DIY Thanksgiving: 5 Uses for Patterned Papers

Thanksgiving happens to be one of the favorite holidays among our team. Something about the cold air, gathering of families, and cooking together warms our hearts. While it's meant to be a time to reflect and give thanks, sometimes the preoccupation with the perfect holiday decor takes its toll. We're flooded with images of the fanciest table tops and gourmet recipes, but not all of us have the time (or budget!) to go all-out for the big feast. If you are the lucky one hosting Thanksgiving this year and are looking for affordable, simple, and festive decor, our patterned papers are a great go-to. We've come up with 5 uses for patterned papers that you can make in no time, and just in time for your guests to arrive. Shown here is our classic Marquee pattern, but there are lots to choose from!

1. Patterned Paper Jar Lids: You may have to fight for the leftovers, but sending friends and family members home with equal portions is a great way to share. Or, send them home with a hand-made treat as a thanks-for-coming favor. Simply cut a 4.5" square (or 5.5" square for wide-mouth jars) of patterned paper. Place the metal lid cover over the jar, then set your paper square on top. Twist the screw-on cap over the paper and lid to ensure closure. You may need to press hard!

2. Patterned Paper Napkin Rings: The possibilities are endless here. With a starter shape of 1.5" x 7" you can double the napkin ring as a personalized place card by gluing a .5" x 2" piece of paper on top. Or, take a 2.5" x 8" strip, cut out a leaf shape on one end, and trim the other end to 1" wide. Apply glue to 1/2" of one side and seal under the other.

3. Patterned Paper Thankful Chain: Keep the kids busy or adults guessing with this paper Thankful Chain! It's a new twist on the Christmas paper chain, with a whole new meaning. Cut 1.5" x 7" strips of paper and ask your guests write a few things they are thankful for on one side. Glue one end of the strip under the other end and repeat, looping the next strip through your first chain. When assembled, hang above the table for decor or spread around the table. Throughout the meal you (or the kids) can read each strip and reflect - make it a game and guess who said what!

4. Patterned Paper drink flags/stirrers: Every party needs some of these. Celebrate the autumn weather by cutting your flags into leaf shapes. Start with a 1.5" x 5" strip and fold in half. Open it back up, draw your shape on one half of the blank side of the paper, fold in half again, then cut out. Reverse the fold, apply glue to one side, place a skewer or straw in the center then hold to adhere.

5. Patterned Paper Place Card Holders: Thanks to Martha Stewart for this idea, keep things simple with a folded paper place card holder. We scaled ours down to a 3" x 3.75" piece of paper, folded in half, then folded in half again, creating three 3/4" folds. Unfold the paper, and reverse one fold, making an "M" shape. Place your place card inside and voila!

For more pretty patterned paper ideas and DIY crafts, visit our website here!

Perfect Paper Wedding Details

Whether you're in the middle of planning your wedding day or just getting started, we have some gorgeous paper products that will make your big day come together perfectly. You can carry on the theme of your wedding invitations into your wedding and reception, without lifting a finger. All of our wedding invitation designs have matching day-of paper details, and can be customized just for you. Programs (folded and flat), printed place cards, menus, favor tags, table numbers, you name it, we've got it!

 Beautiful calligraphy by Michele Papineau will add an elegant touch to your day. With personalized place cards or favors, your guests will go home with their own little piece of art. Plus, there's a variety of styles to choose from!

Interested in having matching paper details printed for your wedding? Simply give us a call 1.888.552.3724 or email us info@hellolucky.com for options.

Real Wedding: Carolyn and Ben

There are endless destinations that make great wedding venues in the bay area, and we never tire of browsing the beautiful scenery and indulging in the rustic charm each place has to offer. But this venue's classic architecture and sophisticated style has us feeling city-stricken and in love. Carolyn and Ben wed at the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco amongst dear friends and family. The event, which takes classic beauty and tradition to a new level, turned out exquisitely.

The couple chose to use our San Francisco Skyline invitation and day-of materials in a crisp black/white to capture the simple yet striking characteristics of their decor.

The floral arrangements by Chestnut and Vine graced each table with fresh scents and bright whites.

Congratulations Carolyn and Ben!

Check out the entire gallery on Style Me Pretty here!

All photography by Meg Perotti

Featured: Brides.com

We're delighted to start off this week with a spotlight on table stationery! Recently Hello!Lucky was featured on Brides.com in their Ultimate Guide to Table Stationery, and we're super impressed with their collection! They also share some useful information about etiquette and placement options, and some great alternatives for table numbers! Check it out here!

If you're hosting a fall dinner party, don't forget to include personalized seating cards! Adding stationery to your table setting makes the gathering extra special. We're certain these Autumn Leaves and Tuscany cards will wow your guests and bring an extra hint of fall to your table.

Studio Snapshot: Special Delivery!

Extra! Extra! Yesterday we received a special delivery with the soon-to-be-released September 2011 issue of Brides Magazine! We always love to browse Brides' perfectly groomed pages for inspiration and fresh ideas. The September issue is packed full of glamorous wedding gowns, delicious cakes, and smart tips to make your big day a cinch! They also included an article titled "The Ultimate Guide to Table Stationery," and we were thrilled to have a few of our designs featured.

Our Whimsy menu, Big Day place cards, and Evelyn table number shined among other amazing pieces by super-talented designers.

We always encourage creativity when preparing for a table display, and we've seen a number of beautiful arrangements in the past. Whether you choose tented place cards, personalized menus, or framed table numbers - there is always room to spruce up the presentation. Simply placing a card in a pool of jellybeans creates a playful and colorful display, like these bright pink and orange custom cards below!

The September 2011 issue will be on newsstands soon and we just know you'll love it as much as we do!

Bow-tie paper clip DIY

Spotted this cute DIY over at How About Orange...such a cute and easy idea to brighten up your paper clip collection. We think this would be a super cute idea for place cards too! Just use a different color or pattern for each escort card and then use the same fabric to decorate each table - your guests can even wear the paper clips on their lapels! See the full instructions here.

Speech bubble pins

Wouldn't these speech bubble pins make great seating cards? Just write out your guest's names on the pin, and attach it to a card with their table number on it. Easy! They'd go perfectly with our word bubble signs!

Available here via Swiss Miss.

New menus, place cards, thank yous & more!

We're thrilled to announce that menu cards, place cards, thank you cards, and details (or directions) cards are now available on our website! To celebrate, we're offering 10% off your entire shopping cart through August 31st (enter code HLBLOG0809 at checkout)!

Our menu cards and place cards are pretty cool in that we can print your guests' names directly on them (you e-mail us an Excel spreadsheet after placing your order; additional fee applies). That way, your menu can do double duty as a place card, and you don't need to worry about writing guests' names by hand. We can even personalize place cards with guest's entree choices (a small icon in the corner). Oh, and matching table number cards are available to go with any of our designs!

Our thank you cards are digitally printed (or letterpress printed, if you feel like a splurge!) on nice thick cotton cardstock - perfect for written correspondence! If you just need a few and would like to indulge in letterpress, check out our non-personalized letterpress thank you cards, many of which match our invitation designs.

Our details cards are a great way to communicate directions and transportation info (e.g. where and when shuttle buses will be leaving), details on attire, children, additional weekend events (such as a post-wedding brunch or welcome reception), and wedding website.  Each one is designed to match the wedding invitation suite - especially love the little double decker bus on the Visit London details card!

Hope you enjoy these stationery bits! They're the perfect way to tie your theme or style through your entire wedding!