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A Favorable Program

(WARNING:  The sheer cutsey-ness of this project might make you gag.) 

Wedding Program and CD Holder

 

It floors me when I realize how many people are afraid to try a simple DIY project involving paper, some ribbon, a blank CD, and a little imagination. 

I have always considered myself one of those un-crafty people who couldn’t even sew a button to save my life, but this?  This is do-able. 

Inside Cover & Page 1 (outside)
Inside Cover & Page 1 (outside)

 

I decided to combine my programs and favors into one, cute little CD pouch/book thingie.  The program contained all of the pertinent wedding information (key players, timeline, thank-you note, etc.), but the neat little surprise in the back was the personalized CD with meaningful and fun songs for people to listen to on their trips back home. 

CD Holder
CD Holder

 

When I came to terms with the fact that we weren’t having the simple destination wedding about which I’d always dreamed, I took it upon myself to make things as difficult as possible by making many of the wedding-type projects myself.  And the programs (and favors) were no exception. 

Truthfully though, I wouldn’t have done it any other way.  Why pay someone a small fortune, when I can create my own and have complete control over the turnout?  I won’t lie, though – this does take some time. 

Here’s what you need: 

  • Paper (I used linen textured paper that you can find at any home office store)
  • CD pouches (Bliss Weddings Market)
  • Full sheet sticker labels for the cover (I bought the HP brand from Office Max)
  • Blank CDs
  • Downloaded Songs
  • Computer
  • Ribbon
  • Small hole punch
  • CD labels (optional) (I bought the Memorex CD & DVD label-maker from Office Max)
  • My template (optional)
  • My fonts (optional)

I’m providing my template in the sidebar on the right of this page.  It should be downloadable – hopefully it works!  You can get a couple of my fonts on this page. 

1)  Download the songs you want (try to make them meaningful to you in some way – we used songs that were played during our ceremony and reception and songs that we’ve enjoyed together). 

2)  Start burning!  This will take awhile, depending on how many you need. 

3)  Use the template to fill in your own information– wedding participants, songs, ceremony order, special ceremonies/readings, pictures, remembrance page, and a kick-ass thank-you! 

4)  Print– make sure you print page 2 on the back of page 1, etc. because otherwise the margins will not line up correctly. When you’re ready to print, always print a complete test program and put it together so that you know everything worked as it should. 

5)  Design your inside and outside covers to be printed on the full-sheet label paper. I was able to print 4 covers (2 front and 2 back) on each sheet of label paper. Cut them out and apply them directly to the CD case. 

6)  Cut the excess paper off your main program pages. Once the pages are all cut (this can take a loooong time), stack the pages for one program together in order (excluding the separate insert with the song list) and hold them inside the CD case. Punch 2 holes in the spine and all the way through the pages to make sure everything lines up. Tie the ribbon through the holes, and you’re done! Lots of work, but well worth it. Stick the extra insert in the pocket on the inside back over of the case. 

Page 1 (inside) & Page 2 (outside)
Page 1 (inside) & Page 2 (outside)

 

Page 2 (inside) & Page 3 (outside)
Page 2 (inside) & Page 3 (outside)

 

Page 3 (inside) & Page 3 (inside)
Page 3 (inside) & Page 3 (inside)

 

Page 3 (outside) & Page 2 (inside)
Page 3 (outside) & Page 2 (inside)

 

Page 2 (outside) & Page 1 (inside)
Page 2 (outside) & Page 1 (inside)

 

Back Page & Insert
Back Page & Insert

 

Insert (inside)
Insert (inside)

 

Insert (back)
Insert (back)

 

And there you have it.  You can download the templates on the right side of the screen, but take note: some fonts I used are copyrighted– that means I cannot share them on here.  The templates will also look strange because you most likely don’t have the same fonts I used.  If you still want to know what they are, I used Bickham Script Fancy, Afternoon Delight, Beautiful ES, and Centabel Book.  (Again, this page has a couple of fonts.  Also check out DaFont.com for hundreds of FREE downloadable fonts!) 

There are lots of beautiful and fun fonts out there, so create your own look and have fun!

Down with Popcorn

Raise your hand if you have that popcorn-looking stuff on your ceiling.

Anyone?

Raise your hand if you hate it as much as me.

Old Track Lighting

When we first moved into our house, one of the first big projects we tackled was removing the popcorn from the living room ceiling.  There were some fugly track lights in the corner, and when we took them down, they left behind a yellow mark.  Rather than try to paint over the popcorn (which could have been disastrous), we decided it all had to come down.

Removing Popcorn from Ceiling

This was actually one of the easiest – and messiest – high-impact projects we’ve done!

If you decide to tackle this in your own home, just make sure your ceiling has not been painted.  I read that it can be extremely difficult to remove if it’s been painted.  Try to take some down in an unnoticeable corner.  If it is at all difficult to remove, you might want to consider another project.

Removing Popcorn from the Ceiling

Just wet down the ceiling, bit-by-bit, and then scrape off the popcorn with a large putty knife.  We used a previously-unused insect repellent pump sprayer, which worked pretty well.  Not only does wetting the popcorn make it slide off like buttah, but it drastically cuts down on the dust.

Removing Popcorn from Ceiling

***IMPORTANT NOTE***  If you live in an older home, you will want to have your ceiling tested for asbestos before you try this.

We lined our walls in plastic because we foolishly painted them before the popcorn removal adventure.  The walls are optional, but covering your floors with heavy-duty plastic or fabric drop cloths is highly recommended (for obvious reasons).

Removing Popcorn from Ceiling

The device the hubs is using is his very own, jerry-rigged popcorn-sucking tool.  Basically it was a shop vac with a putty knife duct-taped to the hose.  Again, this is optional – I preferred to let it plop all over the floor around me.  There was something immensely satisfying about the mess this created.

Until I accidentally stepped in it and dragged it across the kitchen floor.

C’est la vie.

After the popcorn removal came the real work.  We were lucky because the drywall on our ceilings had already been taped, puttied, and sanded fairly smooth.  Often builders will neglect to do this and use the popcorn as a cover-up for unfinished work.  Even so, the hubs we still had a lot of sanding and painting.  The sanding created a LOT of dust, so you will want to wear a mask if you try this yourself.

Sanding the Ceiling Smooth

Unpainted drywall sucks up paint like crazy.  We ended up with one coat of primer and two coats of paint.

Once we had a nice, smooth ceiling painted a slightly lighter shade than the walls, our 8′ ceilings looked substantially better.

Before (with the old, crusty popcorn):

Old Popcorn Ceiling

After (with the smooth, creamy ceiling):

New Smooth Ceiling

Has anyone else taken on a project like this?  We thought it was worth the work.

Get Your Filthy Paws off my Silky Drawers!

Since remodeling our kitchen, I have decided that drawer bases (aka. base cabinets with drawers instead of doors and/or pull-outs) are the best. thing. ever.

I can now store my empty food storage containers with the lids on.

Kitchen Drawer Tupperware Organization

Now that I’m embracing this whole domesticity thing, you have no idea how much pleasure this gives me.  It gives me the kind of pleasure that used to require a battery.  And I’m not talking about a dust buster.

I no longer have to pull heavy plates down from the wall cabinets over my head.

Kitchen Drawer Dinnerware Organization

My utensils, plastic wrap and storage bags?  All conveniently near the food storage containers, dinnerware, and refrigerator.

Kitchen Drawer Utensil Organization

And I no longer need to crawl inside my cabinets to reach my baking dishes, pots, pans or their matching lids!

Kitchen Drawer Bakeware Organization
Kitchen Drawer Pots and Pans Organization
Kitchen Drawer Pots and Pans Organization

Finally… finally… no need to lift the spices one-by-one to read the labels.

Kitchen Drawer Spice Organization

And the cooking utensils aren’t collecting dust in a container on the counter!

Kitchen Drawer Cooking Utensil Organization

There’s an added bonus, you say?  Maybe one of the best parts I’ve discovered about these huge storage drawers is that they really don’t require expensive interior dividers.  All it took was some cheap cabinet liner from the dollar store, and viola!  Instant organization.  The plates don’t slide around, and the spices don’t roll and spill throughout the drawer.

Who knew this could make me so happy?

Looks like I might need a little travel adventure to put things back into perspective…

Truth.

The first step to embracing domesticity is admitting you have a problem. I’m taking a down-and-dirty look at just a few of the areas that need improvement.