PINday | DIY wedding napkins

PINday is here again :) this time with DIY stencil napkins.  

i don't live under the false impression that a hoard of blog-followers stalk my every post... so i'll explain PINday for the (few) newbies who happen to stumble upon this humble little photo/DIY blog :)

PINday consists of me taking a craft i find on pintrest and actually doing it. i know, crazy right? i like to think of myself as a revolutionary thinker ;)  ya'll vote and i craft - basically i test run crafts for you. such a win.  you can VOTE on what you think i should craft next too! i'm all about audience participation (THANK YOU TO MY 2 VOTERS LAST WEEK GERTRUDE BELL  and HANNEKE VOLLBEHR - ya'll go follow these saintly woman right now)

and now, DIY STENCIL NAPKINS!

i started with some SUPER CHEAP muslin fabric = $1.99/yard (side note: i adore the texture and little flecks/details in muslin - it's quite convenient that it's so inexpensive because i plan on integrating it into every possible facet of my life as quickly as possible - starting with napkins like these)

i cut rectangles of fabric out large enough that when you lay the napkin out it covers as much lap as you deem necessary - different events require different size napkins ;) *i made these with dinner party/reception in mind, so they were a little larger... 18x20 inches

also: 'cut' is a very loose term.  i simply marked where i wanted each 'cut' to be made and then RIPPED the fabric apart.  i like the 'unfinished' look that it has - and who wants to sew up the edges anyway?! 

i folded each napkin as i would want them to lay (lie?) on the table

and then the fun began!  i got this stencil set from Michael's - jess helped me pick them out along with the colors for this project.  i liked the 'font' of the letters!

as you can see, there isn't much room between the stencil letters - be careful that you don't get paint everywhere!! if you have to, put tape over the letters you AREN'T using to make sure the napkin stays paint free in the areas you aren't intentionally stenciling 

obviously you can use whatever colors you want, but jess and i liked the way these went together AND they match some plates that i have (i purchased said plates from a THRIFT STORE for less than $1 each and they will be featured in a later blogpost, i know, i know... I'M PUMPED TOO)

first i stenciled the heart which, in this case, functions like an '&'

and then stenciled the initials!  i had to let the heart dry completely before stenciling anything else, but i did the heart on my lunch break and the initials when i got home at 5:15... so i'm not exactly sure how long it takes to dry.  the initials dried within 10 minutes though (i used less paint on those though - i had figured out the optimal paint amount by that point, which will vary with the type of paint you use)

as you can see, the pink doesn't show up as well (i think i'm going to go BACK to michael's and get a slightly darker shade, because i still love the pink and the green together)

then, because i'm an over-achiever and have an unhealthy obsession with varying textures being used together, i wrapped a 10-inch strip of burlap around the napkin and then tied it with lace to hold it together - it's going to look FABULOUS with the tablescape i'm planning on featuring next week 

i used 'J' and 'T' because two of my very good friends are getting MARRIED next year (in wisconsin!!) and i'm PHOTOGRAPHING THEIR WEDDING - i am beyond excited and i'm forever thinking about it!

be sure to VOTE on which craft i try next by liking your favorite on my PINDAY board on pintrest!

also, check out the latest MINI SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT (perfect for a mother's day gift!)