How To Create A Wedding Quilt Guest Book

Many of today’s brides want to make their wedding something special while preserving some of the traditions that are common for weddings. Normally, a wedding guest book is available for good wishes and comments from the guests and it gets stashed in a drawer after the honeymoon.

An unusual and priceless way to jazz up a wedding reception is to forget the traditional guest book and start the makings of a wedding quilt as a unique replacement. Start gathering what you will need as early as you can, so everything will be in place for the reception.

You will need fabric scraps in wedding colors or different-colored scraps for a more festive look. Decide on the size of your quilt and figure out how large the scraps need to be to include one square or rectangle scrap for each guest, including children. Cut the material into appropriate pieces of the same size, 4″x4″ or 6″x6″ for example.

Get an assortment of fabric markers that either are in the wedding colors or complement the more festive look, if that was your decision. Some craft stores will have paint tubes for use on fabrics, if that is what you want. It might be a good idea to check out party shops that have a wedding aisle or section for ideas or to get the supplies you need.

Have a long table at the reception and set it up so people can choose a scrap and decorate it right there. If they don’t know what to do, tell them to write a greeting or comment for the couple, draw a picture of some event in their lives or just sign their names and date it.

Have someone there to help the children decorate their own quilt patch, if they are old enough to do it. When everyone has created a fabric square, bundle them up and take them to a quilt maker. If one of the wedding couple’s relatives are quilt makers, they might volunteer to make the quilt for you. That would make the entire project personal and a true treasure to the bride and groom.

Another, simpler version of the wedding quilt as an original guest book is to make smaller fabric blocks for signatures only. You can use a square of fabric to hold four signatures or cut the squares into single signature size.

One variation would be to place a wedding photo of the bride and groom in the center of the quilt. Photographers will know who or how to print the photo on fabric. Have the bride and groom sign and date the photo square. Again, find a professional quilt maker or a relative with expertise in making quilts. This version might make a memorable wall hanging in a family room.

A wedding quilt that serves as a guest book is a clever way to make the ordinary guest book personal and a true remembrance of the most special day in the wedding couple’s lives.