DIY Wedding Challenge: Beach Inspired, Shell Embellished Wedding Programs

SUPPLIES:

These were puchased online and at Michael's Craft Stores:

-cardstock (1 8.5x10 sheet per cover) (I used Aqua Sparkle)

-Basho/Japanese Woven Cane Paper (1 24"x36" sheet)

-Contrasting cardstock to back cane paper (optional) (I used Chocolate Sparkle)

-Rubber cement

-Hot glue gun

-Thin, brown satin ribbon

-2-3" sand dollar shells

-Stapler

-Program insert (I printed ours on regular, white paper with my inkjet at home)

-Paper trimmer with cutting and scoring blade.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using the paper trimmer, I cut down the Aqua Sparkle cardstock to 5.5 x 11 to fold into a 5.5 program. To make a clean crease for the fold I used the scoring blade.

I also cut down the Basho into 3" squares and the Chocolate cardstock into 4" squares.

2. I used rubber cerment to glue a 3" squre of Basho to a 4" square of brown sparkle cardstock and adhered all of that to the cernter of the cover.  

Basho can be purchased online:

3. I topped it all off with a 2.5" sand dollar which I affixed with a hot glue gun.  The sand dollars came from US Shell.

 

4. Once dried and set, I inserted the program pages (which were cut down to 5.25 x 10.5, folded and stapled in the fold to secure together) and tied in place with a thin, chocolate brown satin ribbon.  For our inserts I decided to include everything for the ceremony and reception in one place, including our seating chart for the dinner:

As well as the menu for our cocktail hour and dinner:

This eliminated the neccesity for additional paper menus, seating charts, etc.

NOTE: To package for shipping from CA to HI I wrapped each finished program in tissue paper and boxed well for the shipment. Not one shell broke!Here's how they looked on our wedding day: