Make These DIY Lip Balm Favors for Your Wedding on a Budget

1. Expecting Bridesmaids To Foot The Bill For Destination Celebrations

Life today is already painfully expensive, and while getting asked to be a bridesmaid can feel like an honor, it just piles on even more costs.

You'll have to buy a dress, get your hair and makeup done, purchase a gift, and possibly arrange hotel accommodations or childcare for the day of the event. So, why bridesmaids are expected to drop hundreds if not thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, dining, and activities for a destination bachelorette party is beyond us.

Yes, a weekend in Miami or Las Vegas could be epic, but not everyone can afford to splurge on a mini-vacation just because their friend is getting married. Unless everyone involved feels comfortable spending that kind of money on a bachelorette trip, just pick a more budget-friendly option, like a one-day celebration or even a short road trip closer to home.

2. Matching Outfits

Coordinated bachelorette party outfits definitely had their moment, but nowadays, the idea of forcing everyone into the same cheesy T-shirts or color-coordinated dresses can be overboard.

Again, some bridesmaids may view it as an unnecessary expense that's not worth it for a cute Instagram photo. Plus, personal style and comfort matter, so if you have bridesmaids with different aesthetics and body types, at least one may just end up feeling uncomfortable the whole time.

That's why looser clothing themes or overall color palettes are a safer way to go.

3. Sashes, Tiaras, and Cowboy Hats

If you truly love the idea of parading around in sashes, tiaras, and hot pink cowboy hats during your or your friend's bachelorette party, more power to you. Honestly, though, the accessories have begun to feel more like a cliché than anything.

They can come across as tacky and overdone. Not to mention, they're usually cheaply made and end up in the trash by the end of the night.

Our advice? Save your money and invest in more stylish, personalized touches, like custom accessories or jewelry.

4. Brides Only Wearing White

Traditionally, brides have stuck to wearing only white throughout their whole bachelorette party celebration. That's still fine, but if the idea makes you feel restricted, don't be afraid to break the mold.

If you want to switch it up by mixing in colors or patterns, don't let anyone stop you. Remember, your bachelorette party is supposed to be fun for you.

You shouldn't allow social media photo ops or general societal expectations to dictate what you can and can't wear during your own party.

5. Cringey Slogans

We've all seen the slogans that brides and their bridesmaids use for their bachelorette parties, either on apparel, decor, or hashtags for social media. For instance, "Bride Tribe," "I Do Crew," or even "Last Fling Before The Ring."

Like sashes and cowboy hats, the slogans are cliché and sometimes just cringeworthy. You don't need a catchphrase to have a good time, and if you want one, maybe go the more unique route.

6. Getting Blackout Drunk Every Night

Spoiler alert: you don't have to get blackout drunk every single night to enjoy a bachelorette party.

We get it: throwing back some shots or sipping on wine all day can be fun, especially with your girlfriends. But if you have a whole day (or even weekend) planned, getting wasted can be a recipe for disaster.

First, you'll probably be hungover or generally unhappy for later activities. Moreover, alcohol has the ability to raise tensions and spark drama, which can bulldoze the group dynamic.

Obviously, you can still kick back and indulge a little. However, keep the bride in mind and strive for a balance to make memories that you'll actually remember.

7. Over-Scheduling The Itinerary

Since multi-day bachelorette parties are so popular, it can be tempting to pack your group's itinerary chock full of activities. And suddenly, things that sound exciting on their own, like brunch, yoga, wine tasting, dinner, or clubbing, feel like an exhausting checklist when scheduled literally back to back.

Realize that the reason for bachelorette parties is for brides to connect and bond with their closest friends. Leave room for spontaneity, downtime, and relaxation. Wedding planning is already stressful enough as it is.

8. Not Considering What The Bride Wants

Finally, at the end of the day, a bachelorette party should be about celebrating the bride. So, if bridesmaids are tasked with planning the celebration, the bride's personality and interests need to be considered.

It's time to retire the idea that every bachelorette party has to follow a cookie-cutter formula. If the bride isn't into clubbing, don't plan a huge night out! Or, if she's more of a homebody, don't push for a major trip.

The best bachelorette parties are the ones that feel thoughtful and personal, not just trendy. And if you have any doubts about what the bride wants, all you have to do is ask her.

Supplies For Your Own "Cruel Summer" Taylor Swift Fuzzy Dice:

• Sewing machine
• Pink fleece fabric
• Pink thread
• Pink felt
• Scissors
• Blue rope/cord (I took mine off a loofah)
• Needle + pins
• A copy of Lover to listen to while you sew ;)
• Poly-Fil Stuffing (not pictured)
• Ruler (optional)
• Glue gun + glue gun sticks (optional, use it to touch up your seams if you need)

Instructions:

Start by marking your fleece with the measurements for your squares. Since the size of the dice on Taylor's official website was listed as 3.5", I marked them just above 3.5" so I could leave room for a hem. You'll need 12 squares total.

Next, cut out your squares. I used the first square as a template for the others, then went back in and cleaned up the edges where necessary.

The first image I made was a sun, and I started by drawing a circle on my felt. I used the rim of my thread spool to make sure I had a perfect circle but you can also free hand if you want the circle to be a different size.

Pin your felt to the center of a fleece square.

Sew the circle to the fleece using a regular straight stitch.

Next, move your sewing machine from a straight stitch to a zigzag stitch and decrease your stitch length to a lower number like 0 or 1. This will allow your art to have more of a filled-in border, instead of a messier, chevron finish.

Go back over the rim of your circle with the zigzag stitch to give it that embroidered look. I did this with the fabric right side up, then I did it again with the fabric flipped upside down just to be extra thorough.

After your circle is complete, it's time for the sun rays! Use the same zigzag stitch and 0 stitch length to move from the circle outward. This is where you'll want to add another element: stitch width.

To give the sun rays their triangular shape, adjust your stitch width as you move out from the heart of the sun. While the stitch length ensures your sewing won't have empty spaces, the width will let you move from a wider sunbeam base to a thinner point. I just decreased the width every few stitches as I went along.

Your finished sun will look something like this! I went back in with a needle to clean up loose threads by hand. I waited to trim them until I had threaded them to the back so that the front image had a more polished look.

Repeat the above steps for your devil and angel hearts. There are only a few differences between these and the sun; you'll cut the felt into hearts instead of circles, and to fill in the horns and the wings, I used a straight stitch to give it a colored-in look, reserving the zigzag stitching for the borders.

I know the original dice had "Cruel Summer" lyrics stitched onto these squares, but I ended up leaving them off. It makes the design more minimal and easier to work with.

One thing to note about this step: beware of bunched fabric! Filling in the angel wings brought the edges of the squares in a bit, but I wasn't too upset about it. I think flaws give a craft some personality!

The "Lover" stitching got a little more complicated than the images. I first traced the word with my pen so that I would have some guide as to what the word should look like. Move the stitch width back down to one of the lower settings.

Then instead of just moving the fabric in a circle like I did for the sun, I moved it all around to follow the word I had written in marker. Repeat this a few times until you're satisfied with the thickness. I definitely tried this step a couple different times so don't worry if you don't get it on the first go!

For my final embroidered square, I did a simple "TS," which of course stands for "Taylor Swift."

Before you can sew your squares together, line the edges up and pin them. I used my ruler to mark how far I wanted my hem to go (I did 1/4" at every edge) for a sewing guideline.

I pinned the squares one at a time, checking at each step that they were pinned the right way (especially after I sewed two together incorrectly and had to pick out the stitches. Oops.)

Arrange the images in a similar way to the official dice, or change it up however you'd like! I chose to arrange the squares so that there was a blank in between the images.

Pin and sew your remaining three squares around the middle square so that you end up with a cross.

I continued pinning and sewing the edges to one another until I had an inside-out cube. Here's a tutorial to help you better understand which edges should be sewn together.

I did one square at a time, making sure to focus on the corners and going back in to tighten them up once I was done. You only want one gap, which is where you'll flip the cube inside out and then stuff it.

Once you have a cube, flip the fabric inside out. I used my pen to make sure all the corners and edges were good to go.

Next, stuff your cube with whatever filling you prefer. I didn't stuff it super full because I didn't want it to have a rounded look when I was done.

Ta-da! A little wonky but very cute :)

When you have both dice, cut a small hole in the top for your cord. Knot the ends and stuff them into the holes, then use your needle and thread to attach the cord and the fleece together.

Voilà!

They're soft, fuzzy, and pink. What could be better than that?!

If you don't want to hang these in your car, they also make excellent Valentine's (or Galentine's) decor.

If you need me, I'll be blasting "Cruel Summer" for the rest of the month.

March 16, 2025 — Andrew Garfield & Monica Barbaro are seen grocery shopping.

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A post shared by curators of pop culture (@deuxmoi)

This duo definitely fanned the flames of those couple rumors when they were spotted grocery shopping in Malibu. A very realistic, domestic, and relatable Sunday! I also went grocery shopping this day, so it looks like we were on the same page ;).

Andrew wore a white tee and jeans while Monica looks cozy in a white tank and green cardigan. Both wore baseball caps. "I like that they are humble and buy the same TP as me," one Instagram user commented. Same.

March 2, 2025 — Andrew Garfield & Monica Barbaro attend an Oscar afterparty together.

Every thing I hoped and waited for
Andrew Garfield and Monica barbaro leaving the after party together pic.twitter.com/MPwqeLyE7m

— Linny (@murderesselinny) March 3, 2025

After the Oscars on March 2, Monica Barbaro and Andrew Garfield left the Vanity Fair after party together...and showed up to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's after party. No big deal! Monica wore a strapless gown with gorgeous teardrop jewel detail while Andrew looks dapper in a deep gray suit.

They also happened to arrive at the Oscars red carpet at the same time...and Monica was sitting in Andrew's eye line the whole night. What a coincidence!

February 2025 — Monica Barbaro & Andrew Garfield attend Jonathan Bailey's play.

Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro went to see Jonathan Bailey’s play. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/vL7EBwsw4d

— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) February 20, 2025

The two went viral on February 20 when they showed up to Jonathan Bailey's Richard II at the Bridge Theatre, and I'm obsessed with how locked in he is on their conversation. This man is an attentive listener if I've ever seen one!

January 2025 — Andrew Garfield & Monica Barbaro are photographed together.

monica barbaro with andrew garfield, eddie redmayne, and lynn hirschberg at w magazine’s best performances party pic.twitter.com/vbBeCvtzao

— ‎ ☆ (@livebarbs) January 6, 2025

Andrew and Monica were first seen together at W magazine's Best Performances party, alongside Eddie Redmayne and W's editor-at-large Lynn Hirschberg, in LA. They were already getting cozy!