How To Make a Scroll Wedding Program

If you want your wedding program to consist of the bare necessities, an aged scroll program is a great idea. It can only be one page and is a unique way to let your guests know your names, your parents’ names, the wedding party and those who played a roll in the ceremony.


For this project, you will need:


- good quality paper (a light colour, ecru or cream, works best);

- printer;

- large bowl of water;

- tea bags;

- wooden round sticks;

- glue;

- ribbon.


First you will have to decide on the wording of the program. Since a scroll can only be one page, space is a premium. In a Word document, center the text. Start with your name and if you want, add the wedding date. Next line should be the parents of the bride followed by the parents of the groom. Next list the wedding party. Now include anyone who played a part in the ceremony, i.e. officiant, readers, candle lighters, etc. You can also include a small dedication or paragraph remembering deceased loved ones.

Whether or not this all fits depends on the size of the paper. I think regular size, 8 ½” by 11”, is a little too big for a scroll, a narrower width looks better. I prefer about 5 ½” and the length depends on how much information can fit on one piece of paper. You don’t have to find paper this size, you can use a cutter and create the size you want.

Now print a sample copy of the program. Make sure the font isn’t too small and check for spelling errors. Have your fiancé or another person proofread it. Do the necessary cutting to give your program the desired width and length. Make a couple of copies for experimentation purposes.

Now comes time to “age” the paper. Fill a bowl with water and add a couple of tea bags. Squeeze the bags to make the colour turn. Here you have two options, either place the paper in the water or crumple it up in a ball and put it in the water. The tea will stain the paper, giving it an aged, antique look. Crumpling it up will darken the creases. After taking the paper out of the water, take a wet tea bag and rub it into the paper. This will leave grains on the paper. Take your time and experiment with your options, leave the paper in the water longer, more crumpling, anything you can think of to add.

Once you have decided on the final look of your program, it is time to add the sticks. These can be found in craft or hardware stores. The length depends on the width of your paper. Using regular glue, apply a thin line across the top of the paper and center a stick across. Wrap the top of the paper over, the whole time ensuring that the paper is even over the stick (otherwise it will roll crooked). Repeat this procedure for the bottom. Once the glue is dry, roll the top and bottom until they meet in the middle. Tie with an accent ribbon.

Place the finished scrolls in a decorated basket to hand out at the ceremony.