I talk a lot about the economy in this blog for obvious reasons. When you’re dealing with an industry that relies on consumers’ expensive and sometimes extravagant taste (in this case, the jewelry and bridal industries) then obviously the dwindling economy is going to affect how things are run. One thing I noticed across wedding blogs was a growing support for DIY. Why spend hundreds of dollars when you can just do it yourself, right? Not only that, but DIYing also gives brides-to-be a chance to add their own personal touch, something uniquely them to their wedding, bridal or engagement party. But there’s a good way to do this and a wrong way. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who simply are not artists. Perhaps they were that kid who kept gluing their sleeve to their face in arts n’ crafts class. Chances are, if you’re a little rusty on crafts, then perhaps you should take a second thought on DIY. But hey, perhaps you have an inner artist streak and can glue pine cones together like no one else. No matter what category you fall into, here’s a few tips on how to approach DIY:

Tip #1
Suck at crafts? Don’t do it.
The reason people buy expensive products to begin with is for the quality. If you’re hand-making invitations that look cheap and amateurish, chances are you probably would have done better just picking up invitations at a store. If it’s money you’re worried about, find a friend who’s savvy in design.

Tip #2
If labor doesn’t cost less than the actual product, don’t bother.
I was watching Bridezillas the other day (shut up), and in this particular episode the bride was hand crafting her own bouquets. Not only did it take her all day, she ran out of flowers and had to return to the store to buy more. By the end of the day the bride only completed one bouquet that cost her more than what she would have paid at a store, and boy was she mad. Don’t be like this woman.

Tip #3
If you’re a crafty person, don’t get carried away
If you’re naturally great at hand crafting, don’t get carried away in all the amazing things you can do. 1.) You might find yourself overwhelmed, and 2.) You might be spending more by trying to do everything yourself.

Tip #4
Don’t do anything at the last minute
DIY can be a trial and error type process. If you decide a few days before that you’re simply going to hand craft something yourself, there’s an extremely high chance of the project not working out. Maybe the flowers won’t stay, the ribbon looks like crap, it’s asymmetrical, etc. Just be wary of this and try not to be a victim.

Tip #5
Have fun!
Just like arts n’ crafts class in school, crafting should be fun. Don’t make it into some daunting chore. If you don’t have fun with it, you’re not going to be nearly as pleased with the things you make.