Bridal Shower Decor on a Budget

No matter how you slice it, it can be easy for wedding costs to pile up up up — even for those in the bridal party who want to make it a special time. Earlier this month myself and my fellow bridesmaids threw a bridal shower for our friend, and it came together wonderfully! 

I love decorating for events, but sheesh that can get expensive if you want to go all Pinterest-y and Hobby Lobby crazy (guilty). So I vowed to put together some cute decor without having to explain to my husband why we wouldn’t be making our mortgage payment that month. Here were some of the results!

Letters for the Bride and Groom: Some paint, glitter, and Mod Podge transformed these plain letters into cute decor. Plus they made a nice extra gift for the bride and groom. The best part? I already had all the letters and paint (I know, I know. I hoard things. But you never know when you’ll need an A, D, and &, amiright??)

“From Miss to Mrs” Sign: I had a lot of fun making this one! The letters I cut from card stock with my Cricut and then used Mod Podge for glitter. What are the banner pieces, you ask? I’d be glad to tell you! They were actually brown envelopes that I had gotten in bulk YEARS ago but figured, HEY — I could use these someday. I painted half of them teal and then punched holes for the twine.

Tissue Paper Garlands: What would a shindig be without these puppies? So easy to make, and a little tissue paper goes a long way. These dressed up the food spread and also served as a backdrop for our “photo booth.” You can make several of these with just one package of each color you’re wanting to use. Not a bad deal.

Doily Banner: Aside from the fact that they’re called “doilies,” this particular piece is pretty cool. These guys came in a package of twenty  for less than $2 and I simple folded them in half over twine and used Mod Podge to hold them in place. They made for very simple and cute accents.

Handmade Favors: I think the idea of favors is fun, so I made these paper boxes and placed dark chocolate kisses in each of them. I’ll have a how-to post soon about how to make these guys. They’re great because you can use whatever print paper you want and really personalize them. I got a book of card stock at Michael’s on sale for $6 and made all the boxes with plenty of paper left over.

Polaroid Photo Booth: Just a piece of poster board, you say? Not so! A few minutes and a little patience can transform a plain poster into a polaroid picture frame, complete with personalized caption and date. We had a lot of fun taking pics with this, and for $0.99 plus a Sharpie and a little time, who can argue with that? (It’s definitely not required, but I reinforced the back of the poster with cardboard in strategic locations so that it wouldn’t be overly floppy and risk ripping).

Chalkboard Signs: Magic can happen with a chalkboard and chalk marker. Throw in a hashtag and a “countdown until she’s a Mrs.” and you’re gold. Seriously, I have 3 or 4 chalkboards and I use them for EVERY event: bridal showers, baby showers, holiday events, whatever. If lettering intimidates you, make YouTube your new best friend — I’m convinced you can learn anything there. Pinterest is also great for inspiration as far as what designs to draw — I use it all the time. Fun signs can add a lot to an event (and without hurting your wallet!).

Corsage for the Bride: I had the most fun with this one. Handmade things are always more meaningful and can carry special memories. I especially liked this one because I was able to tie in the doilies (argh, that word again) which were used throughout the rest of the shower. All the other pieces — the burlap and ribbon — were things I already had. I started off with a circle cut from cardboard to act as my base and just used a glue gun to attach the strips of burlap and ribbon in a circular pattern from front to back. It took a bit of time, But I thought the end product looked great.

If you like crafting, then there’s a good chance you have a nice collection of supplies you’ve built up over time. Before immediately running to Party City or Michael’s, think through how you could use what you already have. How could you repurpose those old envelopes, ribbon scraps, or tissue paper? The possibilities are endless, and it can be a lot of fun and challenging trying to think outside the box.

At the end of the day, the “look” of the shower isn’t the highest priority. What the bride will remember most are the people in her life who were there to celebrate — along with all the cool stuff she gets :). So don’t put a ridiculous amount of pressure on yourself to create the “perfect” shower (whatever that is). Just have fun and get creative!

Happy DIY-ing!