Dinner Party Invitation Ideas: From Fancy to Quirky

The keys to a fancy dinner party invitation are layers and simplicity. If your dinner party is going to be an elegant affair, then the invitations should match that and be elegant as well.

First, write the text of your invitation in a word processing program. It should be simple and formal, with each element on a separate line. Lay it out so that there are 4 invitations to a page, and so that there is at least a 1.5 inch border on each of the 4 sides of each of those invitations.

Print these on a pretty paper and then cut between one half and one inch off each side of those quarters. Then cut a heavier weight paper into quarters. With a piece of double-stick tape along the top side, tape the printed sheet to the center of the larger sheet.

Dinner Party Invitation Idea: Potluck-Style Dinner Party with "Secret Ingredients"

If you are having a large dinner party for which you want your guests to bring something, you should send an invitation that lets them know that you will be asking each of them to bring a secret ingredient. Whether the food you will be serving is tacos, fancy salads, or pizza, you can get each guest involved in the process by bringing one of the toppings.

To make a secret ingredient invitation, use a spy theme and include some graphics on your invitation that indicate that your guests are secret agents bringing the keys to the dinner. You can either make invitations by hand using scrapbook materials, or print them from your computer.

The most important element that you need to make bold and colorful is that your guests should call you by a certain date to RSVP and get their secret ingredient assignment. When they call, assign them with one of the toppings, taking care to keep the cost per person approximately equal.

Dinner Party Invitation Idea: Garden Party Invitation

If you are having an outdoor or porch garden party during the summer or fall months, your invitations should reflect this. For an elegant touch, include dried and pressed wildflowers on your invitations. If the flowers are very delicate, you could "laminate" the invitations, or at least part of the invitation, with clear packing tape over the flowers.

If you prefer a more festive invitation, work with squares of heavy weight paper in different colors, gluing them behind and on top of parts of the invitation. If you want, you can even cut small shapes such as suns and flowers.