Best DIY Wedding Ideas of 2018

The best DIY projects are the ones that are fun to create, look great when they're done, and don't break the bank with specialty supplies. It's a bonus if they have simple instructions but look complicated when you finish! There is nothing better than finding an impressive, DIY wedding project in just the right color to match your theme.

The right DIY projects can go a long way in setting the tone for your wedding. Here are our top picks for DIY wedding ideas in 2018.

Place Cards

Place cards can be surprisingly easy to make. Any craft store or paper store will sell pre-packaged templates with easy fold and tear designs. You can pick a plain white with a simple black font for a classic look, or pull your wedding color into the design. Place cards can end up being one of the easiest DIY wedding ideas out there. But to take it to the next level, you can try all kinds of unique, custom ideas. If you're planning a rustic wedding, for example, you could try a leaf design on the cards themselves, or find a way to affix the cards to beautiful stones or rustic twigs. You can also attach place cards to small favors and create unified themes that draw them together. One example: using small, antique keys as favors (they can double as bottle openers) and having a small key logo (or an imprint with some pun with the phrase "Key to my heart!") on it. No matter which way you go—creative and unique or a simple time-saver—place cards make a fantastic DIY wedding project.

Greenery

There are so many ways to get real greenery into your wedding without a florist. Online vendors sell flowers in bulk, and as your wedding planning progresses, you can even look into online packages which send you the correct number of stems, fillers, and ribbon—along with DIY instructions!—to get you started. Your big day doesn't have to be overly complicated, though. You could also head to the grocery store the day before and have your wedding party help you assemble their own bouquets. With Meghan Markle paving the way for bouquets with simple flowers and lots of green, putting together bouquets, centerpieces, or reception decorations doesn't necessarily have to involve a lot of skill or a lot of flower buds. You could make an entire bouquet out of seeded eucalyptus, rosemary, Israeli Ruscus, and Sprengeri, or other combinations of greens and herbs.

Centerpieces

Centerpieces are one of those budget-busters that are not completely necessary. One way to cut on the price—and to embrace recycling!—is to rent your centerpieces from a vendor. But another way is to simply make your centerpieces your core DIY wedding project. If you want to go super simple, head to a grocery store or greenhouse a few days before the wedding. Grab whatever is in season. Think: simple gourds on a nice plate from your favorite bargain store in the fall, potted poinsettias in the winter, or bunches of wildflowers in mismatched thrift store vases in the summer. Just get the wedding color in there (table numbers are a great way to do that). If you want to go more creative for a rustic wedding, save some bottles of the best summer wines and scrub off the labels. Then tie some ribbon or glue a small strip of burlap and lace around the outside. Use these as oversized vases for single flowers, or add some fairy lights for a soft glow at an evening wedding.

Picture Frame Photo Booths

Think: the throwback look of an oversized Polaroid with a modern application. Brides and grooms are using photo booths now more than ever. And whether you have a formal photo booth or not, you can grab some poster board and mock up an oversized white Polaroid (cut out the spot where the picture would be) or an ornate picture frame. Guests can hold the frame up in front of them and pose. Whether they make funny faces or have other props to play with is up to you. This is one of the hottest DIY wedding projects out there right now. As you work through your wedding planning, think about how you can incorporate your #hashtag and wedding color into the frame so that your photo album will have a cohesive look that is unique all your own.

Thank You Card Props

Talk to your photographer about setting up one of the classic wedding photos, a shot where the bride and groom hold up a homemade sign that says THANK YOU on their big day. Get the wedding color in there, and especially if you're doing a rustic wedding, be sure to get a nice background in the shot. This doesn't have to be fancy. You can grab two small chalkboards and write in "thank" and "you!" Or try poster board or even carved wooden letters. Most craft stores also sell oversized metal letters with lights. You could pose with these positioned in front, or off to the side. Then, when your photographer sends you his JPEG files, upload the image to a photo printing site that lets you custom design greeting cards. We can't think of a better, more custom or personalized DIY wedding project that extends beyond your wedding day!

Chalkboard Menus

Chalkboard is in right now. Really in. Grab some chalk pens (they come in a variety of colors and thicknesses at most craft stores) and get to work. This is the perfect way to spruce up a rustic wedding. You can order small and large chalkboards, or get wood the size you need and paint it with black chalk paint. Either way, you can position these signs throughout the wedding. Use small chalkboards to label items on the dessert buffet, and use a large one at your ceremony site (or in your cocktail hour area) to display the evening's timetable. You can use all kind of cute messages there too. Try the now-infamous "Choose a seat, not a side; we're all family once the knot is tied" right before the rows of chairs/benches at the ceremony. Mini chalkboards can even serve as DIY place cards! One of our favorites: small chalkboards with the words "bride" and "groom" written in lovely script with strings attached that hang off the back of the bride and groom's chair.

Wedding Favors

Nothing says creative like DIY wedding ideas that result in little things that the guests can take home at the end for your big day! And favors don't have to be hugely complicated. Head to a liquor store and buy dozens of mini wines in a variety of styles and then glue your own custom label over the bottles. Buy mini glass jars with covers and fill them with sugar—infused with something fun, like a dry lemon rind or some lavender. Buy some pretzels and chocolate and make a half dozen chocolate covered pretzels for your guests; you can secure them in mesh bags for easy storage and distribution. Be sure to get the tastiest wine and chocolate pairings for each one! Fill tiny mason jars with garnishes for your favorite mixed drinks and affix a label with the DIY recipe for a favor with a creative twist that pushes your guests to go home and begin their own fun mini DIY project!

Bathroom Kits

You don't need to pay someone to fill a bathroom basket with the essentials! This is one of those DIY wedding ideas that works for any wedding type—from a rustic wedding to an upscale, city affair. Grab a small basket or wooden crate from a craft store. Adorn it with ribbon or add-ons like burlap flowers, or simply paint it using your wedding color. Then fill it with the essentials (think: mints, bobby pins, a small sewing kit, spray deodorant, sanitary napkins and tampons for the ladies, dental floss, etc). Artistically arrange the contents and simply place it in the bathroom at your reception venue. Your guests will thank you for being so thoughtful—and you'll have an extra set of supplies on hand if something goes wrong and you need them (that sewing kit idea has saved more than one bride and wedding guest). Just browse the dollar store or head to the travel section to find mini versions of all of your favorite toiletries.

Oversized Letters of All Kinds

Oversized letters on are on trend this season. The best part about oversized letters is that they can be easily customized and used in almost any part of your ceremony or reception. Use them to spell out the bride and groom's name, or use numerals to write out the date of the big day. Display them on a sweetheart table, on a fireplace, on the guest book table, or at a fireplace (if you're having a rustic wedding). This is one of the most fun and easiest DIY wedding ideas out there. Paint fancy designs on the letters if you're a true artist, or just add your wedding color if you're not an art school whiz. Use the letters to spell out words or phrases that are meaningful for the special couple. When you're done with these, you can even save one pairing to display in a China cabinet at home as a memento of your special day.

Wedding Programs

Wedding programs don't have to be super long. They can be simple, and any basic word processing software can give you a template. Just plug in the order of events and the names of everyone in the wedding party on your big day, and you're off! This one doubles as help with your wedding planning, too, since it pushes you to be organized enough to consider what goes into the program itself! There are tons of ways to be creative with wedding programs. Use your wedding color, or get an artist friend to create a custom graphic design to display on the cover. Print them on thick card stock and fold them in the shape of fans if you're getting married outside on a hot day. Or make a cool and creative infographic as your program. Cut the paper in the shape of a heart or a tree. The sky's the limit!

End of the Evening Giveaways

End your big day with something your guests can throw into the air as you walk past for the ultimate final picture for your wedding album. DIY wedding ideas include: flower petals, confetti, rice, and bubbles. If you're doing bubbles, buy a bunch of child's favors in bulk from a party store and scrub off the labels, replacing them with your own on-theme custom design. If you're doing confetti, use cardstock to create a small cone to hold the confetti inside. If it's flower petals you're after, spread hundreds of them in various colors across a flower petal station and invite guests to gather handfuls of their favorite colors into a small container (like a small mesh bag or cardboard box). Then, have the photographer line everyone up, and off you go—sailing off into the sunset (or at least your honeymoon) with a sweet send-off.