When I think of a bridal brunch I envision vintage china, teacups, and embroidered napkins. This vision inspired me to create this DIY invitation with a hand-sewn flower.
Materials:
Paper
Design Template
Needle
Thread
Scissors
Artist tape (or other adhesive that will allow you to remove without damaging the paper)
Directions:
Step 1: Create the printed portion of your invite leaving enough room for the design at the top.
I used an A2 (4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches) invite and had about 2 1/2 inches of free space above my text. The flower template is 2 1/4 x 2 inches.
Step 2: Print template and tape over invite where you would like the design. The template was made by creating an dashed outline of a flower I drew with a design software.
Step 3: Following the dashed outline poke small holes in the invitation. (I usually put a hole at the beginning and end of every dash, but it just depends on how long you would like each stich.) This is most tedious part, but once you do it a few times you get the hang of it and it goes faster.
Step 4: Remove the template from the invite. With your threaded needle begin with a hole on the back and begin to stitch. When you come to the end, simply tie and you have a sweet embroidered flower.
What I love about it the hand made aspect is each one can be different. You can choose a variety of colors, change the angle, and put your special touch on each.
It’s that time of year again where couples are getting engaged! What better way to show your excitement and support for them then by throwing them a wonderful engagement party!
Whether you are throwing an engagement party for someone or are organizing your own we have you set with a gorgeous printable wedding invitation. The card is 5” x 7” and can easily be downloaded and printed from your own computer. This way you save on cost but still get to announce your party in style! Enjoy!
[Twi-st]: to turn or rotate, as on an axis, to change orientation or direction, a turn of events, a clever maneuver.
As creative individuals, we are constantly looking for the ahhh factor when representing ourselves to our tribe of family and friends.
This pursuit has been the driving force behind the past two decades of Envelopment’s design philosophy. We see our paper offerings as a blank canvas in a multitude of beautiful formats and a myriad of colors. In 2010, we put ourselves to the task of finding a way out of the “sea of sameness”, when it came to Holiday Photo Cards. The result of our quest gave this genre a long overdue face lift, and the Twist Card was born. Initially available in a limited release of 12 colors and just in time for the Holiday Season, the response was overwhelmingly positive with our Design Community. They then begged and pleaded with us to make them in all 250 colors of cardstocks in our line (which we of course did in 2011).
What we love about Twist Cards is their versatility; they are also a compelling format to use for Baby Announcements, and Save the Dates, actually they’re perfect for any occasion. They can hold their own on a desk or mantle and always stand out in a crowd. In the hands of the giver, Twist Cards are simple yet dimensional, giving you two sides to get your message across. In the hands of the receiver they are like a small gift that heralds a new life; a change of season; or a date to remember.
What our customers love about them is that they are different. They are not over the top nor like everything else that comes in the mail. Twist cards are memorable; they look amazing in their simplest form or decked out in layers. For those of you just married, let our Twist Card do double-duty. Use a photo from your Wedding or Engagement photo shoot on one side and a Holiday message on the other.
They’re easy to use
Choose your size/orientation
Print and mount your photos/messages
Fold and insert in a beautiful Envelopments envelope
Mail
Get 20% off Twist Cards through the end of the year by using the code TWISTCARD20 online at Envelopments.com or in-store with one of our talented Dealer/Designers—With the extra money you saved, go ahead and order custom postage
Disclosure: DIY Bride has a financial relationship with Envelopments, meaning we may have received compensation for this content and/or related content. We firmly stand behind our review and recommendation, and are committed to promoting only those companies we feel offer our community excellent products, ethical business practices, and outstanding customer service.
Invitations are probably one of the most important aspects of your wedding—and yet they often get overlooked. Think about it: it’s the first thing you guests see (other than your save-the-date) that will set the tone for you wedding’s overall feel and atmosphere. PLUS, tradition has it that typically your wedding invitation will be framed and put on display in your home. Wouldn’t you want something you can be proud to show off?
It’s not difficult to put together a great invitation for a quarter of the cost of “professional” invitations.
Take mine for example.
My wedding’s theme was butterflies with the color scheme being yellow and purple. I asked a friend of mine to draw me some butterflies. BAM! I had the background for my invitation. I’m sure you all have access to at least one artsy person out there. If not, using actual pictures of butterflies or certain clip arts you can access from different programs or the Internet work just as great.
Then, I added my text with a design program like Photoshop.
Printing can seem like the most daunting part. However, it doesn’t have to be. For the size I wanted, I actually found it to be most cost effective (and time effective) to go to a printing store like Office Depot than to print it myself. I got 50 invitations, cut to size, printed on card stock for $20.
Of course you need more than just the actual invitation. That’s where I took to Envelopes.com and requested samples of all their different shapes, sizes and shades of purple and yellow for certain envelopes and invitation sleeves/folders. They will send you samples for $1 per sample. Totally worth it!
You can get shiny, metallic colored envelopes for about $11 for 50. Then I got a matte pocket folder to hold the RSVP and information cards for about $45 for 50.
For the sake of time and money, I used a Groupon deal for Vistaprint that I received as a gift and purchased all my RSVP and information cards for about $20. Vistaprint will also send samples of their cardstock. And if you’re lucky, usually Vistaprint, Groupon, or Living Social deals run for about $15 and grant you around $50 worth of printing. The best part? You can either use a template or upload your own design, ensuring that your invitation definitely has the look and feel you desire.
To add the extra touch, I used my trusty die cutter to punch out gold butterflies which I used to decorate the pocket folder and also seal the whole invitation. I probably spent $5 on the cost of paper.
This brings the overall cost of my DIY invitation to $101 for 50 invitations. That may not sound like a lot of actual invitations, but the biggest misconception about wedding invitations is that you need more than you actually do. Remember, whole families and couples only need one invitation. If you’re inviting 200 people, chances are you only need about 75 invitations. Make sure to double check your numbers.
Compared to the $300-600 wedding stationery out there, I’d say this is definitely a special touch that doesn’t need to break the bank. And, it does look beautiful hanging on my wall.
Our first DIY Bride Challenge contest starts today! The first challenge we’re bringing you is the Shaker Box Save-the-Date. To show how easy it is to participate, I’ve shared my own version of the Shaker Box Save-the-Date below. Be sure to join the DIY Bride Challenge by visiting this link: http://www.challengeloop.com/challenge/shaker-box.
What you’ll need:
Ivory card stock for the wording
Two complimenting card stocks for back and frame
Transparency film
Double-sided tape
Double-sided foam adhesive strips
Glitter or other additions
Paper cutter
Craft knife
Directions:
Step 1: Create a Save-the-Date document and Microsoft Word, taking care to note the margins so that it will fit on the insert, and print it.
Step 2: Cut the card stocks and transparency film to the desired sized. My backing was 4.5 x 5 inches, and the frame, ivory card stock and transparency film were all 4 x 4 inches.
Step 3: Adhere the insert to the back piece using the double-sided tape.
Step 4: Next, make the frame. Using a pencil, draw where the center of the frame will need to be cut (0.25 from each edge) and then use the craft knife and a straight edge to cut it out.
Step 5: On the back side of the frame, use the double sided tape to attach the transparency film, and press firmly. Make sure there are no gaps or whatever you put inside may leak out.
Step 6: Pour the glitter and other additions onto the center of the wording.
Step 7: Securely attach the foam strips to the back of the frame (again making sure there are no gaps), line the frame up so that it is center with the wording and then securely attach the frame to the backing.
Note: I found it easiest to do one side at a time to get it centered.
Congratulations, you have successfully created your custom Save-the-Date!
Would like to participate in the challenge? We’d love to have you! Simply create this project, put your own twist on it, upload it to the challenge page, and ask your friends to vote. The person with the most votes on their challenge project will win!
Some of the great prizes up for grabbs:
$300 prize from Invite Site
Online calligraphy class and supplies from I Still Love Calligraphy and Pilot
Colin Cowie’s wedding planner and keepsake organizer
Our very first DIY Challenge launches today! It’s your chance to take a project from the DIY Bride books and put your own spin on it for a chance to win some pretty nifty prizes. The challenge is hosted by Challengeloop, so pop on over and check out the challenge page: http://www.challengeloop.com/challenge/shaker-box. Then come back here to get crafting! Good luck, everyone!
Supplies (as shown)
1 sheet of light blue cardstock, cut to 4.25 x 5.5 in. (back of card)
1 sheet of ivory cardstock, cut to 3.75 x 5 in. (wording insert)
1 sheet of light green card-stock, cut to 3.75 x 5 in. (window frame)
1 sheet of transparency film, cut to 3.75 x 5 in. (window)
Double-stick tape
Double-sided foam adhesive strips, less than 0.25-in. wide
Shells or other extras (for inside the “shaker box”)
Craft sand
Craft knife
Computer and printer with ink
“Shaker Box Save the Date” // Photograph by Jack Deutch
Directions
1. Create a document in Microsoft Word on a PC. From the File menu, click on Page Setup, then the Paper tab. Select Custom Page Size from the Paper Size options. Set the custom page size for 3.75 x 5 in. tall. Click OK.
2. Set the margins. From the File menu, click on Page Setup, then the Margins tab. Set the spacing to 0.25 in. for all margins. Insert your wording, save, and print onto ivory cardstock.
Note: For this challenge, please limit your ink to one color.
3. Adhere the printed ivory cardstock on top of the light blue cardstock with double-stick tape. Make sure it is centered and level. Set it aside.
4. Make the frame. The foam tape will raise the frame, creating a 3-D pocket and allowing you to insert the filler. On the back of the light green cardstock, draw a straight line from top to bottom and another from side to side 0.25 in. from the edge on each. Using a straight edge and a craft knife, cut along the pencil marks and remove the center.
5. Still working on the back side of the light green cardstock, run a line of double-stick tape near the inner edges.
6. Place the transparency sheet on top of the adhesive, and press firmly. (Caution: If there are any gaps where the transparency and adhesive meet, the sand and inclusions will leak.)
7. On top of the transparency, place strips of the double-sided foam tape near the inner edges of the frame, about 0.125 in. (1/8 in.) from the edge. Make sure there are no gaps or openings between the edges of the foam strips and the foam on the frame. Leave the protective lining on the surface of the tape until you are certain there are no gaps, to avoid attracting lint and debris to the tape.
8. Once the foam tape is secure, remove the protective lining on the left and right sides and bottom, keeping the top lining in place.
9. Place the window frame piece on top of the back piece you made earlier, centering the window area over the wording. Press down firmly to secure it.
10. At this stage, the top side of the frame should be open and not adhered to the backing. This will allow you to insert the sand and shells (or whatever you’re using for the shaker box) into the window box. Use a spoon to pour in the sand (a little less than a teaspoon per card), then drop the shell in.
11. Remove the lining on the top piece of foam tape and press the frame firmly into place. You now have a custom save-the-date to dazzle your guests!
Once your seating cards are printed out on cardstock, use your paper trimmer to trim half an inch off each side. Then measure out the half way point on both sides and make the cuts, so you end up with four escort cards.
Turn the seating card over and measure the halfway point where you will eventually bend the card, and draw a line from left to right in pencil.
Next, use a round object as a template to draw a half circle. I used an empty iced coffee bottle and it seemed to be the perfect size. Check the front side of the card before you draw, to make sure you are drawing on the correct side. The half circle should be “above” where the text is.
After tracing the half circle, use the cutting tool to slice through the card stock along the half circle only. Be careful not to cut below the left-to-right pencil line or it will diminish the effect.
Once the half circle is cut, you can bend the paper back to create the escort card tent. You can also use a pair of scissors to carefully trim away any rough edges along the half circle.
Next, use the punch to punch out one shape for each card.
Place a foam square on the back of each shape, then remove the paper backing and stick on to your escort card, in the middle of the half circle.
You can stop here if you want, or you can use a marker to add a bit of flourish to the corners of the card.
You can use the same color or a corresponding wedding color. Or, you can use different colors to signal to the wait staff who gets what meal. For example – use blue for steak, purple for chicken, and green for vegetarian. Or you could even use different color glitter paper or different punch shapes to correspond to the guest tables (the Purple table, the Pink table, or, the Castle table, the Heart table, etc). There are a lot of different possibilities with this DIY project. Have fun!
The lovely Blythe shares with us this pretty project that’s perfect for holiday gift giving or, you know, a wedding.
While the project focus is on the sparkly-embossed organza bag, I think the card is the real showstopper here. How gorgeous would this be adapted into an invitation? And the bag? An excellent way to present favors.
SUPPLIES:
[Note: The numbers in parentheses refer to the item’s current catalog number in the current Stampin’ Up! Idea Book.)
Stamps: Medallion (115223) and Tiny Tags (118091) both by Stampin’ Up!
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650) by Stampin’ Up!
Ink: Old Olive Classic Ink (102277), Craft Stampin’ Spots – Brights Collection (119718) by Stampin’ Up!
Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (101930)
Heat Tool (100005), Powder Pals (102197)
Old Olive Satin Ribbon (117292)
Jewelry Tag Punch (117190)
1/16″ Circle Punch (101227)
Linen Thread (104199)
INSTRUCTIONS
For The Bag:
Cut a piece of card stock or thin cardboard slightly smaller than organza bag and insert it into the bag. Lay the bag on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles.
Ink the Medallion stamp well with Old Olive Craft Ink. Stamp on bag as desired.
Sprinkle the stamped area generously with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. Shake off excess powder into a container (you can re-use any unheated embossing powder).
Using even back and forth motions with the heat tool, melt the embossing powder. Be careful here; you’ll want to heat only until the powder turns liquid. Overheating will pucker and melt the organza. (See below.)
Remove card stock from bag. Insert your favor or gift.
Heating The Embossing Powder On The Bag
For The Gift Note:
Cut Very Vanilla card stock to 3″ x 6″, score at 3″ and fold in half to create card.
Ink Medallion stamp with Old Olive Craft Ink and stamp image on card front.
Sprinkle with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, shake off excess powder, and heat set using the Heat Tool.
Tie Old Olive Satin Ribbon around card.
Using Old Olive Classic Ink and the solid tag image from Tiny Tags, stamp off once onto scrap paper, and then stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock.
Ink “merry” image with Old Olive Classic Ink and stamp over solid tag image. Punch out the image using the Jewelry Tag Punch.
Punch a small hole in the Jewelry Tag using the Handheld Circle Punch (or use the Paper-Piercing Tool). Tie the Jewelry Tag to the Satin Ribbon using Linen Thread.
About Blythe:
Blythe Klipple is a demonstrator for Stampin’ Up!
Email: blythe@stampinwithblythe.com
Blog: http://www.stampinwithblythe.com
Stampin’ Up! website & Store: http://blythestamps.stampinup.net
DIYer, Alie from Borrowed Turquoise, was kind enough to share her gorgeous DIY save-the-dates she made with her Yudu screenprinter.
Alie printed vintage hankies for inclusion with her STDs. How utterly beautiful are they? She also gave a good review of the Yudu. Please check out her full post here.
