project crafty maccrafterson

Thanks so much to each and every of you who write to me or left comments with your personal suggestions and advice on all things wedding, and all things neighbour-related.

The Brit and I trawled through tons of budget spreadsheets (fun fun fun!) this weekend, reassessing, rejigging, panicking, and basically, instead of Friday night down the pub, spent it on looking into some of the advice you all sent me.

Much of the advice helped carve out more budgetry decisions we had to make, with one ample one being cutting our flower budget (which was $$$ to start with), and me deciding to fling myself into the world of craft.

CRAFT, dude.

I don't do craft; not by choice, just because, well, I've always had more boring, grown up things to do on my weekends. Like drink at the pub and buy shoes.
I haven't made anything really exciting out of paper and ribbons and things since I was at varsity. And the last thing I made using colours and creativity was a mixtape cassette cover.
Get out, right?

But times have changed. It's Hammer Hibernation Time. We are trying to save money to catch up with our ever-increasing wedding budget, which means not going out and spending any money until winter is over.

Banned myself from shops and shopping (gah!) unless it has something to do with the wedding, and have resigned ourselves to mainly taking refuge at home watching Jo Brand's Big Splash while eating beans on toast.

So, after reading everyone's advice, going through my wedding magazines, and various wedding blogs and ideas pages, realised: The answer to all of this (budget, winter, having something fun to amuse myself with at home) is CRAFT, motherfucker.

(On the picture above. It might not look as good as this. I'm almost 100% certain it won't. Just setting expectations.)

I am going to design and make (yes make!) all of our wedding stationery. Oh yes I am!
Bring forth the paper, twine, stamps and paper doilies, dog, I'm ON IT LIKE A CAR BONNET!

It'll probably look a little home-made, and a little eccentric, but as all of you said loosely in your suggestions - something unashamedly us, something thoughtful, unique and where love and time
has been invested, makes a wedding a lot more personal and fun.
And can I just say how very excited at the prospect of whiling away hours at the dining room table with a bottle of £5 plonk, each weekend? So much, I am literally aroused at the thought. 

England is a great place to live if you're into making your own things. Firstly, you can buy anything and everything off the internet, delivered to your door. There are tons of sites and cool things out there.
I've bought ink pads, rubber stamps, and have trailed through sites like Not On The High Street, Hobby Craft, and Etsy. By the looks of things, if you don't  craft, you're terribly uncool. A far cry from the image of your Nan crocheting a pot holder in her floral armchair.

Straight home tonight to start a scrapbook and play with stamps and twine. Hooray!

Maybe by the end of 'Wedding Project: Crafty MacCrafterson,' I will be a recognised, AMAZING craft artiste (not artist, artiste), and if people don't remember the catering or flowers or even my dress, they will say "You know, I don't remember a thing. Except for the place settings and menus. Totally memorable. Classy yet fun. And you know, she actually fucking made them."