DIY ANTLER TABLE PLAN.

Posted on December 3, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

At The Little Lending Co. I’m a real believer that Antlers are for life and not just for Christmas so I wanted to create a table plan with our little stash that would stand the test of time long after all the christmas left overs have been munched.

This is the easier table plan I think you’ll find on the internet, if you can tie a knot you’ll have this nailed. And only took me about 30 mins to put together too.

YOU WILL NEED :

Antlers
Wire grid Frame
Arrow Chalkboard
Brown Luggage tags
Coloured Number tags and ties (Ours are from Ikea, but you could stamp your own for this look)
Black or Dark thin twine
A selection of foliage and flowers – We have used Eucalyptus, Ferns and Chrysanthemums for a simple mix and fresh palette.
Scissors

#1 Tie on the arrow chalkboard at the top. Write your message on with a white chalk pen, available from Rymans or other stationers.

#2 Hand write your guests names on the larger brown luggage tag. If the tag at the back is larger it will encourage your guests to swing the number tags out of the way to find their seats. Use one tag tie to loop both the luggage and number tags together.

#3 Using dark twine/string attach the antlers on to the wire grid, the more randomly spaced the better.

#4 Tie on the name tags onto the antlers in a semi-logical order, either across or down the grid.

#5 Cut the flowers and foliage down leaving a stem of approx 8cm so you can then weave them through the wire grid easily. You could also wire them on with craft/florists wire for extra security. Think about the choice of flowers as after a full day without water some may start to brown or wilt. That’s why foliage is just so fab.

Told you it was simple right!

Would you love to add Antlers into your day? What are you planning for your table plan?

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

MAKE YOUR WEDDING DECOR ROCK.

Posted on November 14, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

If you’re reading this you’d really like your wedding decor to ROCK. So I’ve put together a few images from some of our favourite sites to show how you can do just that and without using lots of cash from the wedding kitty. From making a statement entrance that will get your guests talking to making sure your food platform packs a punch we think these 5 top tips will really make an impact on your decor.

1. MAKE A STATEMENT ENTRANCE.

A big statement welcome will set your day off with a bang. Right from the first moment guests arrive capture their imagination. A chalkboard with hand written message and crates of flowers looks amazing on this stairwell. Scatter through some tea lights in jars, vintage cameras or old typewriters for a little more interest. Or go big and bold with a bike, I adored this look this summer using large props to lead the way.

Image Via Style me Pretty.

Image via Rock and Roll Bride.

2. A WARM WELCOME.

Pouring delicious drinks from dispensers into Jam jars or little bottles will really make that first congratulatory drink a great one. Think about added interest with hand painted signage and a kooky base to serve the drinks from, an old dresser or stacked hay bales and boxes. Use old tin baths or troughs and barrows to keep the beers for the boys cool. Trust me they’ll be going back for another.

Image source Unknown

Image via Style Me Pretty.

3. HAVE SOME FUN.

Have a little fun with your decor ideas. Some of my favourite pins are those with sweet messages or personal quotes from books or films. Dabble in a DIY day and create something truly unique from found items. Dreamcatchers have my heart at the moment but macrame back drops and featuring feathers make for a cool, chilled out look too.

Image via 100layercake.com

Image source The Every last detail.

4. GIVE YOUR FOOD A PLATFORM.

Give a little thought to your food service. Wether it’s a buffet or bbq think about how it’s served up. Add some height with up turned apple crates and mix up the serving platters, plates and boards. Wood and slate keep things relaxed and adding some white china and glass keep the styling laid back. Little open cabinets make it an exciting little trip to fill your plate.

Image via Camilla Styles.

Image via Iloveswmag.com

5. LIGHT UP THE NIGHT.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, lighting is everything at your venue. It totally sets the mood and feel for the day and long into the night. My obsession with festoon lighting continues – As a ceremony backdrop, strung outside to light pathways or to add some sparkle over the dance floor they’re not going anywhere and will remain a firm favourite with us. Candle light is timeless, think about new ways of working candle light in your space.

Image Via Ruffled.

Are you ready to make your decor rock? Have you got a big statement idea tucked up your sleeve.
Do share…

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

HOW TO MAKE S’MORES

Posted on November 5, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

A show of hands then please, who’s heard of a S’more before? Nope? Me neither until this summer when the weddings I was working at seemed to have more and more ‘S’mores Stations’ set out for their evening guests. OK, basically they are a melted marshmallow and chocolate sandwich. Totally Heavenly.

After a little googling, I found out that they are an American tradition started by campers in the early 20th Century after Marshmallows became mass produced and we’re light and easily packed along with Grahams crackers and chocolate bars in their backpacks. They got their name from ‘Some More’ which let me tell you, after one that’s all you’ll be saying…

There are now masses of adaptions on the original S’mores on Pinterest but to keep this super simple you’ll need : Grahams Crackers (These are a bit tricky to find over here so we’ve used Wheat Biscuits instead, but digestives are just as delicious) Chunks of milk chocolate, Large Marshmallows and Toasting sticks.

Melt your mallow, sandwich them up and enjoy! It’s so simple.

I love the idea of a little serving trolley to wheel out as the night air draws in filled with S’mores galore for guests to toast round the fire. If your venue doesn’t have anywhere for you to have a fire outside a S’mores bar with rows of tea lights for would be just as good. Who doesn’t love a midnight sugar fix after dancing the night away?

If you want to get a little more creative add chopped nuts, jam, fresh fruits or raisins, fudge, Rolo’s, Nutella or try using cookies for your biscuits instead. The possibilities are endless.

The pretty paper Flowers used on our station are by the very talented Things By Laura.

Fancy having a go at Bonfire night, do let us know how you get on…and if you go back for S’more.

Enjoy Bonfire night,
The Little Lending Co. x

DIY DREAM CATCHER.

Posted on October 15, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

I’m sure you’ve never sat and thought about turning an old bike wheel into a beautifully simple ceremony dream catcher back drop right? Well this may make you think on…

A DIY dreamy post for the boho bridal babes who are looking for something a little different for their back drops as they make those all important vows.

BEFORE:

£7.00 to hire.

YOU WILL NEED:
Our Bike wheel
White thin cotton tape/binding – Approx 2 meters
A mix of white cotton lace tapes and pompoms
Scissors
White feathers
Gold Spray paint
Cotton or glue gun

1) Start by knotting off the end of the tape into the centre. Weave and wind in a circular pattern around the bike spokes. The more tape the more intricate this can be. (Beware of extra long strings as it does take a while to feed through each spoke. Tie off at the end onto a string. You could easily add more vertical strings that also knot onto the strings going around in a circle if you wanted.

2) Line up some features onto some newspaper. Take a piece of card and cover the ends. Spray gold spray paint onto the tips and allow to dry. Peel the feathers off the paper.

3) Add some tails of mixed laces and pom poms loosely tied on. Tuck the feathers under the string joins and secure with either hot glue or a little white cotton. You could plait strings or add feathers onto the tails to finish too. Could it be more simple?

You could use this with yours and your fiancees names tied on to make more personal, turn into a boho table plan with names on cardboard cut feathers or as a photo back drop for guests strung in the trees.

You can hire the bike wheel for just £7.00 and can drop us a line here.

Fancy DIYing this? Do show us your results,
The Little Lending Co. x

5 RUSTIC PLACE SETTING IDEAS.

Posted on September 29, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

We’ve been so looking forward to making our blog just a little more focused on delicious Design, delightful Decor and darling Details to send you off in a whirlwind of planning excitement for some serious super styling.

So this week I’ve been thinking about Place settings, after all it’s where your guests will spend most of their time on your day, so its more than worth a little thought and planning to make those places perfectly rustic and relaxed like the rest of your decor.

These looks have all been created with lots of inexpensive and found items – set against white china, a fresh cotton napkin and silver cutlery – the most widely available from your hire and catering companies, but in no means need to be boring just because they’re plain. Oh no! Personally I love the simplicity of white china and white linen, because what you add to it is where the fun comes in.

#1 TUCKED.
This setting is totally inspired by my own wedding place settings. All the cutlery neatly tucked inside white napkins and a single stem of lavender for each guest. Luggage tags and Dymo tape for a your name place (which in fact is my very own tag from our day shown here.) Finish this easy rustic table with foliage running along hessian and tea light holders. Less is always so much more here.

#2 FOLDED.
Fold your napkin and place a simple menu card together with a Dolly peg. Try seasonal favours of apples with little tied name tags. Pop in some colour with your florals in old tin cans *Coming soon to Little Lending* and tree bark for a real country inspired table.

#3 TIED.
Brown string I think is one of my favourite things. Use to tie up a folded napkin and your cutlery inside along with a dried (start collecting early and hang in your airing cupboard up-side down) or fresh seasonal stem. Tie a brown name tie around your glass stem. Fill your table centre with curiosities of Loose Antlers, Glass bottles and church candles.

#4 STACKED.
Lay your napkins under stacked plates on top of an old slate tile, hand write guests names for a personal touch. Let your love shine bright with our Festoon lights strung through tressle table centers with lots of foliage nestled between. We adore Friend of Faux’s feak garlands which come by the meter and are super realistic.

#5 ROLLED.
A boho relaxed look. Roll and fold your napkin on guest settings and use a permanent pen to write names on found pebbles. Use Mini deer skulls and Cacuts and Succulents from our Little lent Nursery in Old Terracotta pots as table decor. Finish this with a compulsory feather for bohemian perfection.

Are you inspired to have a play with your own guests settings? We had a practice run at home with our settings as it can be quite hard to envision how it will all come together. Try a few options and ways of laying your tables and take a picture to show your caterers on the set up day. They will love you for it!

Show us what you’ll be doing on your guests places by tagging us in on our Instagram account : @thelittlelendingco

The Little Lending Co. x