Making Your Own Homemade Wedding Invitations

In order to create your own customized, personalized wedding invitations, you will need to make a trip to the craft store for a few items.

Floral printed Vellum (or any pattern that suits your wedding)

Ribbon in one or more of your wedding colors

Parchment paper in white or ivory (Tip: Match your dress. If your dress is white, use white parchment paper.)

Monogram stamp and stamp pad or monogram stickers

"Invitation" sized envelopes to match your parchment paper (three times as many as the number of invitations you are sending. If possible, find two sizes, one slightly smaller for the invitation and reply cards [you will need one for the invitation and one for the reply card] to fit inside the other.)

Scrapbook glue dots

You will also need a computer with word processing or graphics software that includes a "greeting card template, a good quality printer (a laser printer is best for a professional look but ink jets work just as well), a paper cutter, a small single hole punch (¼ inch or smaller) and a smooth, clean work surface.

By this step, you and your partner should have already decided the phrasing for your wedding invitations, based on who is "hosting" the wedding. Traditional wedding invitations are presented by the bride's parents but the circumstances are different for every situation. In your graphics or word processing program, find a legible font for your invitations. Some to look at are Edwardian Script, Chancery, and Times New Roman.

Using the greeting card template, type your message on the inside right flap. Many programs will be set up to print either on pre-cut cards or on full sheets of paper. Often the templates for full sheets of paper are intended to be quarter fold cards but you can make them only half folds by typing your message on two quarters instead of only one. You can also use the same template to make R.S.V.P cards by typing in the reply information in all four quadrants. You may want to use card stock for this part.

Insert the parchment paper into your printer per the instructions with the card template. Print the messages. Use the paper cutter to separate the paper into two pieces and fold each one in half, with the message on the inside right. Also use the cutter to cut your vellum sheets down to the same size as your card when it is closed.

Place one glue dot in the center of the front of the card, right along the top edge. Attach the vellum to the front of the card with the glue dot. Punch two holes in the front of the card, through both layers, approximately an inch apart.

Cut your ribbon into three inch segments. Lace the ribbon through the holes in the card from the inside to the outside and tie it in a bow, covering any sign of the glue dot holding the invitation together.

On the outside of the smaller envelope, write the recipient's name and "and guest," if they are single or "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" for a couple. On the outside of the larger (outer) envelope, address the invitation, starting with the appropriate title (Miss, Ms., Mr., Dr., etc) followed by first and last names. I.e. Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, followed by their mailing address (even if you are hand-delivering them).

Insert the reply card into the third envelope, address it with your own address (or the address of whomever will be collecting them), add a stamp, and insert that into the invitation. Place the invitation into the inner (smaller) envelope and the whole works inside the outer envelope. Then make your way to the neighborhood post office.