diy: tissue paper pom poms

Here's another diy that can be used to decorate just about any party you host!  We used it for a bridal shower, and two years ago Clara used them at her wedding!  I just love how adorable and cheap these pom poms are, and you can whip up a ton in no time at all.

For the shower, we decided to hang up a few of these pom poms in the windows, as well as use some of the smaller ones at the end of our bunting to give it more of a finished look.

Materials:

-tissue paper (we bought ours at the dollar store for a dollar a pack)

-thin wire (florist wire works wonderfully....or you could use twist ties if you have them on hand)

-fishing line (if you intend to hang them)

-scissors

Directions:

1)  First you need to decide what size of pom pom you want to make.  Our tissue paper was approximately 20"x26", and we cut it in half lengthwise to make our largest pom poms (which I thought were pretty large!). For most of our pom poms we cut the tissue paper in thirds lengthwise.  We also made some mini ones by dividing it in four lengthwise.  Experimenting is the best way to decide which you like the best!  There really is no right or wrong way to do it.

2)  For larger pom poms, you want at least 8 layers of tissue paper, and for medium to small pom poms 6 layers is enough.

3)  Once your tissue paper is measured out and cut, make 1.5" accordion folds, creasing each fold as you go.

4)  When your tissue paper is all folded, cut a small piece of wire and wrap it around the middle of your folded tissue.

5)  Then, trim the edges of the folded tissue.  We chose to make the edges rounded, although you can do whatever you'd like!  Experiment with different shapes and angles to suit your style.

6)  Finally, very carefully separate each layer of tissue.  Go slow, and be patient!  You may rip a few layers, and that's fine.  Once all the layers are puffed out, you will likely not notice.  Or you can use scissors to trim away any errors.

7)  If you want to hang our pom poms, then tie a piece of fishing line around the wire wrapped around the center of the pom pom.

p.s.  ♥ kelsey

bridal shower/wedding decoration ideas

Today I thought I'd share a couple of decorations that we used for the bridal shower my family hosted last weekend.  

The first idea is a "From Miss to Mrs." banner we created to be a backdrop for the bride-to-be as she opened presents!

All we did was print out each letter on a separate piece of paper (or you could do 2/page if you want it slightly smaller), and then cut each page into a triangle before hanging them on a string.  So simple, yet it had a big impact!

The second idea will take a bit more time (and planning), but was so worth it. 

I contacted the bride's fiance, and asked him if he could send me a few things that he loved about her.  He sent me five wonderfully sweet things, which I then typed out using various fonts.  Instead of buying new frames, I just stole a handful of mismatched frames we had around our house, and switched out our family pictures for the quote.  This made it such a cheap, yet personalized decoration, and I think everyone enjoyed reading each quote throughout the night!

The bride like them so much that she's decided to have them at her wedding too.  So this idea works for bridal showers, engagement parties or weddings!

p.s.  ♥ kelsey