Signage is absolutely adorable, and it seems as though all weddings have a bit of it here and there. It is a great way for guests to be able to know where to go and what is going on, and it also makes a fun keepsake for the bride and groom. This is an easy DIY project that can cost little to nothing if you have the right things on hand.

Here is a short list of what is needed: wood cut into the shape and size you prefer (can be plywood, but leftover siding was used for this project!), base coat or stain, paint in both a light and a dark color (leftover paint was used for this project), and some way to display the sign (make it freestanding, add screws and another sandwich board to the back, hang, lean against something .. this is up to you and the space you have available for your signage).

After your board is cut to your desired shape and size, stain the board in the color of your choosing. This board was already the perfect color so no staining was required. You can use chalk or a pencil to mark out the letters. One of the beauties of DIY projects is that it is handcrafted and perfection is not always required!

Here the words have been painted in, but they are not quite done yet!

An outline of darker paint around the lettering makes the words really pop, and the lines add some much needed dimension to the board … cute!

Voila … the finished product! It is so adorable. An arrow can be added to show direction, and this is such a great keepsake. As far as how to display the sign … that is again determined by where you would like to hang the sign. What a simple, fun project that can be completed in just a few hours.

Special thanks goes out to Emily Kim Bart. She had such a beautiful DIY wedding that I have gotten a bunch of ideas from. Thank you so much, Emily, for letting Hill City Bride in on your spectacular wedding DIY projects. Oh, and after all of that hard work doing a DIY, you may just want to head on over to SPA 4109 to pamper yourself … what a treat!

This is a reposting of an old post… I am trying a new program and needed to test out a post. For those of you who have not seen this, I hope you enjoy it!

Heather Cheatham of Visions by Heather has such a lovely photography style that captures such vibrant colors along with paying tribute to the personalities of the couple. I adore all of the little touches in this wedding, and here are Heather’s own words about the wedding.

Located in Vinton, VA at the Boxtree Lodge, this was a complete DIY wedding with the most darling details.  They were “A Perfect Pair” with a play on words; they used pears throughout with summery green accents against classic navy dresses and cobalt glassware on their tables.  They offered pear butter to friends and family to take home and hung unique quotes about love and marriage on eatch bottle on every table.  They crafted adorable signs everywhere.  Her sister sketched a beautiful tree on paper the morning of her wedding to be used for a unique guest “book” where they left thumbprints and their names to start their own “tree” together of family and friends.  Even the children participated by carrying a “here comes the bride” sign before the processional.  Simple acoustic guitar music was played for the processional and ceremony – only they were their own personal choices of Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Lynyrd Skynard’s “Freebird”.  Colorful lanterns adorned the inside of the rustic lodge and lights twinkled in every corner.  It was a cozy event on a beautiful day.

Thank you again, Heather for sharing this stunning event with the readers of Hill City Bride! To view more of Heather’s work, just click here to go straight to her website.

Well, of course, leave it to Pinterest to have great ideas… this is not new news, right? I found this little sign, which I think is so darling, and it can have a variety of uses. Transform it into a directional sign, or even have it say “bride” and “groom”. This is super cute and easy!

Head on over to Ruffled to find full instructions on how to make your own. If you would like to follow our Pinterest boards, click for either our DIY or signage boards. There is a lot of inspiration there!

I am on “blogiday” this week spending time with family and friends. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you get a chance to relax and take a little bit of a break, too. I will see you with everything fresh and new in January!

Something has to be said for the combination of budget shopping and creativity … call it resourcefulness, thrift or thinking out of the box, but this project definitely exemplifies all of the above! When Emily Kim Bart found some planters on clearance (I love it when things are budget friendly) for just $1.25, her thoughts started churning, and she was able to turn the planters into adorable little markers for the food at her wedding.

I am not expecting you to go out and find exactly what Emily did, but a lot of the secret in doing DIY projects is personalizing it and making it your own. So, I encourage you to think about things in a new way and appreciate them for the possibilities like is shown in today’s post. Enjoy this little DIY, and hopefully it gets your mind’s wheels turning, too!

Here are the planters before the project was started. Not too bad, but repurposing them is definitely a great idea at $1.25 each!!

The pieces were disassembled, and both can be used for other projects somehow. The wooden planters are sturdy, but they need some sprucing up.

Cream colored paint was lightly applied to the wood in order to give it a whitewashed look for a vintage, garden wedding.

Emily added extra moss to cover the top of the planter. Small signs were printed off of the computer onto cardstock. I love how the handwriting adds a personal touch … of course it helps if you have nice handwriting! Holes were punched into the paper, and Emily used sticks that she found in order to impale the paper. What a cute effect this has … perfect for a casual wedding.

Thank you, Emily Kim Bart, for sharing these with us. I love to look at items and think about what they could be turned into with a little bit of effort. The fact that she combined a DIY with a small budget is a definite plus. I wonder what this will inspire Hill City Bride’s readers to do. Any ideas?

Once again, I am glad to have Amanda Carver of Amanda Carver Designs guest posting today. I love how she finds something she loves, refuses to pay an astronomical price and then goes out and finds how to make it on a budget. Oh, and I also love how she shares it with us, too. Thanks again, Amanda!

Here are the steps:

1. Started with a pair of these beauties … $5 a piece from a local thrift store. The key is a chunky frame.

2. I then removed the back off the frame, and then sprayed both of the frames with three coats of high gloss white spray paint (Valspar). The result was this …

3. Then I used a cork shelf liner I found at Big Lots, (happens to be Martha Stewart). I did not do much cork research, so there may be some better options, but this is what I used … it worked!

4. I cut it to fit the inside of the frame and hot glued it in place!

This was SO fun. I wouldn’t call it quick (three coats with the proper drying time took a while) but worth the wait. Total cost..$15. Not bad!

This would be adorable at a wedding! Some possible ways to use a corkboard at your wedding…

1. Display your dinner menu on the buffet table

2. To give instructions at the gift table

3. For a “Wedding this Way” sign

4. Could be used for a Save the Date card

And the options could go on and on. What a great way to personalize your big day!

Thank you again, Amanda! For more wonderful ideas for your home or wedding, just click here to view Amanda’s blog.