The holidays are nearly here! And with the cold weather outside, that means there's plenty of time for some DIY projects indoors. If you're in the midst of wedding planning, or you're just starting (congrats!) these projects would look great for a wintry reception.

1. Favor Crackers. Put a grown-up spin on these childhood favorites by dressing up your party crackers with a little lace and some gold stars. Have your guests pop them at the end of the night as you leave for a photo finish. (The Bride's Cafe)

2. Map Basket. Lots of out-of-towners? Give them this as a favor or as part of their welcome basket and make it out of maps of your city. It'll be a fun keepsake from your wedding, especially if you fill it with small candies or other goodies. (Craftzine.com)

3. Mango Body Butter. What better for your bridesmaids during those harsh winter months than some moisture rich body butter that smells like summer? This easy recipe makes a great gift and you can dress up the packaging to really make it stand out. (Bloom, Bake, Create)

4. Chalkboard Bunting. Using muslin and a little chalkboard paint, you can make this cute banner say anything you want (and then wipe it clean to say something else!) (The Scrap Shoppe)

5. Wreath Escort Cards. We're so smitten with these cute wreath escort cards we might just have to use them for a holiday dinner party. The added "snow" look made with glue and clear glitter is so creative! (Project Wedding)

And just for fun, here are a few more awesome holiday projects we love:

This homemade book wreath would spruce up any book lover's door.

Feeling a little Norwegian? Then try out this horse-pattern stocking.

And I'm still cracking up over the idea of making beer bottles into reindeer.

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Even if you're not having your wedding on a winery, you can use these wine-inspired cork ideas to add an extra rustic touch to your reception.

For the first two photos (from left), you'll need lots of wine corks. So start drinking now! Just kidding. But you should start saving soon. Enlist your bridal party, friends and family members to save corks for you as well. Not into drinking wine? You can also buy wine corks here. For reference, a board of about 24x28 inches will take about 60 wine corks.

You'll need:
• lots of corks
• cork board/ hardboard (for the back)
• super glue or wood glue
• a decorate frame (optional)
• electric saw (optional)

1. Cut the corks. This step is optional, and though it's difficult, we think the board will turn out more even and stable in the end. If you're not up to the challenge, go right on to step 2. Otherwise, the first thing to do is carefully cut all of the corks in half using a small electric saw. Try to do this so the cork design is centered on top.

2. Glue on the corks. Now comes the fun part. Using the wood glue, affix all of your corks to the cork board (or hardboard) that will serve as the backing for your finished project. Be creative! Try stacking the corks vertically and horizontally (or even diagonally) to make a unique pattern. Let everything thoroughly dry overnight.

3. Attach the frame. If you opted for a decorate frame, now's the time to fit your new cork board inside, and hang it up.

Use colorful push-pins in your wedding colors to attach photos, escort cards or even notes from your guests (in lieu of a guestbook).

To achieve the look of the last photo (on the right), simply slice your corks in half (like in step 1) and then add another small slit to the top of each cork. Be careful to not slice through the entire cork, and voila, you've got some beautiful cork escort card holders.

Images by: Jeremy Underwood, (far right photo) Orchard Cove Photography.

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Happy Thanksgiving! For this special edition of Link Love, we're going with some fall inspired treats your guests will love. (And a bit of food -- it is Thanksgiving afterall!)

1. Homemade Butter. Impress your family and friends with this super easy (and fun!) recipe for homemade butter. Dish it out into baby food jars (seen here) for the perfect wedding favor. (A Lemon Squeezy Home)

2. Wine Bottle Lights. Add instant romance with this gorgeous decor idea (you could even vary the light color depending on the type of wine bottles you use). Perfect for a winter wedding. (Wit and Whistle)

3. Glass Jar Cosies. Yes, by now we've probably seen 101 uses for the mason jar. This one is pretty cute, which is why we just had to include it. Keep the jars winter appropriate with these covers. (Whip Up)

4. Leaf Soap. This paper-thin one-time use soap is perfect as a favor or to leave in the bathrooms at your reception venue. It's personalized in a way and definitely brings in a fall theme. (The Greenbeans Crafterole)

5. Edible Flower Cupcakes. Not interested in sugar flowers? Then go for the real thing and choose only edible flowers to top your cupcakes (or cake). There are plenty to choose from like lavender, day lily, squash blossom, Nasturtiums, chrysanthemums, and carnations, all with their own unique taste. (Stephmodo.com)

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I like to think of these as "revenge of the nerds goes vintage chic." These centerpieces all get that something extra thanks to the added books.

Start searching early for vintage finds at garage sales and in thrift stores. The books can be used to add extra height to smaller centerpieces (like in the photo below left and above left), or they can be used in lieu of table numbers (like in the above right photo). If you decide to go that route, pick book titles that sound wedding perfect: "From Here to Eternity" or "The History of Love," for example. You can also pick song titles like this couple (who chose songs from the band The Magnetic Fields), and then design your own faux book jacket.

You could even use this as a twist for your guestbook: Buy blank books with hard covers and then design "book" jackets based on your favorite romance novels and let guests leave you sweet notes on the inside.

(From left) Top images: Jason + Anna Photography, Orchard Cove Photography. Above: Jason + Anna Photography, Orchard Cove Photography, Jen Huang Photography.

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These simple centerpieces can be a perfect (and inexpensive) way to spice up the other floral centerpieces you may already have. Add them to your head tables or even the buffet or dessert tables for an extra splash of color, or nestle smaller flowers throughout the centerpiece (like in the middle photo).

All you'll need are some large glass vases or bowls and plenty of citrus (limes and lemons work best). When you're picking your fruit, make sure the skins look bright and unblemished. Wash them lightly to remove any small pieces of dirt, but don't scrub too hard or you'll remove the wax. That wax coating can help give them more of a sheen in the vase and will keep them looking brighter longer.

For an added twist, incorporate that lush citrus scent by zesting a few of the pieces on the sides that won't face outward. You'll need to do this pretty last minute, as that citrus scent won't last more than a few hours. You can also sprinkle the zest over the finished centerpiece for an added fresh small.

Left and right images by Hillary Maybery, center image by Cousins Photography.

Find even more DIY images in our photo gallery.

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We're coming out with a little extra love this week -- and just couldn't pass up on these cute DIY projects (especially that scarf -- how cool is that?!)

1. No-Knit Scarf. All you'll need for this is some yarn and the back of a chair. It's that easy. This wrap-around scarf is so cute, I'm basically thinking of it as the ideal holiday gift for all the girls on my list. (Honestly WTF)

2. Handbag with Pockets. I love that this mommy blogger explains how this bag moves seamlessly from mini-diaper bag to chic out-on-a-Saturday handbag. Too cute. (Sew a Straight Line)

3. Farm Buttonhole Napkin Ties. Perfect for a casual rehearsal dinner, or even just a meet-and-greet BBQ (like we did for our wedding on the night before the rehearsal dinner), these cute napkin ties will keep things from getting too stuffy. (Aesthetic Nest)

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It's definitely fall here in NYC and the last few days have felt downright like winter. And that can only mean one thing to those of us who are wedding obsessed: planning season. Time to start from the beginning and get down to the basics. Let's start with ideas for your besties -- aka: your bridesmaids.

1. DIY Bridesmaid Cards. Of course you could call and ask, but these cute cards go that extra step to really make her feel important too. (Once Wed)

2. Paper Garland. Throw an awesome bridal shower or even a meet-n-greet for your bridesmaids and decorate with this cute and simple paper garland. Use shades of pink or a color combo like pink and tangerine for an extra cute look. (Minieco.co.uk)

3. Flower Brooch. Perfect for a bridesmaid or mother of the bride (in lieu of a corsage), you could also add this easy felt brooch to a clutch or give it as a place setting at your shower. (Living with Punks)

4. DIY Moleskine Scrapbook. We know you've got notes to take about the wedding. So do it in style with these cute notebooks. Or, dress 'em up and give them to your bridal party. (Honestly WTF)

5. Fabric Flowers. I know, I know, we do a lot of fabric flowers on this blog -- but these are just too cute to pass up. When your bridesmaids have their dresses hemmed/ altered, ask the seamstress to save the extra fabric so you can use the scraps to make cute matching flowers, like these. Then your bridesmaids can adorn their dress any way they like. (Adventures in Dressmaking)

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Tired of the typical sign-in albums? Try out these new ideas for your guest sign-ins. The best part? All of these can easily be turned into memorable additions to your home.

• Use pebbles instead of a guest book (left photo). This bride and groom used them as seating cards, but we think you could just as easily ask guests to write a little note and then set out a large vase or bowl for guests to place them in. You could also use sea shells or sand dollars -- whatever fits with your home decor or wedding theme.


• If you're an outdoorsy sort of couple, try using a pair of wooden Adirondack chairs (middle photo). Offer guests a few permanent markers, a little note of encouragement and let them graffiti up your chairs with signatures, drawings and notes. After the wedding, finish the outdoor chairs for protection with a lacquer or other water resistant spray.


• For a more whimsical look, try out this guest book tree idea (right photo). Provide guests with small pieces of paper lined to match your color theme, with ribbon loops tied through one end. Lay out colored pens, markers -- whatever you want to give your guests to decorate the cards with -- and make small card instructing them to write a few sweet words and then hang it from the tree. You can easily make the guest book tree yourself by collecting a few old tree branches and planting them in a bucket of sand or dirt. No old tree branches near you? Try a craft store for fake versions. You can even spray paint the branches white or silver (like this couple in the photo did) to get them to match your color theme.

Images (from left): Kim A. Taylor Photography, Katelyn James, Our Labor of Love.

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You already know that DIY wedding success is all about the little things -- even if you think they may not be noticed by your guests, trust us, they will be. These projects are all fairly simple and fairly small, but I'm sure they'll still make a big impact.

1. Vanilla Sugar Cookies. Normally, I wouldn't add in a recipe that this simple, but the icing and designs just make these too cute (rack it up to just having a sweet tooth today). (WhipUp)

2. Craft Table Runner. If you're going DIY and quickly finding the price of fabric can really add up, try this -- a simple runner. It's a great way to dress up your table without looking like you just cut back on fabric. (100 Layer Cake)

3. Pennant Bunting Card. Talk about an exciting way to announce your engagement! Spell out your names on a fabric pennant and tuck it in your card along with a save-the-date. (Just Something I Made)

4. DIY Macaroon Bags. I'm probably never 'over it' when it comes to macaroons. And these cute little bags are no different. The best part? You could easily print out the labels and use them on a variety of favors. (Green Wedding Shoes)

5. Paper Favor Cups. These cute cups are just the thing to hold mini M&M's, bite-size brownies, or even small saplings for your guests to take home. Use old scraps of wrapping paper, magazines, or even old newspapers to try it out. (JustSomethingIMade.com)

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We've seen loads of mason jar centerpieces -- but making wine bottles look chic? Now that's another story. These minimalist centerpieces have plenty of style, even without tons of flowers. Here's how to try the look:

Start saving your empty wine bottles now. Soak them in hot water and a little dish soap to easily remove the labels. (Or, if you're going for a more rustic feel, buy wine from only one country, like France or Italy, and leave the labels on as part of the look).

But maybe the best part about these centerpieces is that you won't need to buy a lot of flowers for them to look fabulous. Like these calla lilies, any long stem, large blossoms (sunflowers, roses, or orchids) will look great on the table. Use only one to three flowers per bottle to keep the minimalist look.

Want more DIY ideas? Check out 100s of DIY photos in our gallery.

by Kendall Pfeffer

See more photos from Katrina and Andrew's wedding.

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