Gifts for the Girls

I may be a bit biased, but I think my bridesmaids scored some sweet SWAG for being a part of our big day :)

One thing I knew I wanted to do for sure was to make them something… because everyone just loves handmade goodies right?!?

I saw this awesome diy doily bag on Design*Sponge.

doily_canvas_bag_design_sponge
{image via Design*Sponge}

After reading through the full tutorial on Ashley Ann Photography’s blog I got to work on making one for each of my bridesmaids!

diy doily tote bag bridesmaids gifts

It took me a few trial/error bags but I eventually got the hang of it (the more spray adhesive the better!) and I was pretty pleased with how they turned out.

customized doily tote bags

For the initials I just printed off a letter in the size/font I wanted…carefully cut it out and then used the stencil that was left over to paint on each initial.  It really was a pretty simple project…so much so that I plan to make a few more as Christmas gifts this year!

The next thing I got for each of the girls was a pair of gray J Crew flip-flops (to match their J Crew BM dresses of course) to wear at the reception.  I tied cute purple ribbon around them and made a tag with each of their names…totally unnecessary but they sure looked cute!

flip flops for bridesmaids
{above 3 photos via author’s personal collection}

Then I figured I should probably get them something pretty to wear and remember the day by.  I opted for bracelets instead of necklaces or earrings.   Each of my girls have different personalities/styles and I wanted them to be able to show that with their own jewelry choices.  I found these cute ones on Etsy by Madebysam and had her use an amethyst stone to go with our purple color scheme.

bracelets madebysam etsy
{pic via madebysam}

They turned out really neat!!  I actually wish I had ordered one for myself as well…I ended up going sans-bracelet and necklace!

The last two things I threw in the bags were sorta last minute projects…and unfortunately I was in such a hurry to finish and package them all up that I didn’t snap any pics!!  I’m sorry!  I can still tell ya what they were though!!

We had a 2-day drive from Salt Lake City to Nebraska for the wedding…so I used that time to whip up some knitted coffee sleeves!  I tried to use a color of Noro that matched each of the girls’ favorite color.  I then picked up some $5 Starbucks gift cards, stuffed them in paper coffee cups, and slipped the sleeves on.  They turned out really cute…similar to the ones found here but shorter.

The very last thing I added to the bags were some ‘bridesmaid survival kits’ I threw together complete with kleenex, gum, bobby-pins, safety-pins, and a tide wipe.

Woo-Wee!!  My girls got a lot of fun stuff huh?

How did you thank (or plan to thank) your girls for being a part of your day?  Did you come up with something fun and unique?