Best Wishes: Part One

Remember when I mentioned here how I am not a DIY person? Well apparently I am starting to surprise myself because I am discovering a whole new crafty side of me that I never knew existed. It must be the Girl Scout in me. It takes me a few trials and some defeat along the way but the project I am going to detail for you today is one that I am really excited about. It is not a technically difficult project, but it is perfect for those of you who are new to the DIY scene like I am.

I started to venture into the guestbook alternative idea world. There are so many great options out there but the one that really stood out to me was a wishing tree. Something along these lines:

 
{Image via My Little Jedi} 

  {Image via Advantage Bridal}

{Image via The Oaks}

I have seen wishing trees online before but I have never actually seen it done in person. Basically your guests write their wish for you on a tag and then hang it on the tree. I also thought it might help speed up the guestbook process since more than one person can grab a tag and hang it on the tree instead of waiting in line for the guestbook. I was sold on this idea and Mr.Buck liked how unique it is. With the decision to have a wishing tree made, I set out to Michaels to get my supplies.

I brought with me some coupons that I found in their weekly ad and was able to get 50% off any item plus 25% off any rubber stamp. This was going to seriously help keep the cost of this project down. Here is what I ended up purchasing:

I found the most perfect rubber stamp, isn't it lovely? I also purchased an embosser along with the powder and ink pad. I thought embossing the tag would not only be fun but look fantastic as well. I also found pre-cut white tags and bought some sage colored ribbon to tie on top.

Before I got started on the fun part of embossing, I had to run the tags through my printer to include some important wording for where the guests will be writing their wish. Here is a quick tutorial on how to run these tags through your home printer using Microsoft Word. I apologize for the upcoming bad photos, computers don't like to have their picture taken.

1. Set the page size of the tags. If you buy the tags pre-cut like I did then it should have the exact measurements on the packaging. Click on size, more page options and then a window will appear where you can type in the exact size. 

 

2. Next you will need to set the margins. Under page setup is the section for margins. Make them as small as Microsoft Word will let you. This will allow the lines for the writing to go all the way to the edge of the paper.

3. Now you are done setting the specifics and you just need to type in what you would like the tags to say. Decide what font you will use, I used Monterey BT. Add in the lines using the underscore key, this will be where your guests will be writing. Make sure to leave some space at the top to allow for the hole punch.



4. Time to print! Depending on what type of printer you have, you will have to insert the cards appropriately. It might take a few test runs to get it just right. My particular printer needs the tags to be upside down to be printed correctly.

Voila! Here is the printed result:



Up next is the fun part. I will show you how to emboss the other side of the tag. This adds some elegance and a nice amount of dimension.

Is anyone else doing an alternative to the guestbook?

{Unless otherwise noted, all photos are personal}