How-to: Wedding Table Numbers (with video!)

This how to post was going to be one of my standard narrative-plus-pics posts, but today you’re in luck! Below are the text-based instructions I promised in the video.
After an exhaustive search of Martha Stewart and other bloggers’ wedding table number ideas, I realized I wanted to do something a little different at my wedding. Using a technique I demonstrated in a previous post, I applied tissue paper numbers to the hurricanes I had once only intended to fill with dried artichokes.

Supplies

tissue paper

school glue

paint brush

x-acto knife

cardboard

straight pins

scissors

clear hurricane vases – mine are borrowed, but I highly recommend checking out dollar store websites to save big

computer with printer – optional

Directions

To begin, you’re going to need to print or draw the numbers needed on a piece of paper and cut them out, creating a stencil. Then, place a piece of tissue paper underneath your stencil and pin both items to some cardboard to protect your work surface. With an x-acto knife, cut along your stencil and through the tissue paper. Be careful when you are separating your cut out from the rest of the tissue paper to avoid ripping.

Next, grab one of your vases, and make sure it’s clean. Mix some school glue with water, at about a 1:1 ratio, and grab your paintbrush. Make sure that’s clean too.

Put some glue mixture on your vase, but not too much (watch the video for a full demo of this technique). Place your tissue paper cut out on the wet surface and paint over it with a little bit of the glue mixture. Be careful of wrinkles, but I can let you know from experience that as these dry, small wrinkles tend to sort themselves out. Let this dry completely, and yes, there should be excess glue visible on your vase. Leave it!

When your vase is dry, take some cotton balls moistened with water to remove any visible glue from your vase. Let dry again. My wedding theme is artichoke and asparagus, my fiance and I’s favorite veggies if you’re curious. I was lucky enough to find some awesome dried artichokes on clearance. I’m putting some in the hurricanes, and along with luminaries, and the pies I’ll be serving, my centerpieces are ready to go!