Handmade Keepsakes for Brides

June is a huge month for weddings and many people find themselves with rapidly emptying checkbooks as they try to keep up with all the bridal shower and wedding gifts for bride after bride. Why not make some handmade keepsakes for a few special brides instead of buying them? Here are a few wedding keepsakes that have been a big hit with some very special brides:

Monogrammed handkerchief
You can actually make the entire handkerchief or personalize a store-bought one. To make your own handkerchief, cut out a nice eight-inch cotton or linen square. Handstitch the hem or use the sewing machine to sew a rolled edge. Once the handkerchief is hemmed, trace the monogram onto the fabric using a special fabric-marking pen that is designed for marking fabric and then disappearing over time or with the first washing. Embroider the monogram with embroidery silk or cotton floss and you're done. If you prefer, you can also add a few decorative designs to the handkerchief or make a handkerchief with the bride and groom's names and the wedding date on it. When the bride is finished wiping away tears of happiness on that special day, she'll have a keepsake for her wedding album.

Wedding sampler
If you have nothing but time, you can create a wedding sampler instead. These samplers traditionally have a top section with designs that symbolize love, such as hearts, wedding bells and doves. The bottom section includes the names of the wedding couple and the date of the ceremony. Usually, the wedding sampler is worked in white floss on white or ecru linen. Frame this keepsake nicely to make sure it is ready to hang. After all, you don't want to give the new couple a troublesome gift that they have to spend money on before they can put it to use.

Personalized wine glasses
These make such an elegant and special gift for the bridal couple and cost very little to make. You'll need two matching glass wine goblets, etching cream and special stickers designed for use with etching cream. Spell out the bride and groom's names and the wedding date or just create a monogram with the etching stickers. Then, follow the directions on the etching cream to etch the glasses. A few quick tips:

• Clean the glasses thoroughly and make sure they are completely dry before you start.
• You should make sure that the stickers are pressed securely to the glasses before you apply the etching cream or spray.