Crafts That Pack a Punch

Flower pinwheels inspire love at first sight -- and at first bite, once guests devour these tiny gold luster-dusted, espresso-flavored cupcakes. Punch used: No. 5 (see our Tool Kit). "Crown" baking cups, 49 cents each, Plastic Container City, plasticcontainer city.com. Beaded stirs in white, $10 for 100, Pick On Us, pickonus.com.

Store-bought suites have nothing on this duogrammed reply card, corner-punched thank-you note, and peekaboo save-the-date. One moment your guests will be leafing through their mail, andthe next they'll be wowed by your creativity. Punches used: Nos. 11, 14; Uppercase Mini Alphabet Set, $60, by Carla Craft, and Tri Leaf, $4.59, by The Punch Bunch, from Scrappily Ever After, scrappilyeverafter.com.

Creating these tea tags en masse may feel daunting at first, but each one takes just moments to make. Like fall foliage, the tags need only to complement each other, not to match completely. To get the look, work with richly textured papers in shimmering metallic hues. Punches used: Nos. 8, 10, 16. PLACE MAT Artwork is often matted, so why shouldn't your tablescape follow suit? Lock in a finished look by embellishing a place mat-size piece of vellum with a border punch. Repeat with a second piece that's two inches smaller than the first, and stack it on top so the edges of the first piece peek out like trim. Punches used: No. 11; Double Loop Edge punch, $16, by Martha Stewart Crafts, from Michaels, michaels.com.

The littlest member of your party deservesadornment that's as spotlight-stealing as she is.Your flower girl will flip over this crown of paper flowers. The richness of the paper is what makes it so appealing, so choose interesting pieces. (Flea markets are full of books that are perfect for crafts like this, and scrapbooking paper works as well.) To make a flower, punch out a variety of floral shapes and sizes, stack a few together, punch a hole through the centers, and fasten with a brad. A crown requires a dozen or so; pin them to a ribbon, or glue eight to a headband. Punches used: Nos. 3, 4, 5, 15. "Lucienne" dress, $165, Crewcuts, jcrew.com.

Do you and your fiance have a book or passage that's especially meaningful to you (your vows, perhaps)? Turn it into a boutonniere by photocopying or printing out the text and punching it into floral shapes. Punches used: Nos. 2, 5, 6.

A small cluster of flowers is striking when made with colors that don't occur naturally, like these white blooms with gold petals, at bottom. The best part: It lasts forever, so you can have it done and crossed off your to-do list weeks, even months, before the wedding. Punches used: Nos. 2, 5.

This topper takes time to construct, but the finished product is elegant and unique. Punch an array of leaves, then use floral tape to attach them to lengths of floral wire. Join and thicken the wires by wrapping with tape, then bend the topper into a circle. Finish with a bow to disguise the joint. Punches used: Nos. 6, 7, 8, 12.

In lieu of an escort table, tuck leaves into slits in branches -- guests will see the arrangement as a piece of modern art. It makes an understatedimpression but can be tailored to fit a more formalaffair. Some ideas: Uplight the branches in a dramatic hue, or paint them white. Punch used: No. 12.

The how-to for this centerpiece couldn't be easier -- just layer pieces of punched vellum around glass votives. It works with both round and square containers, and the candles can be arranged on tables of all shapes. When lit, the punched areas filter light beautifully and add an aura of romance. Punches used: Nos. 6, 14; Effervescence Border Punch, $11; Diamond Border Punch, $11; by Fiskars, from Widget Supply, widgetsupply.com.