Mustaches

Hi Everyone!

It's been a few days, but here I am: very excited to tell you about the mustaches I've been making, right here in my little studio!

I've recently done listings for mustaches in my Etsy shop. There are mustache straw decorations as well as DIY mustache packs. The latter are ideal for decorating straight straws, cards, tags, and so forth, or you can simply add a stick and some adhesive and you have some fun photo props.  Mustaches are cut from sturdy double-sided cardstock and they come in black, dark brown or dark grey. The straws come in pink, red, green or blue. 

Lips and a few other fun items will also be available soon, as well as ready-made photo props. I will do another post once those listings are up.

You can purchase the mustaches via my Etsy shop, or you can e-mail me at almostamsterdam(at)gmail.com.

Traditional Bunting

I can't do a series of posts about garlands and bunting without including some traditional bunting! I saw these stunning photographs of tradional bunting (apparently made by the bride herself) on the website of one of my favourite photographers and I fell head over heels in love with the fresh, but romantic look created with the bunting made from fabric in shades of mainly pink and blue.



Source: http://www.nastassjaharvey.com/2011/01/iaan-christine-29-october-2010-kleinevalleij/

Ribbon chandelier

I know I'm supposed to be on a bunting and garland spree and technically speaking a ribbon chandelier does not qualify as one of the two, but I wanted to do a post on it, as it is also something that you can hang up and use to decorate space above a table, under a tree, or wherever you want to! (And because I love ribbon and lace and am totally in love with any idea that promotes the use of these materials for projects that aren't too feminine and girly! I am married to a man who will probably move to the garden shed if I decided to decorate our home with ribbons tied in bows, but I'm sure even he can live with something this pretty!) The image below comes from 100 layer cake and there are general tips on how to make your own ribbon chandelier here, but the idea can easily be adapted, if you would prefer a ribbon garland.

The image below is from a wedding in Franschoek, South Africa, and I think this combination of ribbon, crystals and paper butterflies is absolutely stunning!

Here you can see a close-up:

Source for both these images: http://www.zara-zoo.com/blog/le-franschhoek-leverger-wedding/

Pompom Garland

I've seen this Pompom Garland on Etsy. Millalove describes the garland as "possibly the happiest thing I've created"! I must agree: this garland will bring happiness to any setting. Millalove is based in the UK, which means you won't have to wait too long for shipping if you want to order one!

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/41969765/pom-pom-garland

Pompoms are easy to make (many of us have made them as children) so you can also make your own pompom garland if you have some time on your hands. You can find instructions for making pompoms all over the web, for example here  (movie) and here (written instructions)!

Fabric Scrap Garland 2

I came across this beautiful garland that's in the same style as those in the previous post, so I thought I'll add this picture before moving on to different styles of bunting. This time the fabric strips are longer and closer together - almost ribbon-like. If you're lazy or pressed for time you can simply rip your fabric into strips to form ribbons and then cut them to the desired length afterwards!

Fabric Scrap Garland 1

Bunting and garlands are such a fun way to add festivity to a special celebration or to just add a bit of fun to a room in your home. There are just so many lovely ideas out there that I've decided to do a few different posts. Thought I'll start off with this one, which is so easy to do yourself, even if you're not good at sewing!

Source: http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/90164

Source: http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/90170

Source: http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/90169

You can simply use a sewing machine to stitch random scraps of fabric (more or less rectangular) into a garland by stitching through the scraps and leaving some open spaces in between. What's great about this is that you can use fabric scraps and offcuts or go green and recycle some old clothes that you won't wear again, or other textiles from around the house. Or you may use fabric that holds some special memories for you ...

Don't own a sewing machine or intimidated by yours? Then you can create something similar by hand! Simply thread your fabric scraps onto embroidery thread with a needle. This will take a little longer, but it's an easy project to finish while watching your favourite tv programme!

Source: I don't know! If this photo belongs to you, please let me know the details. I would love to give you credit, but I can't remember where I found it!