Making Your Own Graduation Invitations

Making your own graduation invitations be exciting and allow you to send more personalized messages to family and friends about your big day. While like graduation, there are so many decisions to make about the design, colors, paper and style of your invitations, but these decisions can lead you down the path of fun.

Knowledge is Powerfully Fun

When designing your invitation, you need to begin by deciding what you really want to say. For invitations, you need to cover the who, what, when, where and how (to dress.)

For graduation, the key things to include in your invitation are date, time, location of the ceremony, location of any dinner/reception/party, and any special instructions. For some graduations, there are limits to number of additional guests, key information about parking, and crucial information about proper attire. Also, be sure to include information about RSVPs (Repondez s'il vous plait.) This will help you as the inviter, how many guests to expect.

Here's a useful example for a graduation invitation:

YOU ARE INVITED
William Carter "Billy" Smith's
Graduation from Local High School

Friday, May 30, 2010
2:00pm to 4:00 pm.William Segal Center
123 Sesame Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Dress Casual and Parking Provided
R.S.V.P. by May 15, 2010 with number attending
555-555-1214 (Parents: Mary and Joseph Smith)

Share any other information you think your friends and family will need to know. With all the details laid out, you have made it easier on you and them to focus on the more crucial details of the day- such as what gift to buy!

Design of the Time

All those hours doing crafts will not have gone to waste when it comes to creating your invitation. While the purpose of the occasion is known, your personalized invitation should be an expression of your likes, sense of humor or artistic style. Budget and penmanship aside, be free to express yourself.

Card stock is recommended when constructing the base of your invitation. You can get your school colors or your favorite color. Most department stores and office supply stores offer a nice selection of colors and sizes.

Decide on size. Postcard sized invitations are common, but given the availability of off sized envelopes, the only limit to the size of your invitation is the size of your envelope and your postal budget.

Decorate to Be Remembered

Decorating your invitation can be the most fun, because of the possibilities are endless. You can use paint or sponge techniques. You can have ribbons, stickers and even pictures. Some clever options are using funny pictures of you and strategically placed cap and gown cut outs.

If you are at a loss for ideas go to the local card shop or department store and take a peek at the artwork and clever slogans inside those cards. These will inspire you to create memorable invitations. You can make your design a simple cap and gown picture or confetti celebration theme. If you like bears, add them. If you like Picasso, make an impressionist themed card.

For those of with no artistic talent, you can rely on clipart or artsy friends to help create your invitations. There are also programs and free web pages that have invitation art that you can use.

Making your personalized graduation invitations can as exciting as other plans for your graduation. Your unique invitations will be your way of inviting your family and friends to share in your big event.