Happy #WeddingWednesday DIYers!
If you’ve been following my Instagram last week, you’d know that I was working with the beautiful and talented Lucy Chang of Lucy Chang Photography at her Toronto’s Bridal Show booth! It was a tiring, but amazing three days. This was the first time I attended the Toronto’s Bridal Show as an exhibitor and it was a lot of fun. There were so many amazing vendors, lots of inspiration and of course, tons of fabulous couples I wish I could work with each and every one!
When Lucy first asked me if I could help her with her booth at TBS, I was like, “heck ya!” I did not hesitate at all. Not only because she is my best friend and I would do just about anything for her, but it was a great opportunity to get creative! I pulled inspiration from her last booth at the We Wed Bridal Show two years ago – it was simple and cozy, so I wanted to keep that same feel for this booth and went for a cozy rustic vineyard theme. It’s no secret that I love DIY projects and this was the perfect time to get my craft on!
Here is a list of all the DIY elements in this booth, but today on my blog, I will provide the steps to do DIY#1 only:
#1: Vintage Marquee Arrow
#2: Blackboard Frame
#3: Wall Photo Frame Cut-Outs
#4: Burlap Banner
#5: Painted Glass Bottles
#6: Burlap+Lace Covered Jars
DIY Project #1: Vintage Marquee Arrow
This can be done on your own, but it helps with a second pair of hands.
Here’s what you will need:
- 1 sheet of 1/8″ foam board in white [purchased from Curry’s Arts & Crafts]
- 1 sheet poster board in white (keep it flat, do not roll it) [purchased from Curry’s Arts & Crafts]
- Exacto Knife
- Scotch Tape
- Ruler
- Pencil and eraser
- String of lights (with 20 bulbs) [purchased from Target. This was a solar/battery operated one]
- Spray paint [purchased from Curry’s Arts & Crafts]
- Craft cutting mat [can be purchased from Curry’s Arts & Crafts or Michael’s]
- Glue gun (optional)
Step 1: Draw your arrow using the pencil and ruler.
(I started from one corner and just eyed the shape I wanted. You might have to play around with the design a bit until you get the design you want).
Step 2: Cut out arrow using the exacto knife.
(Make sure to put your craft mat underneath so you don’t scratch your floor!) Go over the cuts slowly until the piece is cut out.
Step 3: Take the string of lights out of the box and unscrew the globe shells from the lights. You will need to twist + turn the globe a few times until it comes off.
Step 4: Draw the holes for the lights. Approximately 2” from the edge. Space out the holes accordingly so you can fit all 20 light bulbs (use the photo below as a guide). We spaced the lights approximately 3” apart.
Step 5: With the exacto knife, cut an X through the penciled-hole.
Step 6: Use your pencil to punch through the hole from the backside
(Don’t worry about the pencil marks, it will be covered with the spray paint anyway)
Step 7: Now, cut the poster board into 2” strips or 5.5” strips (if you want it to stand). For this project, we wanted to hang the arrow so we cut 2” strips so that the back of the arrow would stay flat. If you cut 5.5” strips, it will work as a stand for the arrow (as you will tape the arrow in the middle of the strips, rather than at the edges).
Step 8: Use scotch tape to seal the 2″ strips with the cut-out arrow. (I really liked how it looked when the face sat 2” deep into the liner). The secret to getting good looking edges is to score the poster board before you bend it to get nice sharp creases. Once you’ve scored and bent all the folds begin taping in the foam core from behind. Make sure the tape is secure and reinforce it until it feels sturdy. We reinforced ours with glue gun. It helps to have a partner for this step. My partner was of course, Lucy.
Step 9: Spray paint the arrow with your choice of colour. We painted ours with a nice bright red. We used “Belton Molotow Premium Spray Paint” in “SWET 100 Traffic Red”. Let it dry.
*Make sure to spray paint outside and not inside your home. Regardless if you do this outddoors or indoors, I highly recommend wearing a doctor’s face mask as the fumes can get strong. This is where I was glad to have a partner so that we could take turns to spray paint.
Step 10: Put the lightbulbs in the holes (from the backside) and then screw on the globe shell. If you find that it is a little loose, you can use the scotch tape or glue gun to reinforce it from the back. Plug the lights in and that’s it! You have a pretty sign for your event.
Enjoy the photos of Booth#C316B Lucy Chang Photography at the Toronto’s Bridal Show.
Photo credits by Lucy Chang Photography (of course!) Check out her blog post today for some more photos of the whole process and me in action!
Rentals: Wooden Desks from Sandy Tam Photography