Confession: I've never attempted to make Martha Stewart's tissue poms.  I've written about tissue poms as affordable wedding decorations, included them on inspiration boards, and swooned over them online, but I just haven't had a need to make them...until now.

For my birthday last month, I decided to throw a good old fashioned birthday party-- the kind any kid would be proud of. Bring on the bright colors, the birthday banners, the balloons-- I wanted it all...on a budget of course! So I decided to take my own advice and try my hand at making the poms.

The verdict? Best idea ever, Martha. The poms were so pretty, I had a blast making them and they were super easy and very inexpensive to make. Definitely a winning combination!

I followed Martha Stewart's instructions here, but to prove that a regular not-so-crafty Jane can do it, here are my instructions with the photos of each step above:

1. Fold the tissue paper like you are making a fan. I played around with sizes and different colors, and I liked to have 10-12 sheets depending on the thickness of the paper.
   
2. Wrap a piece of thin wire (I used floral wire) around the middle. I also added a little loop on the wire for hanging purposes. 
3. Cut the edges to make them round or pointy.
   
4. Gently pull each layer of tissue paper up towards the middle (think flower petal). This is the fun part!! I loved the "fluffing". 
5. And that's it! You have your pretty pom that you can use for all kinds of wedding or shower decorations. I even made a Pinterest board with my favorite uses of tissue poms- check it out!

To hang these, you can use the wire loop in the middle, or these are really light enough to hang with ribbon and tape.

And of course I have to include the budget for the project:
- Tissue paper: Purchased packs of tissue paper during after-Christmas sales 30 sheets for 75¢ (so that was 25¢ per pom for me).
- Floral Wire: You can get this for about $1.50 with a 50% off coupon at a craft store- for 150 feet, which will make so many poms.

So the total cost for each pom would end up being about 30¢ each if you can get the tissue paper on sale. You'll still have to buy ribbon or string to hang them, but this is such an amazing price for a beautiful wedding detail!

Coupons.com has a new coupon available for 40¢ off one bag of Jet Puffed Marshmallows. This coupon can help you save a few bucks (especially if your store doubles!) if you are planning on having s'mores at your wedding!

Or you could use the coupon to make inexpensive favors or desserts like these DIY marshmallow pops featured on Hostess With The Mostess! Yum!

Update: It looks like the credit now applies only to a purchase of $30 or more. Still might make for some good deals but not quite as good as before.

The FREE $15 credit at One Kings Lane is still available! This site features daily sales on home decor items and accessories at all price points and is a great place to score some unique or vintage wedding details for cheap! Sign up now (it's free) to snag your free $15 credit, which is good until April! Your credit could make for some free items-- you just have to pay a flat shipping rate of $4.95.

One potential deal I saw today-- with your free $15 credit, you could get the above set of three boxes (in the Creative Co-Op sale) for just  $11.95 shipped. These would be beautiful details in a vintage-inspired wedding.

You could use one of these as a card box like above- this would be a pretty easy and inexpensive DIY project!

You could also display place cards or programs in these! Or you could just use these as details throughout your ceremony or reception- lots of possibilities!

Oh I am so excited to share this very clever DIY project of the week: Paint Swatch Bookmarks! Heather from Just Lovely Things created these bookmarks from paint swatches available at home improvement stores, and they are absolutely fantastic.

These bookmarks have so much potential as a wedding detail. Customize these with a special wedding message for guests and use them as favors. Stamp "Welcome" on them and slip them into out of town bags. Make these into innovative place cards to fit your wedding style.  So many possibilities!

And talk about budget-friendly! Even if you don't have the craft supplies on hand like Heather did, these take the cake for a cute and cheap project:

- Paint Swatches: FREE (although if you are making a lot of these, I would recommend asking the stores for discontinued swatches or visiting several stores so you don't clear out an entire section of the display)
- Ribbon or Twine: Varies, but should be a few bucks with your 40-50% off craft store coupons
- Stamp pad: $2.50 at Jo-Ann with coupon
- Stamps: Varies depending on how many you need but use your coupons!
So we are really talking a matter of pennies per bookmark!

I can't get over how creative these are! Totally in love. Head over to Just Lovely Things to get the tutorial and be prepared to be inspired all around- this site is simply fabulous.

Balls of Oreos and cream cheese in wedding outfits?? Does it get any better than this?!?These adorable Bride and Groom  Cookie Balls are this week's DIY project. I think these would be a huge hit at a bridal shower or engagement party! The cookie balls would work as dessert, a fun detail, or yummy favors.

And although these may be a little on the labor intensive side, they are absolutely affordable! You really need only four ingredients (be sure to check for any coupons here or here before you buy) and makes 48 balls. Each cookie ball should easily come out to be less than $0.30. That works on any budget!

Go to Kraft Foods to see the step by step directions for the cookie balls. I've made a version of these before and they were seriously delicious. The tricky part here is the decorating, so play around with them- you may be able to accomplish a similar bride and groom look while saving some time!

(Thanks Sara!)

The DIY Project this week is lovely, charming, easy and affordable. How's that for the perfect combination? My fabulous friend, recent bride, and Belles reader Kelly created these vintage-inspired banners for her casually elegant outdoor wedding and they were the perfect details! They brought together all of Kelly's DIY touches and added a sweet charm to several elements of her reception.

I helped Kelly make one of these banners and I couldn't believe how easy they were! The instructions:

Find scrapbook paper that fits with your wedding style. You can choose a collection of paper or several sheets of complementary paper, but I think it works best if there are several different shades and patterns.

Cut the paper into squares of the same size and shape. Kelly used a scrapbook punch to round the corners, but you could leave them square too.

Use self adhesive letters to spell out your banner message. Place one letter on each square. Your message could be anything- be creative! Use "Love is Sweet" on your cake table or dessert bar, "Take a Picture" or "Say Cheese" for a photo booth, or make it personal with your names and/or wedding date.

When you place the letters, make sure to leave space at the top for the ribbon. Then make two vertical slits a few inches apart from each other on the top of each square with scissors or utility knife. Thread one long piece of ribbon through each slit to finish the banner (make sure it's long enough to hang from where you envision it!).

And Voila!- you have a cute wedding detail that matches your wedding style.

And the best part? These are so budget-friendly!The cost breakdown:
- Stack of vintage-themed scrapbooking paper: $6 with a craft store coupon
(Kelly's tip- Jo-Ann accepts competitor's coupons, lets you use more than one coupon [one per item] at a time, and combines coupons with teachers discounts, so go there if you can. Awesome!)
- Self-adhesive letters: $4.20 with craft store coupon
- White Ribbon: $2 with craft store coupon
Total cost of supplies: $12.20, enough to make three banners!

(Thanks for the great project, Kelly!)

I'm absolutely in love with the DIY project feature this week! The creative Angie from Country Chic Cottage made this lovely rose petal chandelier from just embroidery rings, fishing line, and silk rose petals. The result is a beautiful, much more affordable alternative to similar chandeliers you can buy at home decor stores. So sweet!

This has romance written all over it. I think these chandeliers would be a stunning detail for a ceremony or reception. They'll have a huge impact on the overall atmosphere of your room at minimal costs. Hang them from the ceiling over tables or the dance floor for a whimsical, romantic effect. Swoon!

And by picking up rose petals at a dollar store like Angie did and using your weekly coupons at a craft store, you should be able to create this amazing project for just a few dollars! Ready to get started? Head over here to see the step-by-step instructions.

Have a frugal and fabulous wedding project you want to share with other brides? Contact me!

The DIY project this week blows my mind a little bit. Made by Heather at Dollar Store Crafts, who makes me both inspired and a teeny bit jealous with all of her creativity, this Martha Stewart worthy beaded chandelier is constructed of Mardi Gras beads and a hanging wire basket. And costs only $9 in supplies!! How's that for being chic on a budget?!?

These chandeliers would give an outdoor space a sophisticated touch. Hang them from a tree, over a dance floor, or inside a tent to wow guests. No one will ever guess you created these for under $10!

Ready to get started? Head over to Dollar Store Crafts for instructions and a list of supplies.

These nostalgic table numbers are an easy project that add a cute and personal touch to your reception tables. Of course, I may be biased since these were from my wedding!

The idea is to have pictures of both you and your fiance growing up on your table numbers. We chose to have our tables named after a year and then placed pictures of each of us in that year. It was so much fun going through old photos with our families and it was a huge hit with guests at the wedding!

Here is what you'll need:
- A picture frame with three openings (Dollar Tree- $1.00)
- Copies of old photos (Use one of the free photo deals posted earlier- just pay shipping)
- Cardstock to print your table numbers on (Pick up inexpensive or free cardstock whenever it is offered at one of the office supply stores)
Total Cost: $1- $1.25 per table!

The instructions are pretty self-explanatory. Find your favorite old pics, scan them, and use one of the free photo deals to order prints. Then print your table numbers on the cardstock and cut to fit the frame. You could definitely get creative with how you display the table numbers to go with your overall wedding vision.

I think this idea is a sweet way to bring in childhood memories to your big day. It was so fun to see guests go from table to table to check out all the photos (great for mingling!) and to hear the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles remembering those times.

Oh, do I have some fabulous DIY inspiration for you today! This week's featured DIY project is this creative and chic book flower from the very talented Mary at Room Polish.

Mary used the pages of an old book to create these beautiful flowers, which I think would make such cool wedding details. I love the current trend of including antique books in your reception décor, and this would be a creative way to take that idea even further. Use them to decorate your favors or spice up your tables, or place them around your reception as details with a vintage flair.

The best part is that these adorable flowers are easy and very budget-friendly! Use a book that you or a family member already has, or snag one for cheap at a yard sale. Then use a coupon at a craft store to grab an inexpensive pack of buttons, which really makes the cost of each flower just pennies! Then go here to read the step-by-step instructions on how to make the flowers.

I have a special place in my heart for antique books, and I think this is really neat way to reuse books that are falling apart or rescue a book from the trash. Thanks to Room Polish for such a neat project!