Miss Jet back with another DIY post.  (Gimme a sec while I pick the paint out from under my fingernails)

This past weekend, I tackled my table numbers.

Let's check out my inspiration first:
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Rustic burlap wine bags with stamped numbers, crazy perfect! / Image via Project Wedding
Since we are not offering any type of open bar, Mr. Jet's parents still wanted to make sure we were serving our guests with some type of alcohol with their dinner, as it is customary (if not mandatory) given their Portuguese heritage.

We all agreed upon offering two complimentary bottles of wine per table - one white and one red - in addition to the cash bar that our venue will provide.  At first, I was going to pre-buy the wine from the venue, soak off all the labels and do custom labels with my sister, but the more I thought about it, the more daunting and annoying that sounded.

Enter the burlap wine bag!  

This was a two-fold project: dress up the wine bottles to work with our theme, and act as our table numbers at the same time.  Here's the recipe...

  • First, I purchased the burlap wine bags from Paper Mart Online - they were the most economical option at $1.38 per piece.  I purchased two per table, for a total of 40 bags.


  • Next, I hit up my favorite crafty stop, Etsy (Seller "Cut It Out Stencils"), for the stencil numbers (TIP: I purchased the 5" stencil for my bags, anything smaller will not be as visible to your guests).  You could also make the stencils yourself with some thick vellum or cardstock, but after playing the time v. money v. "is this worth it?" game, I decided it was better for all involved parties (e.g. myself and Mr. Jet) to just purchase them.


  • Once I had all of my materials, including a foam brush and acrylic paint (TIP: Mr Jet sez,"Acrylics will work best for this project for a few reasons - they have no offensive odor, they dry much faster than water/oil-based paints, they will had a nice texture when sponged or brushed on!"), I laid everything out and finished within ONE EPISODE of Real Housewives of New Jersey!  Seriously, I didn't even get to see the crazy fight break out at the end!
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I slipped a piece of cardboard inside the bag to catch any bleeding paint and then taped on the first stencil at the top and bottom. This size stencil was actually perfect, as it was just as wide as the flat wine bag which allowed me to line it up easily. / Personal photo
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I made sure to use my free fingers to hold down the parts of the stencil around where I was sponging to ensure none of the paint seeped out. Using the sponge brush, I didn't stroke-paint, but dabbed quickly to fill the entire negative space of the stencil. This allowed for good control of where the paint went. / Personal photo
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Your table is ready, Bee! I am going to add a ribbon or colored twine to the top to add some color to this project. / Personal photo
With just over three months to go, I'm so thrilled and relieved to have this project done - and in hardly any time at all!  

What do your table numbers look like??


 
Okay, I'm about to get pretty bragadocious up in here...

Mr. Jet is a phenomenal artist.  He studied fine arts during his undergrad career and has created works such as this...
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Mr. Jet messing around on his guitar in front of a large scale painting he created from an old family photo of himself and his parents. / Personal photo
How does this translate to wedding planning, you ask?  Great question!  Here's how...
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Furrowed brows and all, total hottie. / Personal photo
"Mr. Jet...I need a really nice grey paint for my table number project!" - Miss Jet


"Okay babe, I'll mix these completely random colors and come out with the perfect neutral grey you are looking for!" - Mr. Jet


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"Mr. Jet...see this cake topper idea on Etsy?  We can totally re-create this right?" - Miss Jet


"Totally, I have most of what we need already, just buy those tiny, wooden people." - Mr. Jet


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"Mr. Jet...the girls are wearing these green dresses, do you want your tie to match?" - Miss Jet


"Nah, here is the complimentary palette you would've never thought of on your own that will look amazeballs with the girls' dresses and our venue and our entire theme." - Mr. Jet


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I'm sure you get the idea, right?  Mr. Jet has been a HUGE help when it comes to these little details.  Sure, there are certain times when he lifts his eyes from the computer and just shoots me the "whatever-you-want-dear" look (i.e. coordinating postage stamps and my bridal manicure), but it makes me feel really good when he helps actively plan, and even craft!.  Makes it feel less like "my" wedding and more like "ours".  

Is your SO involved in your planning too
 
I grew up in an antique shop.  Not really, but my house always felt like one. I remember playing with old metal cars and trucks as a kid and a vintage Playskool barn that my grandmother kept in her attic.  

My family has always appreciated antiques and they've always taken really good care of their stuff.  A lesson I learned too well, as I freak out when I break a plate I bought for $3 at Ikea.

A few weeks ago, my dad and I went to the Brimfield Fair - the country's largest outdoor antique festival that runs for three weeks in May, July and September.  I, having wedding on the brain constantly, had a few ideas of things I could keep an eye out for - a card box, vintage wine bottles or crates, or some cool signage.

Brimfield is about an hour and half away from our town, so we hit the road at 6am to get a good parking spot and first dibs on the early bird deals. (All photos are personal)
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Brimfield at an ungodly hour. Hardly anyone there yet!
We trolled well over 100 vendor stalls over the next 5 hours or so and while my dad kept hitting the great deals, all I stumbled upon was crap like this:
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These frighten me to the depths of my soul.
I was feeling a little disheartened until I spotted a stall with vintage milk crates stacked to the top of the tent.  There were tons of beautiful wood and metal crates with old local business logos etched on the sides.  I sifted through a few, and spotted this guy filled with wooden frames:
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Moooo!
Ta-Da!  In the eleventh hour, I found our cardbox?  Not sure exactly how I'll set this up yet, but it's a great mix of modern and rustic with it's satin wood and galvanized steel frame.  I can't wait to incorporate this onto one of our tables, it'll add depth and character as our guests arrive to our reception spot!  What would you do with this guy?