Tales from a Semi DIY Bride

Hi my name is Miss Elk and I am not crafty. There, I said it. For years I have been kidding myself into believing I was crafty, but attempt after attempt has failed to create a worthwhile product. After reading so many wedding blogs and seeing all the wonderful DIY results, I simply have to give it a whirl. I have visions of my guests oohing and ahhing at the marvelous DIY touches that will make my wedding that much more unique and special. Of course, I have a backup plan- Etsy. But for now I plan to share my trials and tribulations with all of you!

So without further ado, I present my first project: Ruffle Lamps. This Idea was born from my love of lamp centerpieces such as this one:

via The Knot/Photo by Thorsen Photography

I then found a tutuorial for these bad boys, and figured I could combine the two ideas and get a pretty unique little lamp to use on the tables during cocktail hour.

via Design Sponge

So I bought small lampshades from the Christmas Tree Shop, and started cutting circles out of felt. It took a really long time to cut out enough circles for the whole thing! Then I folded each felt circle in half, and into quarters, added a dollup of hot glue, and glued them randomly onto the lamp:

Personal Photos

I found a hurricane glass from Michael's that fit perfectly under the shade, and added a large pillar candle.

So there you have it! I think they actually came out pretty nice, but I'm not 100% sold on the felt. I wonder what they would look like with other fabric, and how expensive another fabric would cost. unfortunately I didn't keep receipts or track of how many sheets of felt it took me to make just one of these suckers.

So what do you think? was my first DIY attempt successful?