Glittered Wine Bottles Centerpieces

Update: This Glittered Wine Bottles Centerpiece tutorial post in 2012, after our engagement party. So the story is old. We're not getting remarried or re-engaged.

If you remember, I completely flipped out over engagemment party centerpieces. I couldn't think of an idea and spent countless hours on Pinterest, pinning things in hopes one would catch my eye.

My mom kept suggesting balloons and I kept shrugging them off. I didn't want a birthday party feel. I wanted something classy, something unique, something that needed more than heart-shaped balloons floating in the air.

All I really knew was I wanted something red. Our favors were heart-shaped chocolates and personalized peppermint patties that my mom sewed into red card stock.

The centerpieces had to be red as well.

We found a great idea of glittered wine bottles online, so, on Thanksgiving Eve, the biggest party night of the year, I was home crafting so I could make table centerpieces using wine bottles that I glittered.

The centerpieces came out absolutely perfectly and were just what I wanted. A bit of class, a bit of homemade that didn't seem homemade, and under $20 for ten.

That's because my friend was able to pick up the wine bottles from a local restaurant. If you drink wine, you'll be able to just save your old wine bottles. If you don't drink, you can call your local restaurants or bars and see if you're able to pick some up from them.

Glittered Wine Bottles Centerpieces

What You'll Need:

• Wine bottles
• Mod Podge
• Glitter
• Foam paint brush
• Steel wool
• Masking tape
• Paper plate
• Oval serving trays
• Favors

What You'll Do:

To start, you need wine bottles. I used a combination of green and white bottles because that's what we were able to get.

There will be only one centerpiece per table, so no one will really be comparing them all. They won't realize if the bottles are different sizes or shapes, so you can be very flexible.

Take the labels off the wine bottles. 

To do so, run them under hot water and scrub with steel wool. It won't ruin the wine bottles, just rub off the label.

If any sticky residue is left behind, a bit of olive oil on a paper towel will do the trick. I heard that Goo Gone will also do this, but I haven't actually ever used that ... mostly because I always have olive oil handy.

Take masking tape and wrap it around the top of the bottle. Try to be as straight as possible, but if you're not, it's okay. A little bit of character will do the bottle good.

If you want to cover the entire bottle in glitter, you can skip this step. I've seen them both ways, and they're both great. I left room up top, though, because I wanted the color of the bottle to come through.

You're going to need some Mod Podge for the next step. 

Cover the entire wine bottle, up to the tape, in Mod Podge. 

I used long thin streaks, but it really doesn't matter. The Mod Podge will dry clear, so even if it is uneven or blotchy, it will be fine when it dries. Trust me. I was using the "blot on as much as possible" method when I started and the next day, I couldn't tell the difference in techniques.

The only thing you should be concerned about is if you get bubbles in it. Those will remain after it dries, so try to avoid it bubbling.

Hold the wine bottle over a plate and pour the glitter on it. This is the best technique I found. 

I tried rolling it, I tried being stingy with the glitter. Nothing worked as well as getting messy and generous with the glitter. I bought a 4oz. glitter bottle and it was enough for nine bottles. The 10th was in red, not white, so that worked out for me.

When you're done, peel off the masking tape. I'd advise you do this over the plate since some excess glitter will fall -- and it's a pain in the rear to clean it up.

Ta-da!

You can use some wire cutters or a knife to cut the label off the top of the bottle, but at this point, you probably don't care and will just leave it.

Leave them to dry overnight.

Once they're completely dry, paint another layer of Mod Podge over the glitter to seal it. Let that dry overnight as well.

My mom made a little bit of curled ribbon to come out the top to act like an overflowing bottle of champagne. We placed them on a clear, hard tray in the middle of the table and surrounded them with the actual favors that my mom sewed.

These DIY glitter  bottles fit my criteria (cheap, disposable, and color coordinated to my theme) and everyone loved them. Success.

Since you left that space, you can brainstorm how to paint wine bottles for weddings. You might want to write the table numbers up top, your names, your wedding date, whatever fits. Just be sure to use a glass paint or it won't stay.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think of these Glittered Wine Bottles centerpieces?

Want more DIY glitter projects?

DIY Glitter Bridal Cake Server Set

DIY Glitter Wine Glasses

Entertaining Your Guests With An I Spy Game (and free printable)

I've been to a lot of weddings where they had disposable cameras on the tables. And, usually, they just sit there. I mean, everyone has their own cameras, iPhones, photographic memories. No one wants to pick up your antiquated disposable camera and take photos for you.

You hired a photographer. Leave it up to them.

Except, well, I wanted people to pick up those disposable cameras and take photos for me. I thought it would be amazing -- and sure, a throwback to 1994, but that was a great year. I was thrilled that the Rangers won the Stanley Cup and the World Cup was going on that summer. Both things that I distinctly remembering happening in 1994 but did not watch one single minute of.

Strange the things we remember.

For the things we don't remember, we capture them on film. See, you need people to take photos at my wedding, so invite James Bond*. Or, well, your guests in the form of James Bond.

Create an "I Spy" card.

You display a card at each table or at the welcome table, along with disposable cameras, and ask your guests to capture the moments listed on the card, like the groom playing with his ring; the bride and her mom dancing; the cutest couple other than the bride and groom; the worst dancer in action.

Super cute ideas.

We didn't hire a photographer for our rehearsal dinner or engagement party. Most people don't. You have to cut corners somewhere. Plus, you're going to be mingling, so you're not going to be able to take photos all night. Getting disposable cameras for each table and printing an "I Spy" card is pretty much the only way you can assure you get photos.

Now about that free printable:

Just right click the image above, save it to your computer, and print it on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper (a standard printer page). Display it in an 8.5x11 frame and you're done.

We have a few other wedding printables available for free, too. They're all listed below:

• Bridal Shower Word Search
• Mason Jar Hot Chocolate Mix Favors
• Be Wise, Don't Drink & Drive Owl Printable
• Lucky Duck Wine Rehearsal Dinner Gift
• DIY Bridesmaids Cards
• DIY Thanks A Latte Coffee Wedding Favor
• Honeymoon Packing Checklist
• DIY Bridesmaids Wine Bottle
• Famous Couples Bridal Shower Game
• Thank You For Being My Groomsman Cigar Gift
• DIY Wedding Sparklers & Free Printable Tags
• Tears Of Joy Envelopes
• Bridal Bingo

BRIDAL BABBLE: What would you add to your "I Spy" card?

*Oh, are you coming from up top looking for why there was a star next to James Bond's name? Well, it's because apparently, he's not a spy. He's a secret agent. I thought he was a spy, but someone corrected me. I have seen exactly zero minutes of any James Bond movie, which is exactly the same amount of viewing I spent on sports in 1994. Full circle.

Red Velvet Pound Cake Hearts Dessert

If you love this recipe, be sure to Yum it here: Yum

When you're hosting a party, you don't get to enjoy it. It's the truth. We hosted a Super Bowl party this year, and I didn't even watch one minute of the first four quarters. I was cooking before our guests arrived, started cleaning up when they got there, and only stopped during halftime to watch Lady Gaga slay. By the time the fourth quarter was wrapping up, the majority of our guests left, I finished the last bit of cleaning, and finally sat to watch the Patriots win in overtime.

That's the reality of your wedding events too. You don't really get to enjoy them. That's why I say your wedding is for other people. You do the planning; they do they enjoying.

So when you're planning your party menus, specifically for an engagement party or an at-home bridal shower, you really want to keep things as simple as possible. Which is why this Red Velvet Pound Cake Hearts Dessert is just perfect.

Red Velvet Pound Cake Hearts Dessert

These are actually perfect for Valentine's Day too, in case you are planning any parties yet but looking for an excuse to make these.

What You'll Need:

• Red velvet pound cake (I found it in our grocery store, but you can order it online too)
• Mini marshmallows
• Two small heart cookie cutters
• Toothpicks

What You'll Do:

Cut the top off the red velvet pound cake, then cut the cake, longways, into layers.

Use the cookie cutters to cut out heart shapes.

Stick a toothpick through the pound cake hearts at a diagonal. In my photo, they're straight across, but I decided diagonal was cuter ... after I took this photo.

Place a marshmallow on each end. Continue until you're out of cake.

Now, yes, in the photo you may notice skewers instead of toothpicks. That's because they were part of my original plan. My pound cake, though, did not cooperate. It was too crumbly to stay on the skewers, so I went to toothpicks. I love how they look, so it was almost a Pinterest fail, but became a success story.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make this Red Velvet Pound Cake Hearts Dessert for an engagement party or a bridal shower?

Planning an engagement party?

Check out some of our engagement party favor ideas.

He Popped The Question Engagement Party Favors

"He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop Engagement Party Favor

DIY "She Got Her Rock" Rock Candy Favor

He Popped The Question Engagement Party Favors

I'm a big fan of puns. I've been that way since I was in elementary school and we read a story about Ben Dover. Oh Ben. I laughed and laughed ... and I still laugh. So any time I have a chance to use a play on words, you better believe I'll take it. That's a huge reason why our engagement party favors were peppermint patties that said "Lisa & Pete: Mint To Be" on them. 

Oh, it's just the best.

If you agree, you'll love these He Popped The Question engagement party favors ... made with popcorn because, really, that's fantastic.

He Popped The Question Engagement Party Favors

These were super easy to make, and they'll be even easier for you. I created the "He Popped The Question" favor tags for you. They're at the end of the post, so you don't have to make your own. All you have to do is cut them out and attach them to your popcorn.

Like I said, easy.

What You'll Need:

• Popcorn (I used microwave popcorn for this post because it was easier, but I usually pop from kernels. If you do use bagged, one normal sized bag made four favors.)
• Curling ribbon
• Sandwich bags
• One-hole punch
• Paper trimmer
• "He Popped The Question" favor tags

What You'll Do:

Print out the tags and cut them with your paper trimmer. They end up being about 2.5x1.25.

If you want to dress them up a little, you could use a corner rounder to, as its name implies, round the corners. I'm obsessed with my corner rounders and use them all the time (like on our soap bridal shower favors). I didn't use them this time, just because I do use them a lot, but I would highly recommend you grab one and use it as often as possible.

Use the one-hole punch to make a hole in the upper corner. I did it in the upper left, but you could do it in the upper right if you prefer. There's space on both sides.

Stuff a sandwich bag with popcorn. Don't fill it completely, though, because you'll need a bit of room to be able to gather at the top.

Tie the bag with ribbon.

Curl the ribbon and you're done. Simple.

The favor tags are formatted to fit on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper (so standard printer size). All you need to do is right click the image above, save it, and print it when you need it.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make these He Popped The Question engagement party favors?

DIY "She Got Her Rock" Rock Candy Favor

I'm a big fan of a good pun. If you've been around here for a while, I'm sure you've noticed.

Last weekend, we were at a wedding with a candy bar. So of course, while my parents were slowly saying their goodbyes, I went over to check it out. There was rock candy, so I grabbed one for each of us. And, as soon as I grabbed it, a pun popped into my head. So, sorry to my mom and dad, but no rock candy for them. I needed it as a prop for this post. Their loss is your gain.

DIY "She Got Her Rock" Rock Candy Favor

What You Need:

• Rock candy
• Bakers twine
• Card stock
• Glue
• Paper trimmer
• Free printable (see below)

What You'll Do:

Using a paper trimmer, cut the free printable into diamonds. They end up being 1-inch squares.

Use the paper trimmer again, this time to cut the card stock into diamonds. You'll want them to be 1.5-inch squares so that they can fit nicely behind the printable.

Glue the printable onto the colored piece of card stock. Allow it to dry.

Cut a piece of bakers twine and glue it to the back of the card stock. If you're unsure about the glue, you could always tape it down. Tie it around the rock candy.

That's it. You can display these or put one at each person's seat at a bridal shower or engagement party. They're super cute and tasty too.

Now, about that printable:

It is formatted to fit an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, so you're able to print this at home. All you need to do is save it to your computer and print it out when you need it.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make this rock candy favor for an engagement party or a bridal shower?

Did YOU get your rock?
Ask your friends to be your bridesmaids with our DIY: Will You Be My Bridesmaid? Rings.

"He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop Engagement Party Favor

When we got engaged, I thought about incorporating Ring Pops into the favors somehow because a giant candy diamond ring just made sense. But I couldn't figure out a way to do it,

Fast forward three years later and we were at an event that gave our Ring Pops. Pete and I each took one, but I wouldn't let us eat one until I came up with a great project for them.

Three months later, we can finally enjoy them. I made these super cute "He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop engagement party favor.

"He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop Engagement Party Favor

This is completely a play off Beyonce's Single Ladies ... which has been stuck in my head ever since I started making these. And, probably, Pete's head too because I've been singing it all around the house, all day, every day.

"If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it ...
"Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
"Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oooooooh"

All day long, people. All. Day. Long.

What You'll Need:

• Ring Pops
• Tape
• Paper Trimmer
• "He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" printable (it's below)

What You'll Do:

Cut the "He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" into individual rectangles. You can eyeball this, but if you're like me and it has to be exact, you want to cut them 2 1/4 x1 7/16.

Stick a piece of tape on the back and affix it to the Ring Pop.

That's it. You're done. You have a tasty engagement party favor that can be completed in a matter of seconds.

Now, about that printable:

It's formatted to fit a standard printer 8.5x11 piece of paper so you can print at home. Just right click that image, save it to your computer, and you can print it at any time.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make these DIY Ring Pop engagement party favor?

Wedding Advice Cards

I wanted to do something a little different and interactive at our engagement party. So I decided to make wedding advice cards. Where I got the idea is a mystery, but they were such a hit!

We printed them out, set them at the welcome table, and had a glittered box with the words "Wedding Advice" written on it. We had a few pens out and our guests wrote on them on their way in (or out) of our party.

I made three different cards. One was blank, one started with "NEVER" and one started with "ALWAYS." Our guests were able to choose one of the three.

Some of the answers we received were funny, like, "NEVER is Lisa wrong." And others were serious, like taking time to enjoy our wedding day. It was really a fun way for us to have a "guest book" at our engagement party, but also to just get some tips for the wedding planning process.

I had originally planned on laminating them and displaying them at our wedding, but I decided to just keep them for ourselves.

If you love the idea, you're in luck. I actually redesigned these cards so that they will fit any engagement party. The ones I made for us had our names on them and the date of our party. I removed those for you.

All you need to do is right click the image above and save it to your computer. The wedding advice cards are formatted for an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, which is standard home printer size. As long as you have ink in your printer, you can print these at home. Then, just cut them with a paper trimmer and bring them to your engagement party.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What advice would you write on these wedding advice cards?

You're Invited To A Bride On A Budget's Virtual Engagement Party

Who doesn't love a party? No one I know. So we are throwing the best party of the year ... and you are invited.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Who's coming?

DIY: Will You Be My Bridesmaid? Rings (& My Proposal)

I'm only doing this wedding thing once. That's the plan. Get engaged once, have an engagement party once, ask your bridal party once, get married once.

Which means I get one shot to make an impression.

I found this wonderful idea on Something Turquoise and I knew it was what I had to do.

I took these photos back in November, when I actually made them, but I couldn't post this until I asked all my bridesmaids. I asked them all at my engagement party, except one, who wasn't able to make it, so I had to wait until I saw her in January.

Now that they've all been proposed to, I can post the tutorial.

Now, back in November, I didn't think that it would be smart to actually assemble all the necessary craft items and take a photo like my other awesome amazing DIY tutorials. Sorry about that.

What You'll Need:

• Pink construction paper
• Red construction paper (My engagement party color was red, so I did red and pink. You can choose any two colors you want)
• White construction paper
• Pen
• Scissors
• Glue
• Ring boxes
• Rings (I picked these up at Claire's for $7.99 for a package of four; that was years ago, though, so you might want to check out something like this from Amazon)

What You'll Do:

Place the ring box at the end of the construction paper.

Cut an entire strip. Don't worry about measuring now. Just cut the whole strip. It's easier.

Now measure. Wrap the strip around the box and cut it so there is a bit of overlap, but not too much.

Cut the strip, leaving about three-quarters or so. You want some of the box to show through for dramatics. But, you don't want to cut the strip too soon or you'll have an issue with the next few steps.

Cut out a pink heart, just about the size of the red strip.

Write "Will you ... " on it.

I'm gonna suggest against red pen. I was trying to have it match the stripe, but it is so faint. Not good.

So I re-wrote them in black. Much better.

Add a dab of glue to the heart and affix it to the red strip.

I added a white heart to one of them so I knew it was for my Maid of Honor.

Cut a white sheet of paper the size of the back of the ring box, dab a dollop of glue, and affix it to the back of the box.

Finish your proposal.

Seven of mine finished with, "Be my bridesmaid?" and one finished with "Be my Maid of Honor."

I added a little pink heart on them, just because it looked a little plain with me.

Stick a ring in the box. That one above, it's one I got out of a candle, but it's what I had on hand when I was making these. I wasn't sure what type of ring to put in them. Costume jewelry. Random jewelry I had that I didn't want. Rings from the arcade.

And then ...

I found these rings when I was in Claire's. Adorable. Perfect. And they came in a pack of four. I needed eight, so this was perfect. I picked up two packs of four and it was the happiest $16 I've spent in a long time.

Like I said, perfect.

After all your rings are in the boxes, close them, and close with the strip. I didn't glue it down; I wrapped it tightly and put a dollop of glue on the paper, then affixed the other flap to it. That way, you could slide the strip on and off if you wanted.

And, finally ... propose to your bridesmaids.

The above, that's a complete reenactment of the moment, exactly six seconds after I handed her the box. I didn't get down on one knee when I asked my girls, but for sake of this photo, I did.

BRIDAL BABBLE: How did you ask your bridesmaids?

Got your bridesmaids?
Learn about their dresses in our What Is Bridesmaid Dress Shopping Like? post.