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Racing
toward love Strapped! Mommy
Diarist The
Guilty Bride Introducing
… IndieEtiquette Bride,
Unhinged When
Wedding Dresses Attack! Book
Review: The Artful Bride The
B-word My
Best Friends' Weddings When
Bachelors Go Bad O
Brother Wed Art Thou The
Mythology of Marriage A
Marriage of My Own Why
I Popped the Question My
Wedding, My Way Happily
Ever After Am
I Really That Single? -----------
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Reviewed by Heather Moylan SPRING 2003 | My fiance was still on one knee when I started plotting our wedding crafts. The dream-sequence stars me, cross-legged in the living room, singing along to "The Sound of Music" soundtrack, a circle of beaming bridesmaids at my side. Effortlessly, cheerfully, we label save the dates, design place card holders. My first flattery as a married woman would be for my inimitable style and creativity. "Yes, Mrs. Palmer," I'd chuckle softly at the reception, eyes cast downward to imply humility, "In fact, I did hand bead the driveway." But the banal details of wedding planning soon eclipsed my glue-gun fantasies. Must it be so?
Amen.
There are how-tos for every part of the process. The four sections cover "Correspondence," "Gifts & Goodies," "Ceremony Details" and "Reception & Décor." Not one of the 30 projects is cheesy, hokey or chintzy. Instead, the ideas epitomize funky chic. Projects include: Say It with Flowers (Pansy Envelope Invitation) — Expensive engraving, outer envelopes and inner envelopes be darned — these cute and low-cost little packages get the job done, in style. Materials include vellum, pansy stickers, ribbon and creative paper. You°ll layout and print the text yourself and also handle assembly.
Practical Princess-Wear (Subtle Tiara) — A must-have because, as Paffrath puts it, "everyone should have a tiara to wear to state dinners, shopping, and baseball games." Plus, the supplies (craft wire, head band, clear crystals) are inexpensive. The final product is sweet, and simple.
Tiers of Joy (Wedding Cake Card Box) — "Think outside the box," they tell you, "or at least re-shape it." Cover three hatboxes with decorative paper and dress up with sequins, rhinestones and, the icing on the cake card box, a black-and-white mounted photo of a bride and groom (you two, or ancestors, or some unsuspecting cut-out couple). You can change the style with different paper; use buttons instead of rhinestones for a more Victorian look.
"The Artful Bride" holds your hand through every measurement, cut and fold; that help is crucial for the tougher projects. They also offer templates, a supply resource list and the equally handy guide to "Crafty Ways of Finding Help." ("Let's face it, it's a basic tenet of friendship to offer help. That's how it should be. But that doesn't make it easy to call in the offer.") If ever there was a way to fit some distinctive style — and monkey wind-up toy name cards — back into your wedding, this is it. Highly recommended for crafty Indie Brides. ----------- Heather Moylan
is a freelance writer and compulsive crafter in San ----------- Buy The Artful Bride at the Indiebride book store
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BOOK
REVIEW: 
No
— praise be to "The Artful Bride." Author April L. Paffrath and
designer Laura McFadden°s missive is incentive enough: "The people you
invite to your wedding know your sense of humor, your charm, and even
your kooky taste in music. Don't be tempted to bury those qualities
under layers of standard wedding elements."
The
book is tailored for brides desperately seeking a creative outlet in the
maelstrom of wedding planning madness. Of course, the DIY route also saves
you cash.
Knickers
with a Twist (Personalized Panties for Your Pals) — Made out of
undies (obviously), patches (i.e. Girl Scout, gas station attendant) and
embroidery thread. Ideal as bridesmaid goodies.
Hunka
Burnin' Love (Photo Votive) — Personalize a pillar candle centerpiece
with your own beaming mugs. First, copy some photo strips from a photo
booth onto vellum (at a local copy center or, if you have a scanner,
at home). Measure to the candle's height and then affix with a glue
stick. Make a bed out of uncooked rice at the table°s center.
Sticky
Guest Book (iZone Booklet for Each Table) — Put faces to the names,
giving each table their own hand-made guestbook (better than the "beautiful
and boring" stand-alone says Paffrath) and, even better, iZone cameras
and adhesive film. Outline a frame for the photos and a few lines for
the message — they'll take it from there.
The
Ties That Bind (Japanese-Style Photo Album) — A step up in both
expense and effort. Materials include a drill, bone folders and c-clamps.
You'll also want your wits about you; these diagrams are not exactly
easy, at least at first glance. But the instructions are thorough and
the end result is chic, giving tough competition for similar store-bought
books that go for $60 and up.