DIY Bride

So I am a teacher with the entire summer off, I am cheap, and I like to be crafty at times. After searching numerous websites for invitations, I decided it would be cheaper to make them myself.


I found cardstock for less than 10 cents a piece at Papers and More. The company sent me the wrong order and to resolve it, they allowed me to keep the order plus sent mine. The wrong order contained ivory card stock and ivory vellum paper cut in half, which was quite useful when making invitations.


My mom and I were inspired by invitations I received in the past and hoped to create a chocolate brown invitation with white wording and two ribbons. Unfortunately one cannot print in white ink on their own and Staples is no help either. I finally decided to print on the blue paper and glue it to the brown.

My order finally arrived and I made a sample invitation. I made inserts to include a map, hotel accomodations, registry information, rain site info, and a RSVP postcard. My mom did not like how the invitation inserts where floating around the envelope so we compromised and made a pocket for our invitation.



I cut the brown cardstock in half and folded one end up about 1 inch. I used a glue gun to seal the pocket edges.


I then printed the invitation working onto the blue cardstock and cut out the pieces. I had an invitation (& Margarita) party with some friends and we assembled the invitations.



I then used the vellum paper to create a barrier in the envelopes because we only used one envelope instead of the traditional two (I wanted to save trees and money). I also included an engagement picture in most of the invitations. A few people did not get one because I ran out and others didn't get one because they are single guys who wouldn't appreciate the picture.

TOTAL cost of making and mailing 113 invitations = $325.63, that is about $2.88 per invitation with postage, plus I have enough supplies to probably make 87 more invitations.

• Envelopes = $34.22 - cream greeting card envelopes at Staples (200)
• Invitation paper = $31.97 - plus that free order of paper
• Invitation supplies = $120.96 - paper cutter, glue, glue dots, ribbon, scrapbooking things (many of which have future uses.
• RSVP Postcards = $13.13 - one batch (100) that was used and another (100) that was too dark to write on
• Address stamp = $24.85
• Postage = 92.15