Unique and Affordable Bridal Shower Decorations

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Carrie Christenson

1.2K

Want to know one of my favorite stores for craft supplies? I’ll give you a hint, everything they sell costs the same amount. Yep, you guessed it! It’s the dollar store! Why pay more than $1 for a simple glass vase?

I’m showing you how to take a vase and frame from the dollar store along with some basic store-bought paper plates and making them into something special and unique for your next party or event. I absolutely love affordable craft projects that anyone can do!

Let’s start with the vase project!

Vase Supplies Needed:

Glass Vase
Baking Soda
Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush
Bowl/Cup/Plate for the paint mixing
Sculpey Liquid Clay (optional)
Super Glue (optional)
Graphic Files (optional)
Parchment Paper (optional)
Printer (optional)
Oven (optional)

Create a Template

This first part is optional but I think this is what really elevates the design and makes it more special. I am using the leaves from this Charm Wisper graphic file. I used my Silhouette Studio software and simply combined several of the designs onto one sheet of paper that I could print out as a template.

Trace the Images

Once you have your printed sheet, slide it under a piece of parchment paper and trace them with the liquid clay. It’s not going to be perfect unless you’re way more skilled with squeezing the bottle than I am! I figure the imperfections give it more character, right?!?! I probably would use a lighter color if I were to do this again. The black was on clearance and I bought it on a whim thinking I could dream up a project to use it for someday. 🙂

You could also possibly use hot glue instead of the clay for tracing, it just might be a little more difficult to control.

Bake the Clay

I followed the directions on the bottle and baked my clay pieces for 15 minutes at 275 degrees in my oven and then let it cool. Then you can slowly and gently peel off the clay from the parchment paper. It’s extremely satisfying to do!

Glue the Clay to the Vase

Now the messy part! I used super glue to attach the clay leaves to the glass vase. No matter how careful I try to be I always, ALWAYS, get super glue all over my fingertips. After the glue is on the clay add it to your glass vase however you want it to be. Let the glue dry before moving to the next step, it shouldn’t take long.

Paint the Vase

Grab your paint and blend any colors you want together, I mixed pink with a little bit of vanilla for mine, then add baking soda to your paint to add texture. There is no magic “recipe” it’s simply if you want more texture then add more baking soda. You’ll still want it thin enough to paint on though, don’t make it into a paste.

Just start painting away! It’s going to need at least two coats to cover well, make sure to let it dry between coats.

Congratulations, you just made a dollar glass vase look like a handmade terracotta pot!

Let’s move on to our next DIY of creating custom stamps to personalize those boring paper plates.

DIY Custom Stamp

Supplies Needed:

Silhouette Mint
Blank Mint Stamp Kit
Mint Ink
Paper Plates

I know you’re thinking, wait I need the Silhouette Mint machine for this? Yes, but it’s a pretty affordable machine and I love having the ability to make my own stamps. It’s more cost-effective than buying custom stamps and one million times faster too!

I bought some compostable paper plates from the store (just trying to do my part!) but let’s face it, they aren’t super exciting party supplies. I wanted to give them a little more personality and make my guests smile when they see them sitting there waiting to be filled up with all of the delicious goodies.

Design the Stamp

I chose the phrase “first comes love…” because it’s a favorite of the bride and how she titled her engagement photos when she shared them on social media. I added “then comes food” because truly weddings = food and most importantly…cake!

Open Mint Studio and type out your message, I’m using the font “The Islander”. You’ll want to make sure it’s a thicker font so it inks nicely.

I added a slight curve to the text to fit the edge of the plate. My tip is to print it out and test it with the plate before making the actual stamp.

Print the Stamp

Once you’re happy with the design, print the stamp out, it only takes about a minute. Attach the new stamp to the adhesive base and ink it up!

Ink the Stamp

If you’ve never used a Mint stamp before you might not understand how the ink works. This stamp absorbs the ink like a sponge, you squeeze it onto the surface over the design and then let it sit and sink in for a few minutes. Then you stamp onto a sheet of paper to blot off the excess ink until it’s a perfect stamped image. Now you’re good to go for about 40-50 stamps before re-inking it!

Line up the stamp on the plate as best you can and stamp away! Now you have some one-of-a-kind plates to serve up to your party guests.

Custom Signs

Finally, let’s make some signs to let your guests know what they are eating! I’m using those dollar store frames and then just making a print to add to them.

Supplies Needed:

Graphic Files
Font
Printer
Cardstock
Paper Trimmer
Frame

Design the Print

You can use any design software you’re comfortable with, I like to use my Silhouette Studio. I started with measuring the frame and created a box matching the size to design within.

I’m blending two different graphic files, one watercolor shape, and a floral sketch to create the background.

Next, add your text, I’m making a menu to place by the food area. I’ll also have the actual food items labeled because we have some food allergies in this group and I would hate for someone to grab the wrong item by mistake!

I’m using the font Bianca for this menu. I added a drop shadow to the word menu just to make it a little bolder on the page.

Print the Design and Trim

Once you have everything typed out and aligned into their final places print it out using the best printer settings you have. I’m using cardstock paper because I like the thicker weight inside the frame.

Simply trim the paper to the correct size to fit the frame and add it inside. That’s it!! No one said these projects are time-consuming and difficult. LOL. I find these little touches really help pull the party together into a cohesive theme.