Hi there, have you ever thought about how to make invitations? Many of us have had the pleasure of opening an envelope from a friend to find a cute, well-made invitation to their special event. The bright side of invitations is that they’re almost always for something positive. Rarely will you ever find someone handing out an invitation to a funeral or an execution. You have probably received at least 30 different types of invitations throughout your life, such as invitations to a friend’s birthday party, bridal and baby showers, house-warming parties, bar-mitzvah parties, quinceanera parties, engagement parties, bachelorette party invitations, wedding invitations, anniversary parties, tea party invitations, graduation invitations, Valentine’s day cards, Thank You notes, Greeting Cards, Announcements, Easter egg hunts, Christmas parties, Halloween, Fourth of July parties, Memorial and Labor Day parties, retirement parties, promotion parties, brunch invitations, and sometimes even new product launch parties. When it’s time for your special event, you probably want to know how to make your own– so you can make it exactly the way you want it.
The very first step to making a fabulous invitation is to pick an event you want to celebrate and make that your central theme. Generally, you already know what that event is, unless you are looking to throw a party for the sake of having a party. In that case, here are some ideas of different kinds of party ideas and party themes: beach parties, backyard barbeque parties, slumber parties, wine-tasting parties, tea parties, costume parties…the possibilities are endless. Now, let’s say you are going to throw a beach party next Saturday. You will want to do some party planning so you can include the date, time and location of your event (with directions if needed) on your invitation and maybe a call back number or email to RSVP to. Don’t be afraid to go online and look for party tips to throwing a good party.
Once you have the basic information figured out, you can then move on to decorating! However, before you can start that process, it is important to have the necessary materials to work with. You are going to want to have a general idea of just how many people are coming to your party. In this case, let’s say you are inviting 15 of your closest friends to your beach party next Saturday. Since you are inviting about 15 people, you should pick out a package of paper that has at least that amount if not more in it. Also, since the party is beach themed, it will probably be a casual event, and therefore, you will want to match the card to the style of the event. A casual party equals a casual invitation. In my case, I would pick a pale light-blue background paper and a box of matching envelopes. I don’t want something as cheap as elementary school construction paper so I am going to want to look for higher quality stationary paper at say Office Depot or a local craft/art store. Next, I am going to look for artsy pens and markers and tape. Maybe a silver sharpie and a pair of sharp scissors if you don’t already have a pair. Many stores, such as Target have an aisle with materials for scrap-booking. This is a pretty good place to look for decorations to spruce up your invitations with. You can find press on seashells, seahorses, sand, glittery tiki-hut stickers, press on beach umbrellas, imitation hibiscus flowers and many other beachy decorations. Pick out several packages of each, as you will need enough to decorate all 15 of your invitations. Next, if you want to make sure that your invitations are cut straight, I would invest in a paper guillotine or simply use the one at your local Kinko’s if you only intend to do this once.
Now that you have that done, here’s the difficult part of how to make invitations: Once you have all the materials gathered and the paper cut, it is time to make a rough draft/drawing of your invitation with all the pieces where you want them along with all the words. Usually, party invitations will say something like, “You’re Invited!” or “Party Time!” in big letters at the top, giving the reader an idea of what the event is about. Since for my example, I am throwing a beach party, I am going to have my invitation say, “Let’s Hit the Beach!” in big letters, followed by:
Congratulations! You are invited to an intimate beach party…with food, fun, musik (music), and dance out in the glory of nature! Make sure to bring beach appropriate apparel! Entertainment will be provided.
Saturday, June 22, 2009, 3:00PM.
South Side, Seal Beach, Ca.
RSVP to beachgurl@email.com
See you there!
After you’ve made your template, it is time to construct the rest of your invitations. Once you have all 15 of them made, if you’re feeling gutsy, why not throw on a handful of different colored glitter to make each invitation unique? Feel free to think outside of the box. Some people even include a photo, or poetry, or quotes from books, or an elegant border around the edge of their invitations. Once this is done, you’ll want to figure out how you want to deliver your invitations. Are you going to hand deliver them for that personal touch, or, will you send them by mail? If you are going to hand deliver them, then plan your route efficiently. With fuel prices these days, you don’t need to be wasting any more gas than you need to. Also, don’t be afraid to go online for help. Mapquest and Google maps can help you plan your route and also allow you to input several addresses at once which will help you get from point A to point B to point C. On the other hand, if you decide to mail off your invitations, make sure to have the addresses on the outside in clear legible print with adequate postage.
When you are making invitations, it is ultimately up to you how complex you want the process to be. Personally, I think less is more. Who doesn’t love a simple, yet sophisticated, stylish card? So there you have it. How to make invitations can be as easy as, well…buying the materials and gluing on some decorations. Well, with everything set, it is time to plan the actual party. Good luck!!!