Wedding favors: how to make wedding fans

Wedding fans are decorative and can be a nice touch for a wedding. They can also serve as wedding programs and favors for the guests. Easy to make, the paper fans are inexpensive and can come in handy at outdoor summer weddings, as one can never tell just what the weather will be like on that special day. To prevent guests from getting too hot if the sun is shining brightly and the breeze is slight, make wedding fans for each person to hold at the ceremony. The fans can be made with supplies of paint sticks, paper, glue, and ribbon if you follow these tips.

Wedding fans can be designed highlighting a photo of the bridal couple; choose a flattering picture of the bride and groom together or separate pictures of each. Black-and-white, sepia, or color photos would all look good on the fans. A photo that covers the whole fan can look great, as can a smaller photo cut into a heart shape in the center. Lettering can be superimposed over the photos; the fans can be made into wedding programs. The names of the bride and groom and date of the wedding could be added beside the photo, or a quote, or any other message the bridal couple wants to impart to the wedding guests, can be printed on the fan. The photos can be on one side of the fan, and the program or other messages on the back, or the fan can only have one printed side. There are many ways wedding fans can be designed, depending on the purpose in mind, and the bridal couple can let their creativity shine through in the process.

The shape of the fan will have an effect on where the photo needs to be positioned on the paper, so that is something that needs to be decided at the beginning of the design process. Hearts are popular, but traditional fan shapes also work. To make a sample of each shape, use 8.5” x 11” paper. Turning the paper sideways, cut a slight heart shape at the top and a slight V-shape at the bottom for the heart fan. For the traditional, cut the top into a slightly rounded shape and the bottom into a slight V-shape. For very simple fans, use a sheet of paper just as it is, or fold it in half for a smaller version. Try various arrangements of the photos and lettering that have been selected by positioning them on the sample fan shape.

After deciding on the photos and lettering, shape, and determining how many fans you will need based on your guest list, visit a copy center and have the photos and lettering printed on card stock. You can choose different colors; white makes a nice summer fan, but wedding colors will also work. If you are going to have photos and lettering only on one side of the fan, purchase enough card stock to make a back for each fan that will be printed.

Cut the printed photo pages into the shape you chose, using a pattern or template that you make from your sample. If you have a large number of fans to make, the copy center may have a machine that will cut the fans to the shape you need. If you printed only the fronts of the fans, cut the plain paper into the desired shape also.

Use wooden paint sticks, which can be purchased at home supply stores, for the handles. If the sticks have the name of a paint company on them, paint them white or another color; they can be left as is if the color is satisfactory and there is no printing on them. To assemble each fan, spread glue on the paint stick, starting at the top and extending the glue down for several inches. White craft glue, rubber cement, or spray glue can be used for the sticks. Press the front of the paper onto the stick, smoothing the top of the paper so that the glue adheres well. Make sure the top of the paper aligns with the top of the paint stick for a sturdier fan. Turn the front of the paper face down, and spread glue on the back of the paint stick and around the edges of the fan paper. Align the edges with the back piece of the fan and press down, smoothing along the edges and over the stick. Allow the fan to dry.

Ribbon tied into a bow can be added at the point where the paper meets the paint stick, and two or three ribbons in the wedding colors can be tied together. A spot of glue can be added underneath the ribbon if needed. To display the fans at the wedding, use a large wicker basket or other decorative container; put it on a table that guests will pass as they are seated. Line it with crumpled tissue paper or a cloth in the wedding colors, and arrange the fans so that guests can pick one up by the handle as they come by the table. The decorative fans can combine several purposes for the wedding; they can be programs, favors, and help guests to be cooler and happier during the ceremony.