Best of 2015: DIY

Oh So Beautiful Paper: The Best of 2015 / Calligraphy by Cast Calligraphy

Image by Cast Calligraphy

We had SO many fun DIY projects on OSBP this year! Lots of really pretty printables, from tropical envelope liners to calligraphy Halloween favor bags, and some fun DIY foil projects where I tried (and failed) to resist the urge to put hologram foil on everything in sight. There were DIY rubber stamp wedding invitations and save the dates, and way more DIY party and entertaining ideas than in previous years. Also, paper flowers! I’ve been loving Rachael’s crepe paper flower posts and Mandy made some amazing gold paper air plants before heading off on maternity leave last year. We ended the year on a DIY high note with one of my all time favorite projects: DIY gold and copper leaf gift tags! And I’ve got lots of new DIY ideas and projects up my sleeves for 2016 that I can’t wait to share with all of you! But in the meantime, here are a few of my absolute favorite DIY projects from 2015!

DIY Balloon Cocktail Shaker Engagement Party Invitations / A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Balloon Engagement Party Invitation in a Cocktail Shaker

DIY Gold Paper Air Plants / Craftcourse Nashville for Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Gold Paper Air Plants!

Printable Watercolor Wedding Stationery Details / Bright Room Studio for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Printable Hand Lettered Watercolor Wedding Stationery Details

Printable Tropical Envelope Liners / Swiss Cottage Designs for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Printable Tropical Envelope Liners

DIY Hologram Foil Ice Cream Wrappers / Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Hologram Foil Ice Cream Cone Wrappers

DIY Crepe Paper Poppy Escort Cards / Appetite Paper for Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Crepe Paper Poppy Escort Cards

Printable Calligraphy Halloween Favor Bags / A Fabulous Fete for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Printable Calligraphy Halloween Favor Bags

DIY Pink and Gold Foil Advent Calendar / Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Pink and Gold Foil Paper Flower Advent Calendar

DIY Gold and Copper Leaf Hexagon Gift Tags / Oh So Beautiful Paper

DIY Gold and Copper Leaf Hexagon Gift Tags

Looking for even more DIY ideas and inspiration? Check out all of our past projects in the DIY archives!

Cozy Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations

Happy Monday everyone! Since it’s Christmas week and all, I thought it would be fun to share these cozy Christmas Eve wedding invitations from Lauren at Darling + Pearl! With metallic silver envelopes, burgundy ink, wool yarn to tie everything together, and gorgeous envelope calligraphy, these invitations are perfect for a winter gathering!

Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations by Darling & Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

From Lauren: This invitation suite was inspired by Christmastime in the Northeast: warm and cozy sweaters, hot chocolate, seasonal baked goods, cocktails, friends and family all gathering around an adorable little christmas tree farm for a winter wedding. The invitation and reply cards are letterpress printed with and additional enclosure that adds a really great graphic element and keeps everything exciting.

Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations by Darling & Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations by Darling & Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

The envelope calligraphy was done by Therese Swift Hahn of Bella Scrittura. Everything was wrapped in merino wool yarn (kinda like a little present) to lend another nod to the season and the envelope liners bring in dash of metallic silver that complements Therese’s work on the reply envelopes.

Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations by Darling & Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations by Darling & Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Christmas Eve Wedding Invitations by Darling & Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Thanks Lauren!

Design and Letterpress Printing: Darling + Pearl

Envelope Calligraphy: Therese Swift Hahn of Bella Scrittura

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Darling + Pearl

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Share and celebrate your family update. Shop Shutterfly for personalized holiday cards that are unique, meaningful and that are just the way you want.

The holidays are all about tradition. Both the old traditions we grew up with and the new traditions we establish as we marry and grow our own families, like sending beautiful holiday cards with a thoughtful handwritten note to family and friends! Laura is a recent newlywed, longtime OSBP reader, and a stationery enthusiast. Laura and her husband Jeremy eloped earlier this summer, but celebrated their marriage a few weeks ago with a big, epic, DIY wedding for all of their family and friends. This will be Laura and Jeremy’s first time sending holiday photo cards as a married couple and we were super excited to work with Shutterfly to start this new tradition!

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Laura and Jeremy's DIY Backyard Wedding with Flower Crowns / Photo by Emily Wren / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Laura and Jeremy did everything for their wedding by hand – enlisting the help of their very talented friends to hand dye lanterns, wrap favors, create flower crowns and bouquets, and so much more. The gorgeous wedding photos by Emily Wren were just begging to make an appearance on her holiday cards! Shutterfly’s beautiful foil-stamped holiday photo cards were the perfect way to share a favorite wedding photo with friends and family. Laura was immediately drawn to Shutterfly’s Susurration of Snow design with rounded edges and a simple holiday message in gold foil, which paired beautifully with a photo from Laura and Jeremy’s first dance.

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

From Laura: This is our first time sending holiday photo cards! I love all things paper, so I was really excited to start the tradition of sending holiday cards as a married couple. I’m the kind of person that likes to do things myself and our wedding was an epic DIY affair, so it was important to me that our holiday cards included calligraphy elements and had a space for a handwritten message.

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

I fell for the Susurration of Snow design because it reminded me of all the things I love about the holidays. I was really attracted to the gold foil and the handwritten calligraphy elements, which made the card feel extra special. When we paired our first dance photo with that particular design I felt like the snow flakes really warmed up the photo visually – like a cozy hug. I also loved how the snowflakes and snow dust blended seamlessly with the sparklers in the background. The cheerful envelope liners were also a big bonus! The liners make the holiday cards feel extra special for everyone receiving them and bring a sense of importance to our holiday cards. The overall design feels very warm and inviting – and will remind our families of what a happy year 2015 has been for us.

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

The gold foil with a black and white wedding photo? So gorgeous. When it comes to holiday photo cards, I prefer a matte photo printed directly onto the paper. It just feels so much more luxe and special. Also, I’m completely obsessed with Laura’s flower crown, and the fact that Laura and Jeremy are positively glowing made it the perfect choice for her holiday photo cards.

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

We left the back of the card blank to allow for a handwritten message to friends and family and picked out an adorable envelope liner to complement the design. White envelopes addressed in shimmery gold ink by Meant To Be Calligraphy and paired with songbird postage stamps were the perfect finishing details!

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Handwritten Holiday Traditions with Shutterfly Holiday Photo Cards with Gold Foil / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Laura and I are both thrilled with how her holiday photo cards turned out, and I know her friends and family will love receiving a card that represents such a joyful moment in their life together!

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Share and celebrate your family update. Shop Shutterfly for personalized holiday cards that are unique, meaningful and that are just the way you want.

Photo Credits: Laura’s wedding photos by Emily Wren, all other photos by Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations

These classic letterpress wedding invitations from designer Amanda Day Rose feature elegant typography paired with organic elements I’m loving the combination of dark green ink and gold foil!

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

From Amanda: The bride and groom really wanted their invitations to reflect the natural yet timeless look of their wedding celebration. I designed a custom monogram with a minimal, organic wreath to tie in the overflowing greenery they planned to incorporate in their wedding celebration. I chose really elegant typography to ensure the look would be one they would fall in love with all over again in 50 years!

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

I then added small touches of organic elements for a completely customized look. The entire invitation suite was printed on a beautiful, creamy Italian cotton paper for a luxurious, yet natural feel. We chose gold foil envelope liners to enhance the timeless look as soon as guests open the envelopes, and to tie in the gold elements they used throughout their wedding day celebration.

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

We tied in the remaining elements of their day-of stationery with the dark green ink and monogram throughout their wedding day, and even added a custom monogrammed wax seal to the escort cards and programs for an additional timeless feel.

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Timeless Green and Gold Foil Wedding Invitations by Amanda Day Rose / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Thanks Amanda!

Design: Amanda Day Rose

Printing: Page Stationery

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Caroline Lima

Pastel Marbled Wedding Invitations

Pastels are having a major moment this fall – especially shades of pale lavender and lilac! Today we’re getting even more gorgeous pastel inspiration with these wedding invitations from Lauren at Darling + Pearl Letterpress. I’m especially in love with the lavender script text and pastel-colored marbled envelope liners!

Pastel Marbled Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

From Lauren: These invitations were originally created for The Big Fake Wedding in Philadelphia. The inspiration for these invitations was a mood board created by Ashley Buzzy Lettering and Press: a whimsical and dream-like scene with an array of pastel colors. It was really interesting working with visual inspiration that was not at all paper related. This process was much more organic and more about the feel and emotion of the event. Working through the design from that avenue was so enjoyable!

Pastel Marbled Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

This entire suite was letterpress printed. The invitation and response cards were printed in lavender ink on double thick cotton stock. The website card was printed in silver on bright plum paper and set into a tiny vellum envelope along with silver confetti and sealed with some silver crackle washi tape. The light kraft envelopes were lined in beautiful pastel handmade marble paper that really tied the entire suite together. The warm gray response envelope added to the depth of the entire design.

Whimsical Marbled Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Whimsical Marbled Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

I enjoy finding typefaces that complement each other and – every once in a while – I like the idea of letting the script take the “back seat” and handle the body text while the serif handles the name text. It’s a less traditional concept, but the aesthetic totally stands out. 

Whimsical Marbled Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Whimsical Marbled Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Thanks Lauren!

Design and Letterpress Printing: Darling + Pearl

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Darling + Pearl