Since this is America, you are free to spend as much money as you want on every aspect of your wedding, including the decorations. If you want to have a decorator drape the ceiling in fabric, cover the tables in flowers, or hang dozens of vintage clocks on the wall, you can get that done if the price is right. On the off-chance that you’re not incredibly wealthy, though, you may want to consider making decorations for yourself. You can get some truly striking results with a minimal investment of time and materials. Just make sure to enlist some crafty friends to help out–you’ve got enough on your mind right now.

Ribbon-tied mason jar bouquets

Ah, mason jars; the Swiss army knife of Pinterest-style crafts. There are so many ways to use mason jars in a rustic wedding that we almost made this post exclusively about mason jars. Most of the decor options involve flowers one way or another, but this craft involves little bouquets of flowers in the jars instead of a votive or what have you. They couldn’t be simpler to make: a little water in the jar, flowers in the water, wrap a ribbon around the mouth of the jar, and hang them from the chairs nearest the aisle. It’s a wonderful way to bring a fresh spring touch to your wedding, regardless of season.

Floral wine glass candleholders

There will be plenty of wine glasses put to good use at your wedding, but for this decoration, the glasses remain empty and upside down. To make an elegant centerpiece for each table, put four or five wine glasses in the middle of the table, upside-down. Put a few flowers–or just the petals–under the wine glass, and then set a votive on the base of the upside-down glass. Voila! You have yourself a handy candleholder with a little natural beauty on the side.

Water pearls and LED lights

Want to give your reception tables a little glitter and glow? Try these nightlights, one of the cooler ways we’ve seen to light up the evening. To make them, you only need three things: water, clear water pearls, and a few LED button lights. Then just fill the dry vase with the water pearls, mix in the LEDs, and switch them on to give a lovely, diffuse glow.

Twine balls

Okay, there’s probably a better name for them besides “twine balls”, but they’re really neat looking. They make a good accent for a centerpiece, or you can stick a few LEDs in them and hang them up for lighting. To make them, just blow up a balloon, wrap the twine around the balloon, and spray with starch or glue, then pop the balloon after the starch has dried. Remove the leftover balloon pieces and you’ve got a lovely rustic decoration.

Floral wine glass candleholders

There will be plenty of wine glasses put to good use at your wedding, but for this decoration, the glasses will be decorated beautifully with simple items. To make an elegant centerpiece for each table, put four or five wine glasses in the middle of the table standing upright. Put a few flowers, wedding sparklers, or just the flower petals in the wine glass, and then set a votive on the base of the glass. Voila! You have yourself a handy candleholder with a little natural beauty on the side. If you plan to use long sparklers in your centerpieces, such as 36” long wedding sparklers or something comparable, make sure the vase is deep enough so that they don’t tip over. Even though your guests shouldn’t be lighting the sparklers while they’re in the vase, it can still be quite messy if they constantly fall all over the table.

Old window guestbook

This is a simple idea, but an easy way to make a decorative piece that you’ll want to hang in your home after the big day is over. Visit your local salvage store, or just keep an eye on Craigslist and whatnot, for old single-pane windows. Repaint the window to freshen it up, then have guests sign the panes of glass instead of signing a guestbook. It’s a neat way to memorialize the day.

Wedding decorations can be as modern or as rustic as you want them to be. If you’ve got the time and inclination, it’s not hard to make something that will really wow your guests.