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May 09, 2023

Best DIY wedding decorations to suit your style

Add a handmade touch to your special day ollowing a proposal, couples often

Add a handmade touch to your special day

ollowing a proposal, couples often enter an immediate rosy haze of love and mutual adoration for one another. Celebratory drinks with family and friends ensue, bubbles are poured, glasses clinked, and congratulatory sentiments are exchanged. It's a wonderfully cosy bubble of bustling excitement and eager anticipation.

Then comes the wedding planning. No matter how irrevocably in-love the betrothed are, bride and groom-zillas are bound to emerge at some point during this stage – even if the couple has a host of wedding planners at their side in true Peltz-Beckham fashion. It's an inherently stressful time with mood boards and mood swings, finalising budgets and perfecting table plans which keep warring members of the family apart at all costs.

Though it might at first seem easier to order-in an assemblage of premade wedding decorations which immediately cater to your chosen aesthetic, there's a strong case to be made for making your own, for a myriad of reasons. Not only do DIY wedding decorations add a unique, handmade touch to your celebration that can't be imitated, but the process of creating various crafts can be a delightful bonding experience for all of those directly involved in the wedding party.

Bridesmaids might get together during a hen-do to create bespoke table charts, place cards and flower arrangements. Likewise, couples can keep their nervous minds occupied by embarking on longer form crafts together in the run-up to the occasion. Think: hand-dyed stained glass, delicately wrapped party favours and macramé.

DIY wedding decorations have also been making the rounds on TikTok, with videos containing the hashtag #weddingdiy receiving a whopping 797.6M views. Whether in the form of tablescaping adornments, napkin rings or photo walls, there's something particularly heartfelt about crafting a selection of your very own decorations for your special day.

Keep scrolling for a selection of DIY wedding craft ideas, how to make them and where to buy all the supplies.

Let your creativity run wild with this pretty wooden blackboard, which measures 56cm. Whether your preferred medium is chalk pens, paint pens or acrylic paint, this blackboard is a breeze to clean – meaning you’ll be able to make as many mistake as you need to perfect your final sign. Simply wipe it down with an old rag and a little bit of water.

If you’ve ever envied the artistic freedom exhibited by the talented baristas and bartenders who consistently pull out all the stops on their sandwich boards, this is your opportunity to showcase your talent. Write up the timings of your event, your personal wedding logo or even your table chart for a smaller wedding party.

If your wedding party is slightly larger than a 76cm board allows, Hobbycraft has a whole host of materials that you can use to DIY your own rustic-looking table chart. Starting with the oak effect gallery frame, staple on some natural jute fabric for a shabby chic vibe. Then, choose from a range of adornments such as this pack of wedding-themed wooden embellishments to take your chart to the next level.

Though incredibly romantic, plain old candle arrangements and hanging lanterns have been seen at weddings time and time again. Why not purchase a glass handle candle holder separately and make it your own? Instead of your standard pillar candle, fill it with these battery-operated miniature fairy lights, some fake moss and even succulents to create your very own magical fairy-tale landscapes.

Another craft suggestion from our favourite arts supply store, Hobbycraft has once again provided detailed instructions on how to make your very own macramé bouquet wrap. One of the cheapest DIYs in this round-up, all you’ll need to purchase is some yarn and a hemline measure.

Don't be intimidated by the seemingly intricate patterns that adorn this bouquet wrap, for macramé is actually far easier than it looks. It's simply a form of textile making that involves various knotting techniques, which are easy to learn and even easier to perfect. Sailors and skippers will rejoice for this craft.

Floating tealights in holders of varying sizes are an elegant and delicate design choice for wedding parties. But they’re far more customisable than simply filling them up with water and allowing the tealight to float on top. You can add fake flowers – such as these stemless chrysanthemums, to the surface of the water - or even ditch the water vibe altogether and fill them up with gemstones and decorative pebbles for an alternative, beach-ready look.

Got a sweet tooth? This step-by-step guide reveals how to create a sweet treat-filled gift table for your wedding guests. All it takes is a few simple paper gift bags, some heart-shaped stickers and a whole bunch of pastel-coloured ribbons.

In line with Hobbycraft's instructions, you can either prepare individual gift bags as party favours, or upcycle old glass jars which can be topped-up throughout the event – just make sure to purchase some metal scoopers and tongs to go alongside them.

Recreate your family tree using this decorative piece. Purchase two trees to represent both of your families and peg your favourite photos onto each branch for your guests to admire and take a stroll down memory lane. You can even attach ribbons and other paper decorations to elevate the look of the tree and create a blooming effect.

Ensure your wedding photos are elite by creating your own flower photo wall. Either use a blank wall at your venue of choice or fasten together a selection of extra-large canvases to fashion as your base. Photo walls that are made using large amounts of plastic flowers often look overwhelmingly artificial. Yet these ready-made paper peonies, featured here in blush pink and peach hues, make for a fantastic starting point for your photo wall – with one pack containing two large flowers, one medium and one small.

The delicate, pretty paper folds aren't trying to look hyper-realistic, and therefore add a charming, bohemian touch. You can also add to your display with some reusable paper garlands and streamers.

You may or may not have seen this trend circulating on TikTok, but ingenious DIYers have been teaching the general public how to magically dye old glass bottles and vases. The secret ingredients are simple: mod podge and food colouring.

All you have to do is prep your jar by cleaning it with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Then, mix together approximately 200ml of mod podge, a teaspoon of water and eight drops of food colouring (or more, depending on how saturated you want the hue to be). Ensuring the mixture is thoroughly combined will prevent streaking later on in the process. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into your vessel of choice and swirl it around until all the glass is fully covered. Afterwards, you can leave your jar to dry upside down for 24 hours for a matted finish. Alternatively (and to our preference), you can place your jars in the oven at 200oC and bake until dry for a beautiful stained-glass effect.

You can make your own twisty candles to embellish your guest's place settings. You just need to find a selection of good value taper candles in a variety of colours and we’ve got you covered with this set from Amazon. In order to then successfully mold your candles into unique shapes, simply soak them in warm water until pliable and you’re good to go.