We hope everyone is stuffed full of scones, cucumber sandwiches and champagne from yesterday royal wedding fun. Before we waddle into next month here are a few things we fell in love with in April:

Santos Wish make a beautiful range of jewellery - including bracelets, anklets and bag chains - great for wedding favours. Described as Mexican spirited jewellery with meaning, you can thank your guests with wished of love, luck and happiness. Designs can even be customised with your wedding logo! A portion of sales even goes back to the community which inspired the range, supporting ‘Mision Mexico’ a children’s refuge.

Sweet Cake Topper has an amazing collection of hand painted ceramic wedding cake decorations. Mexican inspired, they even sell blanks so you can have a go at making your own.

So the most anticipated dress in 30 years has finally been revealed. And it didn't disappoint. There was certainly a striking similarity to the beautiful Grace Kelly on her wedding day - but hey, if you're going to be inspired by any royal bride Princess Grace should be top of your list. Kate's, or should I say Catherine's, choice is set to influence bridal fashion for years to come.

To finish off the month we have a beautiful real wedding to share. Shot by Brown Paper Parcel who have a lovely photographic style. Amy and Andy’s beautiful, whimsical wedding was held at an incredible artists home in the country, just south of Perth.


The setting was perfect - gardens surrounded by sculptures and a pond, jazz band playing. The couple chose a colour palette of pretty pastel shades and decorated with papel picardo banners. Its a great example of how you can use some of this months theme ideas in softer shades for an even more romanic feel.

This month we've also been running a poll on the blog asking if you were daring enough to do a trash the dress shoot after the wedding? It's been pretty split right down the middle all month, 50/50, with the no vote just winning in the end. But bride Amy certainly said yes, and immersed herself in the pond the morning after the wedding for some stunning photos!

We have a couple of new, super cute, fingerprint guest book posters this month. A beautiful guest book tree with birds and butterflies, great to celebrate new babies. And a fun balloon house just like the movie Up! Perfect for parties. Now available from the iDIY Jr etsy shop.

At the beginning of the month we took at look at Ben and Frans beautiful DIY wedding. They had some gorgeous ideas to steal, including little succulent plants as favours. Succulents and cacti make great gifts, easy to look after and relatively inexpensive. Just pop them in cute little pots and decorate with some string or ribbon. You can even add a place name as Fran did, above.


For those with a sweet tooth how about edible versions! These are actually chocolate cupcakes placed inside little pots. You can use marzipan with green food colouring to make succulents or cactus plants for the top. Or Mimicafe Union sells packs with the pots and toppers, 12 for $24, shown above.

We have a couple of new, super cute, fingerprint guest book posters this month. A beautiful guest book tree with birds and butterflies, great to celebrate new babies. And a fun balloon house just like the movie Up! Perfect for parties. Now available from the iDIY Jr shop.

Finally a holiday! The easter and anzac break is here and Im getting stuck into some artwork - plus finishing off all those little DIY jobs around the house. Here is the latests print added to our etsy shop. I did this as a gift card a couple of years ago, don't know why it didn't occur to me to turn it into a pretty print sooner. The creative monsoon website is also down for a revamp but check out our new online gallery. A bit of fun, I'll be changing the exhibitions on there every few months so be sure to keep checking back.

Pic from Lovely Scribbles

Here's a gorgeous way to add a little fiesta feeling to your cake. This simple papel picado banner was made by punching some colourful paper to make the little flags, then they were threaded onto a string and tied to skewer sticks with a little ribbon. So easy!

Looking for a pretty little DIY easter project to do with the kids this long weekend, how about these cute leaf print eggs? You'll need some eggs, leaves, dye and some stockings! Check out the step by step on Family Fun.

Looking for a pretty little DIY easter project to do with the kids this long weekend, how about these cute leaf print eggs? You'll need some eggs, leaves, dye and some stockings! Check out the step by step on Family Fun.

Grab your maracas and set the scene for a fabulous wedding fiesta with our fun new Mexican inspired stationery range. With a beautiful papel picado design it's shown here in a combination of pink, crimson, orange and yellow- but is available in any colour combination.

All designs are supplied as printable PDF computer files for easy at home printing - or just take to your local print shop.

Available from the creative monsoon online shop

Here is a cute way to add a touch of pretty lace to your invitations - doily envelope liners. You'll need to start by creating a template that will depend on your style of envelope, make sure its a couple of centermeters smaller than the actually envelope so it will fit easily. Just mark out the shape on the doily, cut and glue to the inside of the envelope.

Square or rectangular doilies are perfect but can be a little tricky to find. You could get the same effect with a lace paper stamp like the Martha Steward doily lace punches below.

Ok so these technically aren't Mexican - but there is just something about these pretty lace handkerchiefs in colourful envelopes that made me think they were perfect for this months theme. A simple sweet idea from Adrienne and Jakes wedding photographed by Flory Photo. Guests were presented with a colourful envelope containing a hanky, along with their wedding programs. 'Happy Tears' is written on the outside along with the wedding date. So adorable makes me want to cry just looking at them!

Raining all weekend perfect for a little DIY. The bedroom is all painted, one more coat on some woodwork needed then some new carpet. Scampie of course was a huge help. He is now covered in paint.

This has got to be one of the most perfect pinatas for a wedding or bridal shower. Covered with pretty tissue paper roses, it looks gorgeous. And its quite straight forward to make too, starting with your usual papier mache base. But rather than using fringed tissue paper to finish off, this projects uses rolled striped of tissue paper that make the cutest little rose buds. So pretty!

See the full tutorial on Kate Landers Events

If you're looking for something a little different for your next kids party, a pinata is always fun. But how about an ice cream shaped one? Great for summer! Check out the fun DIY project on Simply Modern Mom.

If you're looking for something a little different for your next kids party, a pinata is always fun. But how about an ice cream shaped one? Great for summer! Check out the fun DIY project on Simply Modern Mom.

The most adorable wedding DIY project, perfect for a magical Mexican theme, can be found on ruffled. These super cute mini pinatas make the most surprising favors filled with candy. Take a look at this beautiful step by step on the ruffled blog.

Something new to our iDIY Jr shop this month - pinata party invitations! Printable fun for your next birthday party with a cute and colourful pinata illustration. Available from the 'i do' it yourself shop.

I'm so excited to share todays beautiful real wedding from Angelica Peady Photography. I have a bit of a soft spot for Watsons Bay, being my wedding location last year, and this couple transformed it into the perfect Mexican fiesta! Full of colour and fun - and of course fabulous details.
Pretty papel picado fluttering in the breeze decorated the venue along with cactii and vibrant flowers. Each bridesmaid wore a different dress in a bold, bright colour. There was even a piñata! Enjoy the eye candy.

I love this quote from Audrey Hepburn, I've been meaning to do a little design with it for ages.

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
— Audrey Hepburn

Available in our etsy and redbubble shops

Pics: Wedding of M and M and Dress My Party

Papel picado is a beautiful Mexican folk art tradition of cutting elaborate designs into colourful tissue paper, it basically means 'perforated paper'. Using a small hammer and chisel an artist can create as many as 50 banners at a time but there are plenty of ideas for a DIY bride armed with a pair of scissors.

You will need:
scissors (normal and decorative edged)
coloured tissue paper
string
sticky tape
an iron

DIY project:
Step 1. Cut your tissue paper into rectangles roughly the size of a normal sheet of paper (about 21 x 30cm)
Step 2. Fold the first piece of paper like an accordion four to size times
Step 3. Cut small shapes and patterns into the folded paper, its just like making a snow flake when you were a kid! Use some decorative edge scissors to cut along the ends of the folded paper to finish.
Step 4. Unfold your design and repeat with the rest of the tissue paper sheets.
Step 5. When you have cut out all your panels, smooth out the creases with a cool iron and stick each one to a long piece of string with a little sticky tape.

For very simple versions there is also a cute tutorial on Green Wedding Shoes.

And here is a great cheat version - just use rectangular doilies! Cut them in half, fold a little flap over the top of some string and fix with sticky tape.

With Easter just around the corner we thought we'd create our first free colouring in picture! Just follow this link and select 'Download the original version of this photo' then print it at home ready for the kids to colour in. We've used an endangered native Bilby, rather than a rabbit.

Don't forget to visit the Save the Bilby Fund website to find out how you can help save one of the cutest Aussie animals - including eating chocolate!

We love this idea from Ashley and Dave's Mexican beach ceremony. Forget the confetti, guests at this colourful wedding were presented with maracas to shake at 'the kiss'. They would also make fantastic escort or place cards which double as a lovely take home reminder of the day. Photography by Jilian Mitchell.

There is no shortage of great tutorials for making your own Mexican paper flowers. Traditionally made for Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos celebrations, these colourful arrangements of tissue or crepe paper are perfect for bouquets or wedding decorations.

Try these instructions (pictured) from Creative Jewish Mom to get you started. You can also check out this good tutorials here and here from Martha Stewart for different shaped flowers and mix them all together.

This week I was feeling a little inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo. Ive been looking at a lots of Mexican wedding ideas for the 'i do' it yourself site, and she just kept popping up! So I put together a little homage to Frida, a digital mixed media collage using one of her quotes "Feet, why do I need them if I have wings to fly?" Available as a print from our redbubble and etsy shops.

Well, today the clocks went back and soon the days will be getting shorter and darker. So we felt even more colour and fun was needed on the 'i do it yourself blog this month. Grab your maracas and get ready for a fabulous fiesta with some beautiful DIY Mexican inspired wedding ideas.

Credits: Mexican paper flags make the perfect decorations, pic by Jamie Meares. A beautiful Frida Kahlo inspired bride from Seattle Bride Magazine photographed by Zee Wendell. A vibrant bouquet of handmade paper flowers. Photo by Joielala Photography via Green Wedding Shoes.

At street decorated with pretty paper picado banners, by Emilano Rodriguez. Cute party packs for take home treats via Martha Stewart. Margaritas are a must! Try this Strawberry version from Mix Shake and Pour. Pretty painted Mexican lanterns make great table decorations, pic via Camillestyles. Mexican paper roses from All Pop and don't forget your maracas!

Something new to our iDIY Jr shop this month - pinata party invitations! Printable fun for your next birthday party with a cute and colourful pinata illustration. Available from the iDIY Jr etsy shop.

To start this month off we have a gorgeous real wedding to share all the way from Chile. Photographed by Dario Vargas, a beautiful DIY wedding full of rustic charm.

Bride Fran wanted a vintage feel to the day, 'Kind of backyard chic' she says. 'We decorated the tables with hand made burlap corridors, old bottles and mason jars as flower vases filled with rustic white and yellow flowers arranged by my girlfriends and me, and paper doillies as coasters. And to add some playfulness to the atmosphere, my mom and I sewed some colorful bunting banners from scratch.'


Fran and Ben wanted to do something different with their wedding outfits. 'I had an idea of using an old havanna theme for Benjamin, so we bought him a nice buttercream linen suit and elegant panama hat, custom made for his big head! Which actually came from Ecuador.'

'For my dress I wanted lace and a 50's air. So we also bought it on ebay and was custom made, which saved us a lot of money. For my accessories, I made a birdcage veil with one yard of ivory frech veiling, a comb and some thread. The earrings and the matching bracelet were Sarah Coventry found on etsy, as well as the lovely flower pins I used in my hair.'



Fran fell in love with succulents: 'I used them in little pots as favours, which had a card with seating information for each gest. And my DIY bouquet was made with white peonies and some blue-gree succulents.' And with a lovely eco friendly twist Ben and Fran have since planted all the left over succulents on their balcony. 'They are growing quite well.' said Fran.


Ben and Fran chose to use 'i do' it yourself's gum leaf range for their wedding stationery. 'We chose the gum leaf theme for all our stationery, because I thought it really expressed that sense of green and relaxation that we wanted for our wedding.' said Fran 'We used the lovely gum leaf paddle fans as a courtesy for our guest too, since it was a sunny day.'






Instead of a classical wedding cake the couple opted for fun mini cupcakes with bright blue, yellow and white frosting - a real hit with guests, espeicailly the kids. These where placed on cake stands made of old plates bought at a flee market along with the bottles and mason jars. Talented bride Fran even made a pair of beautiful felt love birds as a cake topper. Emulating the groom and bride, with a hat for him and a birdcage veil for her. Too cute!