As I was passing through the office last week, I noticed a huge, red see-throughish ball of string the size of an exercise stability ball in our creative department.  It immediately caught my eye-I have a strange love for anything geometric with a mess of lines and squiggles running through it- and I had to ask where it came from.  It was clearly perfect for a variety of wedding styles; Hang it from the ceiling and you’ll have a unique wedding decoration.  String it to a hanging lamp cord and you have an amazing lantern.  I can even imagine it in some very modern, edgy wedding photos being held by the bride and groom.  Without further ado, I present:

String Theory Pendant Lamps  (courtesy of ReadyMade)

You’ll need:

• Round Balloons
• Crochet Thread (color of your choice)
• Fabric stiffner
• Hanging Lamp cord and socket
• Light bulbs
• Ceiling Hooks
• Takeout container lids (optional)
• Scissors
• Drop Cloth
• Bowl
• Rubber Gloves
• Foam Brush
• Clothespin
• Needle

Start by blowing up a balloon to the desired size of your ball.  Begin wrapping the crochet string around the inflated balloon, adding the fabric stiffener as you go along.  Wrap until your ball has the desired transparency and amount of string.  Let the ball dry overnight, then pop the balloon and pull it out through a hole in the string.  Add all the hardware and hang.  Voila!  An amazing wedding decoration for any budget!

For more detailed instructions, visit the original post at ReadyMade.

As the writer of the weekly “DIY Divas” posts on Diva Dialogue, I know just how challenging it can be to come up with new project ideas, especially ones that show uniqueness, talent and creativity.  I’m often checking out other blogs and websites to get fresh ideas.  And so I thought:  Why not put together an inspiration board of those projects that really do inspire me? Tying in with the theme of recessionista brides that we’ve been seeing a lot lately, this post should help those of you trying to cut back by trying some do-it-yourself projects.  Happy crafting!

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right:   DIY Flower Hair Pieces from Diva Dialogue; Flip Flop Favors from There Went The Bride; Tissue Paper Pom Poms from DIY Wedding; Hanging Chair Placecards (using a Wedding Paper Divas design!) from Style Me Pretty; Wine Label Table Numbers from Martha Stewart Weddings; Coffee Bean Centerpieces from Showers Blog; Ringbearer Book Sling from Style Me Pretty.

It’s been a crazy week but I’ve still managed to find time to surf the web looking for tasty wedding-related morsels!  Check out my favorites from this week:

• A new wedding planning website, The Wedding Vine, is busy getting everything up and running.  In the meantime, they have some great informative articles from experts around the web, including this one from Wedding Paper Divas!  Sign up for their free wedding report for 10 tips to get you well on your way to having the perfect wedding day!

• Wedded Bits from Brides.com was my first source for the breaking news that Cole Haan just released a bridal line of their Nike Air heels!  I sooo wish these had been aroung for my wedding!

• I am loving this post on DIY hanging lanterns from joliejolie design blog.  With instructions on how to hang the lanterns in even the strictest of ballrooms, this post is invaluable for thrifty brides!

• I greatly enjoy the humor and wit in almost every post on GroomsAdvice, the official blog of The Man Registry.  Check out this Wedding Site Fail, a story about the NFL Player cut from the team right before his wedding, and this video from a marriage proposal on The Price is Right!