Today we’ve got a special treat on the blog! One of our Associate Coordinators, Alex, is super crafty and always painting and creating cute gifts and artwork so I’ve asked her to give us some tips and “how-to” advice. Read on to learn how to make some great hand-painted glassware items to use as bridesmaid or groomsman gifts, bridal shower favors, or any gift really!
Alex:
I have recently been coming up with ideas for DIY bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts. One of my favorites is decorated wine, martini, margarita, shot, pilsner glasses and beer mugs. There are endless possibilities for what can be put on them and the best part is…they can be personalized to fit each member of the wedding party!
For the ladies: You can personalize each glass with their favorite color, go along with your wedding color scheme, write either their first name, initials or the letter of their first name, or if you’re really creative, go as far as drawing a cartoon bridesmaid resembling each.
For the guys: Lets face it, men like sports. A fancy decorated beer mug probably isn’t going to be too appealing to them. If you think you can do it, attempt to put their favorite sports teams logo on the mug. If they like music, put a guitar or music notes.
Make sure you include the date of your wedding, you and the grooms name or some other information having to do with your big day. It’s also a fun idea to write a little note, inside joke or something meaningful to the two of you on the bottom of each glass.
-The first step to making your own glasses is choosing which style you want. Think about what is going to look good and show up on the glass you choose. If you want a martini glass with letters or names on it, it may not show up very well, due to the shape of the glass.
-Next, you will need to make a trip to Michael’s. They sell porcelain and glass markers in tons of different colors. They aren’t cheap, so if possible, choose as few different colors as possible. From my own experience you can put porcelain markers on glass and vice versa (just make sure you follow the baking instructions for whichever marker has the longest time).
-If you don’t want to use your own handwriting, you can look up different fonts online and copy them.
-If you plan on being extremely creative, you can buy graphite or transfer paper and trace your design onto the glass using a stylus or pen (be careful, it’ll make your fingers black). Tape the transfer paper, dark side down, onto the glass. Then tape whichever design you choose on top of that. Trace the pattern with the stylus or pen (push hard enough that it’ll transfer, just not so hard that you go through the paper.) From there you can use your porcelain/glass markers to get the design on.
-Make sure you bake it! If you don’t, all your hard work will come off in the dishwasher. Follow the instructions on the side of the markers. If you used glass AND porcelain markers, bake at the higher temperature for the longer amount of time.
Here are some photos of glasses I have found online and also some I have made myself. If you don’t think you’re crafty enough to do this on your own, contact Simply Stunning Events and I’d be happy to create personalized gifts for you!
Simply Stunning Events
Nashville Wedding Coordinator
no comments