done last minute. Praise God for family and best friends for making it happen; my bridal party and family rallied around me and they were cutting, gluing, and finishing things that were spread out all over the dining room table. My brother-in-law then force-fed me some pasta and handed me my favorite bottle of wine. I am so loved.
One of those last-minute projects was our wedding cards birdcage.
Then on Friday (our wedding day), while I was waiting my turn for my hair to be styled, I glued everything onto the cage. My extra gluestick went missing, but it was no big deal, I just used a bobby pin to push the last bit of glue out of my glue gun. It was quite hilarious and everyone was laughing about my resourcefulness.
Talk about last minute, I know, but I was as cool as a cucumber and had fun arranging the flowers surrounded by my favorite women.
The birdcage cardholder looked pretty on the fireplace at the Kellogg House and Houston and I were so blessed by our friends and family – The cage was stuffed full of cards and well wishes – I guess it was a good thing I decided to make one after all!
Now it sits on top of a bookcase in my office with all the opened cards inside; maybe I will repurpose it in the future, but for now, I am quite content to admire it, as is.
Tell me if you had (or will have) a DIY wedding in the comments and your favorite project!
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