Crafting Bridal Hangers: A Wedding Diy Guide

Bridal wedding hangers are a must-have for every bride. They are the perfect way to add a personal touch to your wedding and can even act as a pleasant surprise for your bridal party and groom. They can also serve as keepsakes for your bridesmaids. While you can buy them online, they are pretty simple to make and can be a relaxing way to de-stress from planning. All you need is a computer and printer for the font, a wooden hanger, a power drill, glue, and decorations such as ribbon, wire, paint, or fabric flowers.

Using wire to spell out names or titles

Planning and Preparation:

Start by gathering the necessary materials:

• Hangers in your preferred colour (some tutorials recommend IKEA's Bumerang hangers for their low price)
• Floral wire (12-gauge or 14-16-gauge) in your chosen colour, available at craft stores or online
• Pliers (needle-nose and/or round-nose) - optional: cover the inside with masking tape to prevent leaving ridges on the wire
• Hot glue gun or strong adhesive (e.g., superglue, epoxy resin)
• Drill with a 3/16" bit or a dental handpiece
• Ribbon, bow, or other embellishments (optional)

Planning Your Lettering:

Before you start bending the wire, plan out your design. Using pen and paper, sketch the lettering you want to create, such as names, titles, or phrases like "Mrs." or "Bride." Remember, you won't be able to cut the wire, so ensure your design is continuous, and get creative with how you form letters like "t" and "i." You can add decorative elements like loops, hearts, or swirls to your design.

Bending the Wire:

Straighten out a decent length of wire, allowing some extra to account for mistakes and to ensure you don't run out. Start bending the wire to form your design, committing to each bend as you go, as it's difficult to straighten wire once bent. Use pliers for sharp angles, but bend the wire as much as possible by hand first, and always use the flat part of the pliers to avoid leaving marks on the wire.

For added strength, make your bends twist around the letters. You can also twist the wire for letters like "i" to add durability. Straighten the letters if needed, but avoid making drastic changes or moving them around too much.

Attaching the Wire to the Hanger:

Remove the bottom part of the hanger that holds pants if it has one. Drill holes in the hanger for the wire to pass through. Estimate how much wire you'll need, and cut a little at a time to centre the wording on the hanger. Use glue or epoxy resin to secure the wire in the holes, ensuring the wording isn't too tight or loose.

Embellishments:

Add any desired embellishments, such as a bow, ribbon, or flowers, to complete your personalised hanger.

Creating bridal wedding hangers with wire names requires patience and practice, but the result is a beautiful, personalised touch for your special day.

Adding embellishments like ribbon, fabric flowers, seashells, pearls or gemstones

Adding embellishments is a great way to make your bridal hangers stand out and add a personal touch. Here are some ideas and instructions for adding ribbon, fabric flowers, seashells, pearls, or gemstones:

Ribbon

Cut organza ribbon into strips and form a bow. You can either slip these bows over the neck of the hangers or affix them at the centre with hot glue. You can also use a different type of ribbon and form a single bow instead of a double bow.

Fabric Flowers

Make your own fabric flowers or buy ready-made ones and glue them onto the hangers. You can use fabric flowers in combination with other embellishments, but remember not to overcrowd the hanger with too many different elements.

Seashells

If you're having a beach wedding, seashells are a perfect choice for embellishments. Clean the seashells to remove any debris and, for bright white seashells, soak them in bleach before scrubbing and allowing them to dry. Glue the seashells onto the hangers, adding other embellishments if desired.

Pearls or Gemstones

Artificial pearls or gemstones can be used as embellishments on their own or in combination with other elements. For example, you could add a string of pearls or gemstones to a fabric flower or ribbon bow.

Remember to keep the overall design simple and elegant, and don't be afraid to get creative!

Painting hangers with spray paint

Spray paint is a great, cost-effective way to transform cheap plastic hangers into beautiful bridal hangers. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieving a professional finish:

Preparation

Before you start, gather your materials. You will need:

• A work area that is well-ventilated
• Cardboard or a hanging apparatus
• Spray paint in your chosen colour(s)
• A spray paint nozzle
• Masking tape (optional)
• Clear coat spray

Painting

Place your hangers on cardboard or hang them up. It is important not to lay your hangers flat when spray painting, as this will cause the paint to pool and dry unevenly. If you are painting in an enclosed space, ensure the area is well-ventilated.

Apply light, even coats of spray paint. It is better to do a few light coats than one or two heavy coats. Allow the paint to dry between coats. If you want to create a design or add multiple colours, use masking tape to block out areas you don't want to be painted. Alternatively, draw freehand designs with a marker once the paint is dry.

Finishing

Once you are happy with the coverage, finish the hangers with a clear coat to protect the paint and add shine. Allow the hangers to dry completely before adding any further embellishments, such as bows, pearls, or flowers.

Adding a bow using a glue gun

Once you have your ribbon strips, it's time to start gluing! Use a glue gun to carefully apply glue to the centre of the hanger, making sure not to use too much glue to avoid any unsightly glue marks. Press the centre of the ribbon strip onto the glue and hold it in place for a few seconds to ensure it adheres well. Now, form a loop with the ribbon on one side and secure it with a small amount of glue. Repeat this step on the other side to create the second loop of the bow. Finally, cut any excess ribbon and use a small amount of glue to secure the centre of the bow. You can also add some extra decorations to the centre of the bow, such as a pearl, gemstone, or a small flower.

If you want to add some extra flair to your hangers, you can consider painting the hangers before adding the bow. This can be a great way to incorporate your wedding colours or simply add a touch of elegance to the hangers. You can also add other embellishments, such as fabric flowers, artificial pearls, or even seashells for a beach wedding. Get creative and have fun with it!

Using printable tags

First, decide on a design that best suits your wedding theme. You can choose from a variety of themes, such as beach, floral, or modern. You can also personalise the tags with names, titles, and other details. If you are creating your own design, you can use programs such as Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat to edit the hanger tag files. Remember to download the correct font files before editing.

Once you have your design ready, print it onto 8.5" x 11" white cardstock. Cut out each hanger tag, and if you haven't already, write any desired names, titles, or other details on them. Cut 4" strips of 1/4" ribbon, and form a simple loop out of each strip using glue to hold it in place. Glue the ribbon loops onto the back of the tags and let them dry. Finally, slip the loops over the necks of your chosen hangers.

You can use wooden hangers as they are, or decorate plastic hangers with paint, sequins, or embellishments to match your wedding theme.

Frequently asked questions