June 2011

DIY wedding invitationI love wedding stationary. With no wedding in my near future… I still fnd myself pouring over the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings and admiring all the beautiful custom stationary. So when my sister asked me to create her wedding set on a budget, I gladly took the challenge. And this was the result.

 

DIY Wedding Invitation Tips:

  • I used MR. French Kraft cover-stock for the base. To save $, I cut and scored the card bases rather than using pre-folded cards. Invest in heavy cover-stock for the base, it will give your card a richness and some heft.
  • For the inner pocket, I cut each pocket in a coordinating color (black) and used 1/4″ adhesive transfer tape to adhere in place.
  • I designed the text block from scratch using Photoshop. I used a mix of free and commercial fonts. Ornaments can be found online usually for sale for very little $.
  • I had the text block professionally printed at my local copy shop – go check yours out if you have not been in a while. They usually offer a variety of paper options. Be sure to know what is available before you get to stuck on a design.

 

The bride and groom liked the interactive bits of the invite.. these included a save the date magnet, tag with wedding blog info (also the place guests could go RSVP and get gift registry info), and a whimsical photo strip of the happy couple.

  • The photo strip was easy to create – the pictures were taken using Instabooth, then exported to Photoshop. I formatted the image and fit three strips on a single 4×6 sheet and printed them off.
  • You can purchase printable magnet paper at most craft stores. I just used a pen to “circle” the date with a little heart.
  • The tag was created by hand cutting the base. (using scraps from the card base) and adhering the text piece on top – this was also printed off at the copy shop.
  • Finish your tag with a bit of twine or ribbon.

I hope you find these tips useful, this would make a very special invite for just about any occasion.. not just weddings!

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On a recent episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable, I mentioned that I sometimes create a layout with little to no embellishments. Anyone who knows me was shocked at such a statement… for good reason. I would not by any stretch of the imagination call my self a minimalist scrapbooker. I actually prefer embellishment overload! But even I have my relatively minimal days…

My tips for going spare?

  • Gorgeous photos need little embellishment. That is always true. (I am not a very good photographer.)
  • Strong papers stand well on their own. The science fair layout was created on a single piece of patterned paper.
  • Texture – The first beach page has a some homemade sand paper. (using sand from the beach the  pictures were shot at) When choosing cardstock, choosing one with subtle texture makes a huge difference.
  • Die-cut paper – Another fun element that serves as an embellishment on its own.
  • Check out simple scrappers like Cathy Z, Stacy Julian, and Ali Edwards (sometimes minimalist) for some stunning examples and inspiration! I am the first to admit, minimalist is not exactly my specialty.

Next up… embellishment OVERLOAD!

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