Create personalized matchboxes to coordinate with your wedding colors! The following tutorial was submitted by Anna, a Do-it-Yourself Weddings Reader! This site is really great and helpful for all those DIY brides. (www.do-it-yourself-weddings.com)
It only took a couple hours for a couple nights while watching TV, $5, my printer, and some extra stationary I had lying around to complete 50 personalized matchboxes!
Step by Step Instructions for Creating Personalized Matchboxes:
You can find generic matchboxes are your local store. I was able to find these at my grocery store. They came in packs of 10 for $1 so I can make 50 for $5. I am also using a couple sheets of lilac paper I bought for various projects and scraps of 100# chocolate brown cardstock I used for invitations and other stationary needs.
In the beginning...
Finished...
How To Make The Covers:
1. Take the matchboxes apart. Slide the inside "box" out from the cover and remove the matches. Because I didn't want little matches all scattered around, I kept the matches in their bottoms and placed them in an empty coffee can. I also only did 5 matchboxes at a time.
2. Carefully unfold the cover of the matchbox by breaking the seal of glue. I used an eyeglass screwdriver because it was small and had a flat tip.
3. Completely unfold the cover and measure it.
4. In Microsoft Word, design a label using the dimensions of the matchbox. If you'd like to put something on the back, you need to insert it upside down by adjusting your settings. We decided to do a simplified version of our monogram (without our names and date) since that was already on the front of the matchbox.
5. Print out the design on your printer. When you cut the design out to wrap around the matchbox, make sure you'll have some excess paper on one side and at the bottom of the label. I found it was easier to glue the paper on and snip off the excess than it was to try to perfectly match the paper to the matchbox.
6. Using a glue stick, smear glue all along the edges of the matchbox and smear it on the top edge of your paper label. Line the top edge of the paper label close to the striker strip.
7. Carefully cut off the excess paper along the matchbox lines.
8. Now, carefully fold up the matchbox back to its original form.
9. Glue the matchbox closed when it's in its original form. Because it's best to apply firm, even pressure to the inside of the box to ensure the glue sticks, I inserted a pen into the box and held it down for 30 seconds where I glued the matchbox closed.
10. Now your matchbox cover is complete. Put it aside and let it dry for a while. I suggest clipping the pen onto the matchbox while it dries so pressure is continually applied to the drying glue.
 |
| (Favor ideas submitted by Anna @ Do-it-Yourself Weddings | ) | |
|
