Homemade confetti tutorial

I love a wedding.

I have had the pleasure of being involved in many weddings this year through the handcrafted bespoke gifts in my Etsy shop.

Some have been made for strangers who have found my personalised items though Google or Etsy searches and some have been for friends of friends. I like this type of order as I get to hear some of the feedback.

Last week I made two frames for a colleague and after returning from one of the weddings this week he volunteered the following feedback from the groom: "Mate, I f***ing love what you gave me, it's brilliant. Better than all the other c**p we got!".

I think roughly translated that means he liked it! Praise indeed.

I think whenever you give a wedding gift it should show the couple how much you care about them. It should be something that's chosen with love, and if it's handmade with a personal touch, specifically for the happy couple, then even better.

I've been to one wedding this summer and of course, I made a map frame for the bride and groom, with a map showing the location of the church and reception venue. But with by brain on 'handmade' overdrive I started thinking about other ways I could bring something individual, made with love and care, to this special day.

I am also incapable of throwing anything away, so this project was just perfect. I was recently ill and off work and my colleagues sent a huge bunch of gorgeous peonies and roses. I was really disappointed when they started to go over, past their best but just in time I found inspiration to make something with them. We also had a few rain damaged roses which, once they'd spent a day in the sunshine drying out, were ideal for this project.  Never again will I think in despair "what can I do with dying flowers?".

An added advantage of this wonderful confetti - as if it could't get any better - is that it is completely biodegradable.

I am off to a wedding again on Friday and my homemade confetti will be coming with me!

Homemade confetti tutorial 

Step 1 - Choose your flowers. I use roses and peonies as the petals seem to dry to a nice crisp finish and they don't take too long. I tried it with purple Lisianthus but the petals were just too waxy and they didn't dry out at all. Even if your blooms are on the turn, they'll still be fine for homemade confetti, as long as they haven't completely shrivelled up.

Step 2 - Line a few baking trays or cardboard boxes / lids with kitchen roll. Gently remove the petals one by one from the flower head. Lay out each petal on the kitchen towel making sure that the petals do not touch. If they do they will dry together. It will take up quite a bit of kitchen roll to keep them spaced out properly but they can be condensed in the next step.

Step 3 - Leave the petals to dry in a cool and shady place, away from direct sunlight. After a couple of days, the petals will have started to dry out and will have reduced in size. At this stage you can condense down the number of trays you need as the petals can be moved closer together. Repeat this step every four or five days. As you remove the kitchen towel you can fold it and keep it for the next confetti project. Waste not, want not! 

Step 4 - Once the petals have completely dried - around three weeks - they can be gathered up and stored. I have kept some in jars and some in paper bags. If you use jars, leave the lid off or make sure it isn't sealed as this can make the petals soften again and sometimes they will start to smell. I took my confetti to the wedding in a handmade paper bag by following this tutorial by Hello Sandwich. I omitted the handles and instead folded the top over and secured with washi tape.  

Map Coaster Tutorial

With the trend for maps being so mahoosive at the moment, and my brother being a travel-lover, this theme always springs to mind when I'm thinking of gifts for him.

Last year for his birthday, he got my first travel art frame, made up of the destinations he visited on his round the world trip. 

This Christmas I wanted to come up with something for his home. His style is quirky and utilitarian and now that his girlfriend has moved in, she's added a welcome feminine touch. So I wanted something to give to them as a joint gift along these lines. 

Once I'd thought of the idea, Mum's charity shop managerial credentials were called into action. She sourced me an old wooden block game - you know the one where you build up the blocks and remove one at a time and try not to make it fall. It was actually an incomplete set but that was fine for this project. I needed just 12 blocks to make the coasters.  You could also use tiles, or any wooden squares to make these coasters. 

It's simply a case of covering each block in map paper. I used the maps that were in the back of last year's diary, but any A-Z, streetmap or atlas will work just the same. 

I used Decopatch Glossy Glue but any PVA will do the same job. 

Once dry, I gave the blocks an extra coat of glue, just to make sure it was completely sealed, especially as coasters have to cope with spilled drinks.  

Finally I added vinyl lettering using my Cricut Explore. This is my absolute favourite gadget but if you don't have one, I can provide you with vinyl lettering at just £1 per coaster. What about personalising them with a couple's name for an engagement or wedding present?  Contact @mummypuddleduck on Twitter, Facebook or Etsy. 

I finished by packaging them in a box - again made using the Cricut (I really can't recommend it highly enough) and adding a 'Handmade' ribbon.  The gift was very well received but I think I heard my brother mutter that he was going to put these on his wall rather than use them as coasters!

I'd love to hear your thoughts and see your creations after following this tutorial. And if I've missed out any steps, or something is unclear, please let me know. Happy crafting.  

Crafting matters

Whilst I count my nearest and dearest as supportive people I am not sure they are on my wavelength when it comes to making, baking and craft.

My husband doesn’t understand it (and often despairs at it). My friends share positive comments but would freely admit that they struggle to grasp why I would work into the small hours to finish a project when I have a career and family to keep me busy enough.

Colleagues at my real-world PR job smile encouragingly but similarly can't see the sense or understand the enjoyment I get from taking a pile of raw materials or ingredients and turning them into a 'make'.

I asked my five year old daughter why she thinks mummy likes to craft and she said: “because you like selling to people”. I think she’s half right. I enjoy giving to people. I enjoy the feeling of handing over, or posting if it's purchased online, something that I have made and receiving the feedback.

The sense of accomplishment when something I'd imagined would be beautiful when finished actually is a thing of beauty (in my humble opinion) will never grow tiresome. And that's multiplied when I make something that somebody else has parted with their hard earned cash to enjoy.

I’m probably a psychologist’s dream when it comes to putting a finger on what that really says about me, but I think a little part of me feels good about knowing somebody likes something I made. There’s a piece of me going out with each and every item I make and that leads to a lovely warm cosy feeling that I am doing something right.

And actually, I don’t think I'm alone. I believe that the digital age we live in, filled with social media channels galore, is feeding this sensation for personal gratification. We’re hungry for thumbs up, favourites and hearts on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts. We want more people repining our favourite things. We seek reassurance from others through our pictures and posts, rants and ravings.  

It's no different when it comes to the big brands, who are ravenous for interactions, engagement and commendation of their products. The only difference is that when it’s something I’ve made it's personal. That 'like' or 'share' means someone has appreciated the time, effort and creativity that has been lovingly injected into each make, whether it be a cake, word art, gift, card or anything else I've designed and made. I want my friends, family, colleagues and followers to love it as much as I do.