Pressed Flower Wedding Gift: Botanical Wreath w/ Paper Cutouts
Sharing the process behind one of my all-time favorite creations made with pressed flowers, paper cutouts, and lots of love.
This article was originally published on a WordPress blog that I’ve retired in favor of Substack. Thanks for reading!
In my recent series, Tried and True Tips for Crafting on a Budget, I promised to share my all-time favorite budget craft with you. It's this beautiful botanical wedding wreath, which I created for a friend last year. (She actually just celebrated her one-year wedding anniversary! 💕)
I mentioned having used seven of my 12 money-saving tips when making this, and that I only had to buy one thing for it. In today's post, I'll go into detail about exactly how I made it and where all of the materials came from. Read on to take a look at how I made a beautiful pressed flower wedding gift with paper cutouts of the bride and groom, all on a shoestring budget!
Sidenote: If you missed Tried and True Tips for Crafting on a Budget, here are the links to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Check those out for a dozen budget-friendly ideas that will save you a ton of money. You might even get inspired to let your thrifty mindset lead you to new projects as I did with this one!
How it all started
Around this time last year, I had just finished watching NBC’s delightful craft competition show, Making It. The show had me itching to make something over the weekend, but my timing wasn't very good. You see, I was packing my bags and heading to the airport to attend a wedding in my hometown.
Luckily, my mom is just as artsy as I am (she's a fantastic watercolorist!) and she maintains a handy stash of craft supplies at home. Upon my arrival, I went digging around for pretty bits and bobs.
Originally I set out to make a card for a dear friend's wedding but got quite carried away with excitement and inspiration... I discovered a treasure trove of pressed flowers and couldn't stop the surge of creativity. The result was a big 12x12 shadowbox piece!
The piece features little paper outfits for the bride & groom surrounded by a floral wreath. I adored the process of creating the “his” and “hers” dainty details. And, aside from the frame, I used only materials I already had in my craft supply stash.
I'm really proud of how it turned out and am even more thrilled that these two incredible people tied the knot!!
How I made the most of the materials I had
Following the heels of my series of advice for crafting on a budget, I thought I'd break down the process as it relates to each of the thrifty tips I shared:
Make crafts that double as gifts
I was in the mood to make something, and luckily I had the perfect occasion to make something for. Honestly, I can't think of a more beautiful or romantic pressed flower wedding gift idea! When it comes to registries, I often like getting the recipient one thing from their registry and making a second piece to go along with it. After all, what could be more thoughtful than a handmade gift for a special day?
Let others know about your crafting obsession
I had told my mom ahead of time that I was thinking of making something, so she gathered up as many supplies as she could find from her stash. Having a crafter-in-crime to help fuel your creative projects is great for your spirit and your savings!
Start a new project with the materials you already have
It was the pressed flowers that kicked off the whole project. Once I figured out what to do with those, I kept experimenting with different paper types and techniques until I liked how things looked together.
Save your scraps (and everything else)
The piece of scrapbook paper I used for the background was actually something I'd picked up years before. I finally found the perfect use for it! My friend is an avid writer, so I thought the romantic script would be a nice detail to incorporate. And the pressed flowers and other papers were leftovers from past projects.
Buy versatile variety packs
The green and cream cardstock came out of a multipack, as did the patterned papers. I used little snippets of earthy, vintage-inspired patterned cardstock that my mom had purchased a while ago. (I think it was around the time she made my bridal shower invites!) These ended up as the groom's plaid tie and pocket square, and the belt around the bride's dress. It was great to have a little bit of pattern and texture to play around with.
Be open to using cheaper materials
I could have gone out and bought special glue for the pressed flowers or fancy adhesive for the paper cutouts. Instead, I just used basic PVA glue for the flowers and worked with a simple glue stick and some leftover glue dots to assemble the bride and groom. I was happy to discover that the glue dots could give the suit jacket some dimension. Not sure I would have thought to try that if I was shopping for the supplies!
Take advantage of mobile coupons and seasonal sales
The shadowbox frame was the only thing I needed to purchase for this project. And, of course, I used a 40% off coupon at Joann's so it wasn't that expensive at all.
In the end, I did end up making a card with the couple’s initials, plus a little gift tag as well. I just couldn’t help myself! 🙈
I'd love to hear the story behind your favorite budget-friendly craft creation. Was there a time when you made something really amazing out of things you had lying around already? Or have you ever created a pretty pressed flower wedding gift for a loved one? Tell me all about it in the comments below!