DIY project: white suitcases

Suitcases can make fantastic props and decorations for weddings, and look amazing in your home afterwards. Pretty easy to come by, just scour your local markets and antique stores. But if you're looking for more chic than shabby, a lick of white paint can transform them.

Just give your suitcase a good clean before you start painting, a coat of primer is a good idea then your white paint. A few stacked together make a great feature or open them up to use as a card box or seating chart display. If the inside needs a tart up too, try decoupaging some old map images or just give it a coat of white paint too.

A Beach Cottage (photo) and Songbird both have step by step instructions if you would like more details.

DIY project: pillow clouds

photo by Karin Mathilda

What aviation wedding would be complete without a few fluffy clouds to fly around in? Here the photographer cut up old pillows, but you can also use new quilting batting or stuffing to create your own sky!

You will need: 
Quilting batting or stuffing
scissors
fishing wire
sticky tape

How to:
1. Tear up sections of stuffing into roughly the size you would like the cloud
2. Stretch and fluff out the material to create a shape you’re happy with
3. Wrap your fishing wire around the cloud leaving a long line for hanging, and re-plump the cloud were necessary.
4. Then simply attach the line to the ceiling with a bit of sticky tape

free world map downloads

Last January we gave you a few links to download free map images. It proved to be a pretty popular post. So this year we've tracked down some more gorgeous world maps, great for those DIY craft projects.

1. Ocean currents map from mapcruzin.com 22 x 12cm
2. Colourful vintage geopolitical world map from vintageprintable.com 12.5 x 10cm
3. Vintage hemisphere map 22 x 19cm

something new: boarding pass photo save the date

Get your guests excited with this fun save the date, great for a destination wedding! Using your supplied photo and mimicking the design of a real boarding pass with a super cute love heart stamp.

Shown here in this seasons hottest shades of grey and bright vermilion orange, or pick your own colour combination.

Head on over to the 'i do' it yourself shop to purchase a print ready PDF computer file delivered via email. Just print at home, trim and decorate. Don't think your home printers up to the task? No problem, you can just take the file to a local printer or just upload to online print shop! Easy!

DIY project: paper plane centrepiece

Here's a super simple centrepiece idea. We all know how to fold paper planes, so why not grab some card stock, wire and tape and whip these up? Pic from Rachel Ray.

real wedding: Justine and Stephen

It's real wedding time again. And this month we have a stunning vintage aviation inspired affair. The venue was the amazing Planes of Fame Air Museum in California, photographed by the lovely Heidi Ryder - who clearly had a lot of fun with those gorgeous antique planes for props.

Justine and Stephen set the scene for their vintage aviation wedding with 'i do' it yourself's antique chic boarding pass invitation and a custom map design. A simple craft paper envelope all adds to that old fashioned feel. 

After a traditional church ceremony they headed to the very unusual airplane hanger reception venue. Beautifully styled in elegant black and white, the old hanger came to life full of 1940s glamour. 

new year beauty radar

So you've heard us nattering on about Pantone and it's colour predictions for this year, well, there is also a fragrance forecast. Each year Bell Flavors and Fragrances releases it's pick of scents, and it's 2012 top ten are out:

1. Ginger Orchid 
2. Orange Flower 
3. Tart Guava 
4. Gold Amber 
5. Green Pear 
6. Spicy Bergamot 
7. Root Beer 
8. Pink Pepper 
9. Leather 
10. Tomato Leaf

Don't worry, this doesn't mean 2012 is the year of swaggering down the aisle drinking root bear and carrying a leather suitcase stuffed with tomato plants. Bell's idea is one of good old fashioned luxury and many of these scents are already in use in popular perfumes. Here are a few worth considering, plus some new products on our beauty radar.

1. Aveda tourmaline charged radiant skin refiner, $64.95 2. Burberry Body Eau de Parfum Intense, $187
3. Sisley Paris Eau de Campagne Eau de Toilette, 50ml, $115 4. Bottega Veneta 75ml, $180
5. Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eau De Toilette, 100ml, $170