Showing posts with label keepsake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label keepsake. Show all posts

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Wedding Invitation Keepsake Ornament



With all of the weddings I have attended, I have a surplus of wedding invitations lying around that I can't bring myself to throw away. On the other hand, my house is cluttered enough, and I certainly don't know where I'll store them with the limited storage space we've got. Finally, it dawned on me (about 25 weddings too late)...I could give the invitations back to the bride and groom in the form of a keepsake ornament that they could hang up around Christmastime year after year. With my friends Sarah and Steve getting married this Saturday, I thought they'd be fantastic guinea pigs to receive the first edition of this gift! Here's how it's done...

Materials:

-wedding invitation
-scissors
-round pencil or pen
-clear, glass ornament
-ribbon
-lighter
-charms
-split ring




Instructions:

1. Cut invitation into thin strips so that there is one line of script per piece cut (refer to picture below). Since this particular invitation had cardstock 
    behind it, I decided to separate the cardstock from each of the strips and use them for added color inside of the ornament.


2. Using a rounded pencil or pen, curl each strip of paper tightly around it and slide off the pen or pencil to avoid unraveling



3. Place each of the "curls" inside of the glass ornament.


4. Cut about 8" of ribbon in a corresponding color and tie to the loop at the top of the ornament, creating a way to hang the ornament from a Christmas 
    tree. Fray the edges of the ribbon using a lighter.

5. Cut about 14" of ribbon and tie around the top of the ribbon, creating a bow in the center of the ornament. Trim off excess ribbon. Fray the edges of 
    the ribbon using a lighter.

6. Place the charms on a split ring and close the split ring around the center of the bow so that the charms dangle in the middle of the ornament for 
    added embellishment.

Here's to a lifetime of happiness and wedded bliss!!!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Questions to Ask Grandparents Journal


I have the extreme fortune of having all four of my wonderful grandparents alive and well. They are some of the most incredible people I have ever met, and my life has been so blessed as a result of them and all that they have taught me. The stories that they have shared with me over the years are those of love, strife, perseverance and family. In order to ensure that I remember their stories long after they are gone and can share them with my children and my children's children, I have put together journals filled with questions that I had my grandparents each fill out (note: you could definitely complete the journal in an interview fashion where you write in the answers, but there is something about seeing my grandparents' handwriting that I truly will cherish forever).

I gathered some questions from various suggestions online, along with information I knew I wanted to gain more specific to my grandparents. Here is the list the questions I put together...
Questions:

What is your birthdate/place?

What is your mother's full name? What are some details about her?

What is your father's full name? What are some details about him?

What are the names of your siblings?

What is your family origin?

What was/is your favorite color?

What were some of your activities in childhood?

Did you have any pets? What were they?

What were/are your hobbies then and now?

Where did you grow up?

What was your education?

What did you want to be when you grew up?

What are some of the jobs you've had?

How did the two of you meet?

When were you engaged? How did the proposal happen?

When were you married? Where? What was the wedding like?

Where was your honeymoon?

What countries have you visited?

Did you spend any time in the military?

What are your favorite foods?

What is your fondest memory of childhood?

What was life like when you were growing up?

What was your favorite toy to play with as a child?

How much did things cost when you were growing up?

Were you named after anyone?

What inventions do you remember growing up?

What did your parents do for a living?

How did you determine the names of your children?

As you look back on your life, what significant world events do you remember most?

What advice to you have to give to future generations?

My intent is to eventually copy these answers into a photo book, along with pics of my grandparents from birth to present for a family keepsake.