DIY Project: Easy No-Sew Personalized Napkins

Looking for this?  The blog has moved to Tikkido.com!  Find the full tutorial and all the photos there.  And lots more, too!

Fabulous Product: Birch Bark Napkin Rings with Rustic Elegance

I ran across these lovely birch bark napkin rings from the Vermont Branch Company and just had to share them here:

Birch Bark Napkin Ring from the Vermont Branch Company.

Sweet!  Romantic!  Rustic!  Elegant!  Natural!  Refined!  All at the same time!  Wouldn't they look great on a table along with the birch bark carved initial centerpieces from this tutorial?

Birch Bark Carved Initial Centerpiece

More Embosser Tricks: Monogram Velum Votive Candle Holders

Here's another elegant and unconventional use of a monogram embosser:

Votive embellished with velum and a monogram embosser.

To get this effect, simple cut a strip of velum, emboss with your monogram embosser (see yesterday's post), and attach to a plain votive candle holder using the same insanely simple technique used for the lace-wrapped votives.  (Spoiler alert:  it's tape.)

One word of caution when embossing velum:  use a very light touch.  If you squeeze too hard, like you would for the napkins from yesterday's post, or a piece of quality paper, you will tear through the velum.  Just squeeze a little less vigorously, and you'll be creating gorgeous monograms on velum in no time.

This technique would also look spectacular on a vase.  Imagine a centerpiece made from a glass column vase filled with a bunch of tulips (or other flowers with pretty, graphic stems) and wrapped with a strip of velum embossed with your monogram.  How elegant, and how incredibly simple for a DIY bride.

Sneak Peak: Swarovski Rhinestone Napkin Rings

More napkin rings!  (Told you I was on a kick.)

Here's a little sneak peak of a product we'll soon be offering at Tradewind Tiaras.  I love the concept of napkin rings, but I've always thought it's too bad that most napkin rings are made out of such sub-standard materials.    They're pretty expensive, too, especially considering that they're made from just a few cents worth of plastic crystals!  So dissapointing.

Out of desperation, I made my own.  They are so sparkly, so special.  They have that fire and flash only Swarovski can add.  High quality materials really do make all the difference in the world!

We'll be offering them for sale, of course, but we'll also be offering them to rent!  If you love the look, but don't have the budget for all 150 of your guests, we'll have a very affordable rental option to help dress up your table settings!  Watch the Tradewind Tiaras website for them soon!

Fabulous Products: Tissue Paper Pom Napkin Rings

We've all seen the tissue paper poms that Martha Stewart made popular several years ago.

Ceiling decor at The Canterbury Place reception site in Utah:

Poms are a fabulous way to add high impact, colorful decor without breaking the budget.

But that's not all tissue poms can do.  

How about this absolutely delightful idea from Etsy seller melodywei?  Tissue pom napkin rings!

These would add such beauty and elegance to even the most simple place settings.  You could even add a simple paper leaf, write your guests' names on the leaf, and they'd double as gorgeous place cards, too!