Crafting Custom Name Hangers For Your Wedding

Personalized wire wedding hangers are a popular choice for bridesmaid gifts and wedding dress photos. Despite their popularity on Pinterest, Etsy, and wedding photographer blogs, tutorials on how to make them are surprisingly scarce. This could be because these hangers, which typically sell for around $30 each, are simple to create and cost less than $3 in supplies. All you need is a bit of patience and some basic supplies, such as hangers, floral wire, pliers, glue, a drill, and ribbon. The process involves five simple steps: prepping the hangers, planning the lettering, bending the wire, drilling and attaching the wire to the hanger, and adding any desired embellishments like ribbon.

Choosing your supplies

First, decide on the type of hangers you want. You can choose between suit hangers and regular shirt hangers. Suit hangers have a bottom part that holds pants, while shirt hangers do not. If you opt for suit hangers, you will need to remove the bottom part, which usually comes off easily by pulling hard and then removing the nails inside with needle-nose pliers.

Next, select your wire. Floral wire is a good option, and you can find it in the floral section of craft stores or on Amazon. A 12-gauge floral wire is recommended, and it is advised to buy a longer length to avoid running out halfway through your project.

You will also need a hot glue gun or super glue to attach the wire to the hanger. If you have one, a drill with a 3/16" bit can be used to create holes in the hanger for a more secure attachment. However, you can also use the existing holes in the hanger if you don't want to drill new ones.

Additionally, needle-nose pliers are useful for straightening and bending the wire. You can also use masking tape on the inside of the pliers to create a guard that prevents ridges from forming on the wire.

Finally, choose a ribbon in your desired colour and width to add a decorative touch to your name hangers.

By carefully selecting these supplies, you'll be well on your way to creating beautiful and personalised name hangers for your wedding!

Prepping your hangers

The first step to making your own personalised wire wedding hangers is to prep your hangers. If you have suit hangers, remove the bottom part that holds the pants. These usually come off pretty easily; just pull hard and then remove the little nails inside using needle-nose pliers. If you bought regular shirt hangers instead, you can skip this step.

Next, plan your lettering. Using a pen and paper, plan what you would like your wire lettering to look like. It doesn't have to be perfect or to size, as this is just an outline! All you're doing is ensuring that your pen never leaves the paper; you won't be able to cut the wire, so get creative with ways to cross your t's and dot your i's!

You might want to make your letters really loopy and girly, with hearts for the dots on your i's, but you can do whatever you like! Remember, this is just an outline and it doesn't need to be perfect.

Now, grab your wire and straighten out a decent length. This depends on the length of your word or name, but it's better to be generous with this as there's nothing worse than doing all the hard work of bending out the name and then realising that one end is too short.

Then you can start bending! It can be helpful to do a loop before the first letter and at the end too, although this is totally optional. Don't be discouraged if the bending takes some practice and you go through quite a bit of wire before you get the hang of it.

• Don't second guess yourself! Once you bend the wire, you won't be able to make it look nice and straight again, so make sure you're committed to each bend that you make. Also, make your bends twist around the letters when you can—this will help add strength to your wiring.
• Only use the pliers for very sharp angles and bend the wire as much as you can before using them. When you use the pliers, make sure that you are using the flat part—closer to the wire cutter—and not the ridged area, as this will make little bumps in your wire.
• You can twist your i's to add a bit more durability. Put the wire flat on the table and then, looking at the word straight on, twist right to left (twisting left to right will mess up your previous letter and decrease the space between the letters!).
• Once you're done, you can straighten the letters out, but try not to move them around too much or make any drastic changes. Remember to commit to the bends and please don't try to straighten any wire out again as it just won't work.

Planning your lettering

Step 2: Plan your lettering

Using a pen and paper, start by outlining the design of your wire lettering. This step doesn't require perfection or precise sizing. Simply ensure that your pen stays in contact with the paper as you won't be able to cut the wire. Get creative with how you cross your t's and dot your i's!

You can make the letters loopy and whimsical, perhaps adding hearts for the dots on the i's. Remember, this outline doesn't need to be perfect, so feel free to experiment and have fun with it!

Step 3: Get bending!

Grab your 12-gauge floral wire and straighten out a generous length, depending on the length of the word or name you're creating. It's better to be liberal with the wire length to avoid running out halfway through.

Start bending the wire to form the letters. Adding a loop before and after the word is a cute, optional habit that can enhance the overall look. This step might take some practice, so don't be discouraged if you need to go through a bit of wire before getting it right.

• Commit to each bend you make, as second-guessing yourself can lead to an uneven appearance. Try to bend the wire in a way that twists around the letters, adding strength to your design.
• Use the pliers only for very sharp angles, and try to bend the wire as much as possible without them. When using the pliers, opt for the flat part, avoiding the ridged area to prevent bumps and unevenness.
• Twisting the wire for the letter 'i' can add durability. Place the wire flat on the table and twist right to left (avoid twisting left to right to maintain letter spacing).
• Once you've formed the letters, you can straighten them out slightly, but avoid making drastic changes or moving the letters around too much.

Finally, straighten a few inches of wire after your last letter and cut the end using wire cutters or needle-nose pliers.

Bending your wire

First, grab your wire and straighten out a generous length. This will depend on the length of the word or name you are spelling out, but it's better to have too much than too little. Then, start bending! You can begin with a loop before the first letter if you like—it's optional but can add a cute touch.

As you bend, remember these key tips:

• Don't second-guess yourself! Once you've bent the wire, it's hard to make it straight again, so be confident in each bend you make. Twist the wire around the letters to add strength and prevent it from coming loose if it gets snagged.
• Reserve the pliers for very sharp angles, and bend the wire as much as you can with your hands first. When you do use the pliers, make sure to use the flat part, not the ridged area, to avoid leaving bumps and exposing the dark wire underneath the coating. You can put masking tape on the ridged area to protect the wire if you think you might forget.
• If you want to add a bit of durability, try twisting your "i"s. Put the wire flat on the table and twist right to left (not left to right, or you'll mess up the previous letter!) Usually, three half turns are enough.
• Once you're done bending and shaping your letters, you can straighten the letters out a bit, but don't move them around too much or make drastic changes. Remember, those bends are hard to undo!

Finally, straighten a few inches of wire after your last letter and cut the end with your wire cutters. Now you're ready to attach your wire to the hanger!

Adding ribbon or other embellishments

When choosing ribbon, consider the colour and width that will best complement your wedding theme and the hangers themselves. You can go for a classic look with a simple bow, or get creative with different types of knots and styles. If you're feeling adventurous, try braiding or weaving the ribbon through the hanger for a unique look.

You can also add other embellishments like flowers, pearls, or even small charms. Get creative and use hot glue or super glue to attach your chosen decorations. Just be careful not to overload the hanger, as you still want the dress to be the star of the show!

For a cohesive look, consider matching the embellishments to the bride's bouquet or the wedding colour scheme. If you're feeling extra crafty, you can even make small versions of the bridal bouquet to attach to each hanger. This will create a beautiful, coordinated display for your wedding photos.

Don't forget to plan the placement of your ribbon or embellishments. You don't want to cover up the names or any other important details. Play around with different options and ask for a second opinion if you're feeling unsure.

Remember, this is your special day, so have fun with the process and get creative!

Frequently asked questions