DIY Bridesmaids Gifts
Our DIY of the day comes from the mega hub all things crafty weddings: www.do-it-yourself-weddings.com. If you’re trying to save a buck or two, this is an amazing guide of projects to do yourself.
Now we know you love your girls and you want to shower them with gifts, but it’s not exactly as if you’ve got lots of money left over from your pre-nuptial planning. While some might argue that you can’t hand-make a gift for your special gal pals, we disagree. Personalize a bag, shirt, pillow, anything! Not only will this be adorable for pictures, you can even use this idea for other wedding décor items. It’s fast and easy!
Freezer Paper Stencil Bridesmaid Gifts
Materials:
- Freezer Paper – make sure it is freezer paper, not wax paper, it must have wax only one side! I found it next to the plastic wrap & tin foil.
- X-Acto Knife – curved blades work well for round edges, but any standard blade will work fine
- Fabric Paint & Brush – Any brand will do, but I like Tulip Brand Soft fabric paint because it doesn’t bleed but has no texture either.
- Cutting Mat – A self-healing cutting mat is great, but you could also use cardboard underneath.
- Tape
- Iron
- Printer
- Shirt/Tote Bag, Etc – Pick something to put the stencil on! Anything fabric that you can iron will work. A smooth/flat texture of the fabric will give you the cleanest edges. Cotton t-shirt = good while fuzzy fleece = bad.
· First, you have to pick your stencil design! Anything from simple monogram initials to famous people! Create your own or use one of the many designs available online. Some cool ones are available for free from This Stencil Site and there is a huge selection. You can also draw directly onto the freezer paper and not print.
· I found the best results by printing directly onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper. Cut out the freezer paper in the size of normal letter paper and feed it to your printer one sheet at a time. You can also print on regular paper and just tape it on top of the freezer paper when you cut it out. Tape your design down (shiny side down) on your cutting mat and use the exacto to cut out all the black. Anything that is printed gets cut out. Carefully cut out “islands” such as the center of the “D” and set it aside. You’ll need to set it back in place before you paint!
· Once finished remove the stencil from the cutting mat. Make sure ALL the tape is removed or you will have a melty mess on your iron! Place stencil on the bridesmaid gift you want stenciled, shiny wax side down. Iron! Just a few presses with a very hot iron will make the wax stick to the fabric, creating a perfect seal. Now place the “islands” where they go and iron those on as well.
· Next, paint over the stencil. A light coating will do. Don’t water down your paint or use too much, you don’t want it to bleed. Just a coating on the surface. For best results, let dry completely overnight. You can just wait a few hours for it to dry and then remove it, but you are much, much more likely to get bleeds this way. I’ve had much better luck waiting overnight!
· Next day…carefully remove the stencil!
· Use a tweezers to remove any tiny “islands” on the design. All done! Follow instructions for your fabric paint, but I’ve washed and dried my designs and they are holding up nicely after several washes still.
· Your bridesmaids will likely be so impressed with your cool bridesmaid gift idea that they might want you to share your secrets. This could be a fun crafty project to do together while sharing a bottle of wine. Cheers!
For a more sophisticate, and eaiser to change out of, feel, you can use men’s button down dress shirt.
Love!! Happy Crafting!
Here is a listing of all the vendors invovled:
*Variation: Pin stripes or white 
