How to Make Nature-Themed Wedding Programs

Having wedding programs at your wedding is a wonderful touch, because it gives your guests something to follow as the ceremony progresses. It also gives them something to take home with them. People love souvenirs.

What You Will Need
You will need eight by eleven inch (standard size) thick hand-made paper in two or three colors from your palate, eight by eleven inch (or slightly smaller) recycled paper in a creamy tone, a single hole puncher, plenty of raffia (a straw-like ribbon), and a paper cutter (about $30 at Staples).

Step #1: Print out Your Programs
On the computer, use Word to turn the page to the side, so that it is horizontal. Choose an ornate but easy-to-read font like "papyrus." Type out the contents of your programs, being sure to leave plenty of space at the margins (all sides, top, and bottom). This is because you will need to trim the edges of the paper later. Next, print these onto the cream-colored recycled paper. This will be the inside of your wedding program.

Step #2: Measure and Trim
The cream-colored sheets you have just printed out will be folded inside of the thick handmade paper. Thus, each cream-colored sheet will need to be about a half an inch smaller than the handmade paper all around. Using the paper trimmer, trim the cream-colored paper so that it is the correct size to fit nicely into the handmade paper. You should be able to fit 4 or 5 pieces at a time into the paper cutter.

Step #3: Fold and Insert
Next, fold all of your handmade paper in half, so that it looks like a greeting card. Then, do the same to the cream colored paper. Insert a folded cream-colored paper into each folded handmade paper so that it is like a little booklet.

Step #4: Punch Holes
The next step is to punch holes into the sides of the booklets, being sure to go all the way through the cream colored paper and the handmade paper. This will serve as the binding for your program. You can do just one hole, or a few holes along the sides. The choice is yours.

Step #5: Tie the Raffia
The final step is to take the raffia ribbon, slip it through the holes you have punched, and make small knots to bind the program together. There is no need to make bows with the raffia, because raffia is pretty just in small knots. However, if you prefer the look of bows, use longer pieces of raffia.

Now, you have beautiful handmade wedding programs everyone is sure to love. Display them in a large twig basket at the entrance, so that your guests can pick them up as they walk in.