Spring is almost here and you know what that means? Wedding season!! If you or someone you know is planning a wedding, here are 10 must-read tips on how to DIY Wedding Invitations. Stephanie, from the Creative Team, shares her expertise. enjoy! -Linda
DIY Wedding Invitations
I have a passion for handmade wedding invitations!
There is no limit to the beauty and creativity a bride can achieve with this special day in her life, however she envisions it to be.
Invitations and some aspects of a wedding can be done beautifully on a budget and without fancy machines.
I will tell you now, I may be a craftaholic, but I don’t own a Cricuit or Silhouette machine!
Did you gasp?!
Don’t lose heart and think that making your own simple invites has to be costly or stressful.Here are some simple tips of things to keep in mind if you are considering making your own DIY wedding invitations.
1. Think of how you envision your wedding day to be.
-Get and idea of the general feel you are going for like the colors and theme if there is one. The invitation sets the tone for your invited guests. And gives them a glimpse of what your wedding day is going to be like.Your invitations should represent you and your fiance’s vision and atmosphere you imagine on that special day. {I once had a bride make Celtic scroll invites for her Scottish-themed wedding. Wow!}
2. Determine your budget and what your wise investments are.
If you decide to go handmade, you can definitely make beautiful invitations that cost about $1 each.
Things to not skimp on are:
- paper trimmer
- great print quality (see your printer manual)
- adhesive (if you are using multiple layers of cardstock or embellishments)
- envelopes/cardstock
Will you be wanting square invites? This will cost more to mail.
RSVP cards? This will double the postage costs and increase the weight of your invite.
Questions like these will help you determine the average cost per invitation.
3. Figure out what size/shape you want your invites to be.
Folded or flat? Square or rectangle? (5×7 is a good universal size you can easily find envelopes for). Depending on the size and shape, envelopes and postage costs will vary. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. This is your wedding and can be done your way.
4. Get the most out of your card stock.
I prefer heavy weight card stock and also orange-peel textured card stocks when I print invitations. The most cost effective way to get the most out of a 12×12 piece of card stock is by cutting it in this fashion. You can get four 5×7 invitations out of one piece of card stock this way.
5. Don’t skip embellishments like
fabric– makes pretty ruffles
punches- can add detail to corners and edges
notions and lace– things sold by the yard
ribbon– a bow always adds elegance, especially organza
buttons– cut off the shank and adhere to the front of your invitation
beads– require a little patience and probably extra postage, but beautiful
stamps– inexpensive way to decorate an envelope or invitation
6. Play with your wording.
Wording an invitation can be the most scary part. The wording is meant to clearly inform your guests where and when your event is taking place. So,
-try to keep your fonts legible and spell-check, spell-check, spell check!
-common etiquette recommends you spell all words out (Texas vs. TX)
-inclusion of middle names and/or parents’ names isn’t a must
-use wording that reflects you and your fiance’s style
7. Consider clip art and fonts
Clip art is a great way to dress up invitations inexpensively. With a small purchase and permission, you can print as many items as you want for your personal use. Use that clip art on your invites, table settings, RSVP cards… whatever you want! So easy! Fonts can also be very inexpensive or even free. Find ones you like and play around with the scripts or capital/lowercase versions to find what you like best. I tend to make the bride and groom names stand out in some way, so experiment with what style you like.
8. Envelopes
I actually think the envelope is very important. You don’t want thin, flimsy envelopes that won’t stay closed or that fall apart in the mail. Nowadays, there are many options for invitation envelopes as far as size and variety goes. You can even get them lined in a color, or in a special size.
9. Printing
Ink will probably be one of the most costly things about making DIY wedding invitations. Keep this in mind if you use clip art and a bunch of colors. I am often able to print 200+ invites with a moderate amount of wording/images on just one cartridge. Black ink is cheaper than color, so consider adding color with the card stock you choose instead.
10. Mailing them out!
Generally, you would like to send your invitations out 2 months in advance. Depending on if your wedding is a destination wedding, or if you know many of your guests are out of state, you might decide to send them earlier or use a save-the-date.
*Go to the post office at a less-busy time of day, and postal workers will be more likely to “hand-cancel” your invitations. This will confirm that you put sufficient postage and will help reduce damage since they won’t have to be mechanically cancelled through a machine.
I know hand-making invites might take a little time and be a little stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.
Clearly inform your guests about your wedding and the rest of the invitation’s style can be as unique as you are. Not only will your guests be gifted with something handmade, you get to save money too!
Do you have any questions about making DIY handmade wedding invitations? Feel free to ask!
happy crafting,
Stephanie
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