house wren studio: cookies for the road

Back to the wedding!

Here's a little DIY project we did for the tables at the reception. Maggie and James opted for platters of fabulous Italian cookies and pastries in lieu of wedding cake. Dessert arrives at such a busy time at the wedding - lots of dancing, visiting and moving around. In case not everyone had a chance to sit and eat cookies, we made a box for each table with bags and ties for take-away. And yes, they were all gone when it was said and done. Not a single bite left anywhere. (I went to the bakery later to get a taste of what I missed! Fantastic mini- eclairs and napoleons!)

Maggie art-directed this project and I had a fun day making 20 boxes for the tables. Started with a simple penne pasta box (freebies collected from the local deli the day after a big pasta salad project for a catering job). Different sizes would have been okay since the boxes are on different tables, but it was nice that I didn't have to reinvent the method for other sizes. We got the clear, gusseted bags and ties from Michael's. Important note: inside the store, the very same clear bag product is cheaper in the candy/cake decorating department. The ones in the gift bag/wrap department were 2x the price.

I cut the tops off the boxes and cut down the sides at an angle and then across the front. After the first one with marker lines drawn for cutting, I knew where the box design points were to use as cut lines.

Then I got out the vintage sheet music stash and started decoupaging with Mod Podge. Each box took about 1 1/2 sheets for outside and inside. I didn't go all the way down the inside walls but didn't want the gray inside to show when empty so the back wall got the most papering.

The biggest challenge was how to store the twist ties without losing them inside the box. Took some thinking and playing around, but I was soooo proud of my little origami folded pocket for the side!

I folded the paper down for a strong top edge, then pleated the side edges and glued the pleated sides and bottom to the finished box. The decorative ribbon (left over from the invitations) helped hold them in place as well - those twisties are slippery, wild little things!

For the front label, I used cardstock, a rubber stamp for the plaque and a sharpie to write the message. You have to know how much I loved doing this. Just a little thing really, but one of my favorite wedding details start to finish. Who doesn't love a little bag of cookies to take home?

It's a holiday weekend! Make something just for fun. xoxo

Comments

Oh, I love this idea. It reminds me of one in your book that I did years ago. Boxes are amazing things - so versatile. I love the little folded pocket on the side. Sigh.

Posted by: Lorrie | May 27, 2011 at 03:54 PM

awesome, awesome clever girlie you are! thank you MUCH for sharing...

Posted by: donna!ee | May 27, 2011 at 04:12 PM

what a wonderful idea. Thank you so much for sharing. Grace xoox

Posted by: Grace P | May 27, 2011 at 10:02 PM

Hello Charlotte,

I love projects like this!

~ Gabriela ~

Posted by: Gabriela | May 28, 2011 at 08:38 AM

The boxes are adorable--pretty sure that only YOU could take an empty pasta box and turn it into a lovely little wedding decoration! :) Cookies are a really FUN idea. So much imagination swirls around your world.
Have a good holiday weekend!

Posted by: april | May 28, 2011 at 09:25 AM

That is a wonderful idea, Charlotte.Your daughter (and you) did such a beautiful job. I am in San Francisco at a wedding now. They are such fun and such a celebration of marriage and lasting love. I always feel very moved when I attend one.
Hugs,
Suz

Posted by: Susan Reaney | May 30, 2011 at 02:12 AM