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!

I adore the DIY project feature this week- a lovely Handmade Flower created by Lynn at Sunshowers and Rainshine shared on The Bride's Cafe. It is full of style while being incredibly budget-friendly- and it's a fabulous alternative to pricey flower details at wedding boutiques!

This could be the perfect finishing touch for so many wedding aspects- a whimsical flower in your hair, a chic belt on a bridesmaid dress or a fun detail to spice up a plain clutch. And you could easily customize this to your personal taste by selecting a flower or beads in your wedding colors.

Lynn doesn't include her price break down, but here is my estimate for the project costs from a bargain shopper's perspective:

• Silk Flower: You should be able to snag one on sale or with coupon at Michael's for $2.00
• Beads: $1.20 with 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby
• Ribbon/hair clips/head band- varies depending on your style, but easily doable in the $1.00 to $4.00 range.
• If you don't have basic supplies like a needle and thread, ruler, etc. on hand you should be able to borrow them to avoid additional costs.
  
• Total Cost: Between $4.20 and $7.20! 

To see the step-by-step instructions, go to the Handmade Flower post at The Bride's Cafe. I can't wait to try this one!

This week's Do It Yourself project is fantastic because it is cute, cheap, and easy to make! These chalkboard vases would be perfect as table decorations or reception details on your big day. The chalkboard paint is a fun touch- use it to personalize the vases with your initials, table numbers, or special messages to your guests!

I made these out of recycled Starbucks Frappuccino bottles because I loved their shape, but you could do the same with any glass bottles you like. To make this very budget-friendly, just keep bottles and jars from items you already use.

Supplies:
- Glass bottles or jars
- Masking tape
- Chalkboard spray paint
- Chalk
- Flowers

Step 1: Remove labels and soak in warm, soapy water to remove any label residue. When you dry the bottles they should be completely smooth so you don't have any imperfections in the paint.

Step 2: Cover the areas you do not want painted in masking tape. My bottles had expiration dates on them, so I made sure that those would be covered with the paint.

Step 3: Paint the bottles with the spray paint. This is messy, so do it outside with cardboard under the bottles. I found that two coats make for a much better finish, so let the first coat dry and do it again.

Step 4: Remove the tape and admire your handiwork.

Step 5: Make them pretty! Use chalk to personalize the vases and fill with flowers that match your wedding colors and theme. I just love how these turned out!

The cost breakdown:
- Frappucino bottles- got them on sale for $1.00 each. Make this cheaper by using bottles from your recycle bin!
- Chalkboard Spray Paint- $3.50 from A.C. Moore with 50% off coupon
- Chalk- $1 at Target for way more that I needed
Total cost per vase: $2.50! Plus, the spray paint and chalk could last for many more vases, so your cost per vase will go down if you make more. Definitely budget-friendly!

I'm not including the cost of flowers, since this will vary greatly depending on what you envision, but the flowers pictured are from one bouquet I picked up at Safeway for $9.99! Nice!

I have all of these cool DIY projects lined up to share with you, but the weather is not cooperating for me to do some painting! So while I am waiting for things to clear up, I thought I would repost the this brownie pop project. I posted this in the fall, but some of the new readers may not have seen it.

I have become a big fan of brownie pops! Here's why: They are the completely adorable, they make fabulous favors for bridal showers or weddings and you can make them yourself inexpensively!

And I know this because I made them as favors for a bridal shower in the fall. Now I don't consider myself an especially crafty person (as much as I want to be), but I made the brownie pops without any catastrophes and was absolutely thrilled with how they turned out!

You can buy brownie pops from bakeries or even from online wedding shops, but when I've seen them, they run $3-$5 each, which is personally out of my price range. Instead, I decided to try to make them myself (with several back-up plans in mind), which turned out to be an extremely budget-friendly option!

I purchased fudge brownie mix at my grocery store (you can often find coupons here , here or here) and also grabbed a bag of chocolate chips and two jars of fun sprinkles. Then I got lollipop sticks and treat bags at my local Michael's- where I , of course, used my 40% off coupons, and used purple ribbon I had on hand.

There are several recipes for brownie pops online, but I kind of combined a few of them. Here's what worked for me:
  - I made the brownies according the package and then let them cool over night.
  - Then I rolled the brownies into small balls in the morning. Since I used fudge brownie mix, I didn't need to mix in frosting or anything else- they formed into balls easily.
  - I placed the brownie balls on a baking sheet covered in wax paper into the freezer for about 90 minutes.
  - Then I melted chocolate chips (I added a little butter to make it smooth), rolled each ball into the mixture, placed a lollipop stick in it, and immediately put sprinkles on it. 
  - After each ball was covered in chocolate and sprinkles, I put it back on the baking sheet and refrigerated it for another hour.
  - Finally, I put each brownie pop in a bag and tied it with ribbon. I kept all the brownie pops in the refrigerator until I brought them to the shower, which I really think helped to keep them together.

Although they certainly took some time to make, it was relatively easy and I was so happy with the final result (and so relieved I didn't have to resort to my back up plans)! And my total cost of supplies? Only $13- due to my awesome coupons! And that's for 45 brownie pops, which makes them only $0.29 each!

I think these are a such a fabulous favor for guests- especially for bridal showers! They look great on the tables, they are so yummy, and they are a nice gift for guests that won't break the bank. And if you were feeling especially ambitious, these would definitely work as wedding favors or would be an adorable addition to a dessert bar!

I'm so excited to start a weekly DIY feature on Belles on a Budget! Each week, I'll post a stylish and budget-friendly wedding project. They will come from all over- other fabulous blogs and websites, some of my own DIY projects and from all of you! If you have a wedding project you would like to submit for consideration, contact me.

The project today comes from the very talented Nicole of Thrifty Decorating. She created this gorgeous rose wreath out of pink tissue paper for only $3.00! How's that for budget-friendly?!?

I think this wreath would make a beautiful wedding detail. Hang it on the door to your ceremony or reception for a romantic touch that is much less expensive than a real flower wreath. Or personalize the project by making monogram wreaths! You can see Nicole's very clear step-by-step instructions here and make sure to check out the rest of her blog- she has so many creative ideas!