day 5: {get crafty} mason jars.

so every wednesday of 31 days involves some handmade wedding goodness and we are gettin crafty up in here. (have you caught on that i like days-of-the-week themes yet?)

side note: is anybody else singing "get happy" when they read "get crafty"? no? just me? ok.

if there's one thing that's hot right now on every wedding blog it's "the handmade wedding". but not in the "awwww, that looks handmade, how cute" kinda way. but in the "this looks like you spent a million bucks but actually you really just spent a million hours" kinda way. seriously. i don't know where some of these brides get that kinda time. but i'll admit that i've been inspired. and i think i've chosen some completely do-able projects for my wedding that will keep me in the budget but allow some creativity and personality to shine through.

much credit goes to pinterest (y'all already know about my obsession) for casting vision and keeping a lot of my ideas for gettin-all-wedding-crafty in one place.

alright, so first up? using MASON JARS. these are so versatile and the options are endless. you can paint em, hang em, or stuff em with dirt & plants. i've seen them used as vases, as candle holders, and as lanterns. of course they also make great glasses if you're serving a fun cocktail, or can contain a single serving of cake or your favorite dessert.

a friend of mine's mom had a bunch in her garage & is letting me borrow them! i've chosen to use them as a part of my centerpiece design...

so start out with just 3 items: a mason jar (i like the more vintage-looking ball brand in blue), brown rice, and a small votive candle.

using a measuring cup & a funnel, fill the mason jar up about halfway with brown rice.

then carefully place the candle on top... and voila! a super-easy & cheap project! each table will get 2 of these (plus another item we'll talk about next week!)

*marisa's marks: start small. don't pick a craft project that is going to overwhelm you. you can always go up from there. little victories are important for me... i know my projects will get tougher & i don't want to be completely discouraged from the beginning!