DIY: Bridesmaids Cards

Definition
DIY (abbreviation): Do It Yourself

Pronunciation: \ˈdü\ \ˈit\ \yər-ˈself, Southern also -ˈsef\
Usage: noun; often attributive
1: the activity of doing or making something (as in woodworking or home repair) without professional training or assistance; broadly : an activity in which one does something oneself or on one's own initiative (from Merriam Webster)
2: a way to slowly sap time, energy, money and sanity from oneself
3: something that generally follows the statement "They want how much money for that? I could totally make that myself"

Enter DIY project Numero Uno of our wedding: The Bridesmaids cards. See, in DIY Bride Land it is common practice to ask your prospective wedding party members if they will be in your wedding party by giving them cards.

These can range from traditional, to artistic, to humorous to edible, and anything in between:


I decided to blaze my own path, and to try a new project for me: paper cut out cards.

First, I drew a circle on a card, using my handy-dandy circle-drawer-contraption-thingy. (It's actually a circle cutter, but I stuck a pencil in there instead of the blade)


Then, I drew a template using my ruler and a pencil. It felt like a school project at this point. Anyone else use a ruler obsessively for school projects to make sure the writing was all straight? Anyone? Just me? Okay then.


I cut that out, then used it to trace the pattern onto the real cards. I used my X-acto knife to cut out the part that I didn't want there. A la carving an elephant by removing everything that doesn't look like an elephant. I added a little notch, too, on the side.


I added some fancy freehand decoration around the outside of the circle.


I turned the cards into little pockets by using foam mounting tape to close two of the three open sides.


Then I created the inserts: the card that completes the question, and the reply card, complete with cute "yes, no, maybe" stamp I found on clearance at Michael's and some wedding-theme appropriate stickers.


I bent a paperclip into a (more or less) heart shape.


Then clipped the two insert cards together. I didn't want the smaller card to get lost.


Et voila! The completed cards! I was able to arrange breakfast with four of the five bridesmaids during a visit home, and passed out the cards. The fifth bridesmaid lives in San Francisco, so I met her for lunch one day. Like a dolt, I forgot her DIY'ed card, so I had to pick up a store made card.


So, there you go! The first of many DIY projects that will make their way into our wedding. I am having so much fun so far! I'm waiting to get overwhelmed - I know it is coming!