The floral budget is one place where substituting paper flowers for real blossoms can really make a difference. Handmade paper flowers can be beautiful and whimsical and have none of the negative connotations of fake fabric flowers. In addition, paper flowers are very sweet and can be made in any color. Slightly translucent tissue and crepe papers work wonderfully for creating your own flowers, and they can be used for everything from the bouquets to the boutonierres to accents for small tables such as the guest book table. The paper flowers are best used for smallish projects; unless your wedding is really tiny or you have a huge circle of willing hands, attempting to make all of the flowers for the centerpieces would be an overwhelming task.

A very cool and unique idea for decorations that you can make with paper is origami. One of the most popular shapes to create with folded paper is a crane, and for very good reason. In Japan, the crane symbolizes loyalty and honor, as it is a bird that mates for life. This makes it a perfect symbol to include in a wedding! The best way to display origami cranes is in abundance. They look particularly grand when hung in long strings from a ceiling or a wedding canopy. If you are having an Asian inspired wedding, make your cranes from origami papers in shades of red. Otherwise, feel free to make them in any color or pattern that strikes your fancy.

Another great thing that you can handmake with paper is boxes or vessels. Special paper can be applied to the outside of a generic favor box to dress it up, or you can use a heavy paper to make your own boxes (perhaps topped with a handmade paper flower?). Fancy little boxes are also a terrific presentation for bridesmaid gifts. If you have selected dainty gifts such as bridesmaid jewelry, you could easily craft tiny little paper boxes to make them even more special. The traditional shape of a Christmas cracker (long tubes of paper, twisted at each end and filled with gifts) can be adapted to hold your favors or bridesmaid gifts as well.

Of course, one of the most obvious diy projects involving paper is the wedding stationery. Your invitations, thank you cards, and the rest of the wedding suite are one of the easier tasks for even a novice crafter to undertake. When you make your own invitations, you will have complete control over the design, and not be limited to what is available in stores. As a bonus, you will save big bucks.

The place cards are one more idea for diy paper projects. The possibilities are nearly endless. You can cut out little shapes like birds, hearts, or flowers to perch on the rim of a wine glass with the name of the guest. Simple origami folds can be used to make little stands for the menus. Add the name of the guest to the stand in calligraphy, and you will have an elegant and unique addition to your reception tables.

Making things for your wedding is such a fantastic way to add style and character to your special day while also reining in costs. Paper is versatile material that lends itself to countless diy projects. Best of all, when your guests are admiring your lovely paper flowers, favors, or other decorations, you will be able to say, "I made that!".