DIY Invitations

Instead of doing my chores this weekend, I started working on the invitations for my birthday party.

In an effort to be budget-friendly and eco-friendly, I'm trying not to buy anything new. That means I had to resort to the paper we already have in our paper basket (which is what we did for our wedding--hence the reason we had fluorescent orange name tags at the Welcome Picnic!).

I originally wanted to print an image in color, but we only have a black-and-white printer. Again, my options were limited.

Fortunately, it's a retro theme, so I figured a black-and-white image would be perfect. To add a little color, I went back to our paper basket and pulled out some red pieces for a background.

I used our paper cutter to cut out the images and the red squares. I also cut some of our leftover cardstock in half to serve as the base of the card.

Then I put a dab of glue stick on the red paper to glue it to the card and then the image to glue it to the red piece.

Next, I sewed everything together on my machine (I experimented with different stitches).

For the envelope, I tore out pages from an old children's dictionary I cleaned out of my classroom a few years ago. I sewed on a red scrap so I could clearly address each envelope. Then I sewed up the two edges of the card (I just plan to tape the flap down, once the cards are in the envelopes).

As I worked on this DIY project, I was reminded of the Six DIY Stages.

However, I also had a few new realizations:

1. It's important to create a prototype. I know it sounds obvious, but I don't always do a good job of creating a completely finished product before I start working on the rest of the bunch. However, this piece is critical!
2. As you make your prototypes (or prototypes if you want to experiment with different versions!), try really hard to figure out the most efficient way to do something. Sometimes I'll make ten of something before I tune in, pay close attention, and realize a more efficient way to do something.
   
3. Process things in batches. On these invitations, for example, I cut all the cardstock first. Then I cut all the images. Then I folded all the cards. Then I glued on all the pieces. Then I sewed all the cards. In other words, doing step one for all the cards and then moving onto step two, step three, etc., is usually more efficient than finishing the whole card and then starting the next. I find that doing the same step over and over allows you to work more efficiently.
   

It will feel good to get these babies in the mail.

As always, let me know if you have any questions!

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