Do It Yourself, these words surely must be ringing some bells in your mind. A popular hashtag of the social media websites, DIY somehow translates into the Arts and Crafts Movement of our century. The Arts and Crafts Movement of the 1800s defied the factory production which was mediocre, both in taste and in quality. Today DIY is more about the unique creative expression, self reliance, building sustainability and a sense of self achievement.
With the arrival of the Internet, sharing ideas and causes of creative nature gradually became simpler, and then the age of social media struck, building a community of like minded people all over the world. Anyone could build a blog and in a matter of months, gain thousands of followers and an impressive revenue. But more than making a career out of DIY, it is more important to recognize why DIY! Here are a few reasons explaining why you should be a part of the DIY Culture!
Exploring yourself
It is important to consistently seek and chase creative ambitions, as they are intimately related to our happiness. DIY will give you an opportunity to discover and develop a unique talent. As you keep learning new techniques, you can realize where your true passion lies.
Sustainable approach
Once you adapt yourself into the mold of DIY, you will tend to choose your products and brands with absolute precision. It’s but natural that you will want to be on the greener side of whatever creative endeavors you pursue. You will automatically switch to the agenda of reuse and recycle. That’s the power of making something, you want it to be a part of a better tomorrow, and not something that adds to the clutter.
A sense of accomplishment
How many times do you buy a product, and remember it because it has a special story related to it? When you do it yourself you have a certain emotional value and euphoria attached to it. It has a story and motive behind its existence. You don’t take on projects in DIY just for the heck of it. Your idea can be deliberate or accidental, but never random, and that’s its subtle beauty. As you progress towards completing a creative project, it will leave you feeling accomplished and fulfilled.
Finding Value
You will develop an ability to discern between what’s valuable and what just comes with an expensive price tag. You will not only save time and money but will also make a creative resource out of yourself. Although it cannot be guaranteed that if you will be able to control your splurging habit on arts and crafts supplies. It’s true once you’re hooked, there is no going back.
Building trust in yourself
Self doubt is often the primary reason because of which you constantly keep limiting yourself. DIY requires a lot of patience and the eagerness to try again. This resilient attitude will not only help you succeed in your personal projects but will also make you a person who’s afraid of uncertainty, but will try anyway because the curiosity within always wins.
The moments that lead up to a wedding and the ones that follow are something most couples treasure throughout their lives. Some frame their wedding invitations, flowers, or even décor, while others hold on to their wedding attire and pass it on to the next generation. But one special keepsake that couples treasure is their wedding guest book. These books help couples personalize their big day and revisit and cherish those memories on anniversaries.
Design
Couples can design a wedding guest book in several ways. For instance, they could visit shopping websites to source personalized wedding guest books that include pictures of their liking. That said, there are a few essential tips to follow while designing the book.
A great way to begin is by writing the couple’s name, wedding date, and other details on the first page, like the lyrics from their first dance. While other information can follow, the pages should match the wedding colors or theme that is being planned. Moreover, the book’s design should complement the couple’s home, where it will be kept after the wedding. For example, if a couple wants to keep the wedding guest book on their coffee table, they should design it to complement their home décor. Most importantly, the book should have sufficient pages for the guests to write, doodle, or paste photographs as they prefer.
Presentation
Correctly presenting a guest book at the wedding is the key to getting the maximum number of guests to participate in the activity. One tip is to display the book near the reception entrance so guests can sign it upon arrival. But sometimes, the venue layout may make it difficult to do this. In such situations, couples can place the wedding book in an open space where it is easily visible. This location should be spacious for family, friends, and guests to hang out comfortably without being rushed or cramped for space to sign the book. Another way to get guests to sign the book is to dress the table with decorations to make it visually appealing. If possible, the couple should also designate a close family member to remind people to sign the book as they pass by.
Popular wedding guest book ideas
Traditionally, a wedding guest book is a bound book where friends, family members, and other guests sign their names and sometimes leave well-wished or inspirational messages to motivate the wedded couple. Using a bound book is still lovely, but couples have started personalizing this wedding detail. Doing so makes it much more fun and memorable for the newlyweds and the guests. Here are six non-traditional wedding guestbook alternatives to try:
Thumb impressions
Thumb impressions are among the most creative ideas for a wedding guest book. The couple draws a giant tree with several branches to set the idea in motion. During the wedding, the couple or the person in charge places an eco-friendly ink pad next to the artwork. Now the guests press their thumbs against the ink pad and make an impression on the tree’s branches, creating the leaves. They sometimes also sign over the imprint so the couple can identify who it belongs to.
Jenga set
Implementing this idea could make playing Jenga way more fun. The couple purchases a blank Jenga set (or two, based on the expected number of people at the wedding) and has their guests sign the blocks. Each time the newlyweds have friends and family over in the future, they play the game and revisit the wishes scribbled into the set on their special day.
Beach and nautical keepsakes
Couples who enjoy spending time at the beach love this idea. They use objects like a surfboard, a model sailboat, stones, oars, a wooden anchor, or seashells to collect signatures and written wishes from guests at their wedding. Some couples get friends, family members, and guests to sign on parchment and then put the paper in a bottle.
Signature tree
A signature tree is among the prettiest guest book ideas. Couples create a tree using craft paper and shape the leaves as hearts or another object of their choosing. At the wedding, guests sign on the leaves or write well wishes. Once the event is over, the couple frames the tree or hangs it on a wall to cherish it forever.
Wooden sign board
This type of signboard is a beautiful guest book DIY idea any couple could use. The craft requires the couple to purchase a large wooden board of a style they prefer and inscribe their wedding details. With guest signatures on it, the wooden board serves as an attractive piece of wall art at the newlyweds’ home.
Music records
Using records as a medium for a wedding guest book is ideal for newlyweds who are all about music. Couples create this keepsake by purchasing circular MDF boards from a local craft shop in a suitable size. Next, they paint the boards to make them look like music records and get their guests to sign them. The record labels include details like their wedding date, favorite lyrics, and the names of special dances.
Don’t know how to make your plain denim look chic? Just add some quirky embroidered patches on them and you are good to go. Embroidered patches are very much in the trend and why would they not be? Apart from being cool, they are also extremely versatile. You can put these patches on uniforms, hoodies, denim, hats, overalls, and on any clothing of your choice.
If you have decided that you want your own customized patches, then here are four simple steps in which you can get them made the right way:
Decide the correct size– The size of the patch depends on what you are planning to put the embroidered patch on. When it comes to measuring the size of the embroidered patch, you need to decide the height and the width of the patches. If you are planning to put it on your denim or your hat, then a small-sized one, roughly around 2 to 4 inches, would be an ideal choice. Whereas, if you want it for a backpatch then you will have to go for a much bigger size, like something between 8 to 12 inches.
Choose a shape– Once you know what size patch you want to make, you can decide the shape of the patch. Some of the most basic shapes that you can go for are squares, circles, and ovals. If you want to go for any of these basic shapes, then you have the luxury of buying premade patches, where you simply need to create the design and the details you want to see in the patch.
Be clear on the concept– Most of the times, the designs of the patches are brand logos, symbols, or a message that conveys an event or a cause. So, it is vital that before you go ahead and design a patch, you are clear on what you want the patch to convey. You can use photographs or text to convey the design of your embroidered patch to the designer.
Finalize the design– Less is more when it comes to the designs that you select for your embroidered patch. If you go overboard and add too many things in the patch then it might end up looking chaotic. So, stick to one idea and turn it into a simple design. It is best to have a rough sketch of what you want the design to look like so that the designer knows what you are looking for. If you are getting an embroidered patch for personal use, then you can use your favorite quotes, movie characters, or a sketch you drew yourself.
Do your homework and be clear on what you want. Once you have a vision for how you want them to look, everything else will fall in place. Be up to date with the trending designs and shapes, so that you can take inspiration from them to make your own tailormade embroidered patch.