Crafting Wedding Mementos: Ornamenting Your Nuptial Invite

Wedding invitations are often beautifully designed, so it's no surprise that people want to keep them as mementos. One way to do this is to turn them into ornaments. This can be done by cutting the invitation into thin strips, winding them around a pen or pencil, and placing them inside a glass ball ornament. This makes a great gift for newlyweds to commemorate their first Christmas together.

Cut the invitation into thin strips

To make an ornament out of a wedding invitation, you'll want to start by cutting the invitation into thin strips. Try to cut along the lines of text to preserve the important words and names. Depending on the size of your glass ornament, you might not have enough room for all of the strips, so choose your favourites to start with.

Grab a strip of paper and wrap it tightly around a pen, pencil, or similarly-shaped object. Once it’s wound tight, let go and the coil of paper will come off the stick. It will be pretty tightly coiled, but it works better if you “fluff” it out a bit and expand the coil. It will fill the space in the ornament better.

Open up the top of your ornament and stick the coil inside. Then start making your next coil. Continue until the ball is full!

Wrap each strip around a pen or pencil

Now that you've cut your wedding invitation into thin strips, it's time to curl them! Grab a strip of paper and wrap it tightly around a pen or pencil. If you don't have a pen or pencil, you can use a similarly-shaped object like a thin stick or a Crayola marker. The tighter the coil, the better, but be careful not to tear the paper.

Once the strip is wound tightly, let go, and the coil of paper will come off the pen or pencil. You might want to fluff out the coil a bit to make it less tight and help it fill out the space in the ornament better. If you're using cardstock, you might want to only give the paper a light curl so that it hugs the glass of your ornament. Now, simply place the coil inside the ornament and start on the next strip!

Open the glass ornament and insert the curled strip

Now that you have your curled strip of wedding invitation ready, it's time to open the glass ornament and insert your creation!

Glass ornaments are delicate, so it's important to handle them with care to avoid any breakage. Make sure you are working in a clear space, free from clutter, and lay out a soft cloth or towel on your work surface to provide extra protection. Carefully examine your glass ornament to locate the opening mechanism. Some glass ornaments have a small opening at the top that can be unscrewed or pulled apart. Others may have a small metal or plastic stopper that can be pried open with a small tool. If you are unsure, gently manipulate different parts of the ornament to identify the opening mechanism.

Once you have located the opening, use a small tool, such as a thin knife or a screwdriver, to gently pry it open. If the ornament has a stopper, carefully insert the tool between the ornament and the stopper, and gently twist or lever it out. Be cautious not to apply too much force, as this can break the ornament. If the ornament has a screw-top opening, try twisting it gently in a counter-clockwise direction to loosen and open it.

With the ornament open, it's now time to insert the curled strip of the wedding invitation. Use a pair of tweezers or long-nosed pliers to gently guide the strip into the ornament. Take your time and be gentle to avoid damaging the strip or the ornament. Once the strip is inside, you can use the tweezers or pliers to adjust its position and ensure it is displayed the way you want.

After you have inserted and positioned the curled strip, it's important to securely close the ornament to prevent any loss or damage. If your ornament has a stopper, gently push it back into place, ensuring it is securely fitted. If your ornament has a screw-top opening, twist it gently in a clockwise direction to tighten and close it. Give the ornament a gentle shake to ensure it is securely closed.

Repeat until the ornament is full

Once you have cut your wedding invitation into thin strips, you will need to start curling the strips of paper and inserting them into the glass ornament. Grab a strip of paper and wrap it tightly around a pen, pencil, lollipop stick, or similarly-shaped object.

Once it’s wound tight, let go and the coil of paper will come off the stick. It will be pretty tightly coiled, but it works better if you “fluff” it out a bit and expand the coil. It will fill the space in the ornament better.

Open up the top of your ornament and stick the coil inside. Then start making your next coil. Repeat until the ornament is full!

As you work, set aside the strips with the couples’ names, the date, the location, etc. and put them into the ornament near the end. That way, you can try to position them so that they are visible from the outside, rather than hidden in the middle.

Thread some ribbon through the hole at the top

Once you've cut your wedding invitation into thin strips, wrapped them around a pen or pencil, and inserted them into your glass ornament, it's time to thread some ribbon through the hole at the top. Choose a ribbon that complements the colours of the wedding invitation. You could opt for a simple colour like cream, or you could go for something bolder, like green or pink. If you're making this ornament as a gift, consider choosing a ribbon that matches the recipient's wedding colours.

Take your ribbon and thread it through the hole at the top of the ornament. You want to leave enough ribbon on either side so that you can hang the ornament from a tree or other display. Once you've threaded the ribbon, tie a knot to secure it in place. You could also add a bow for a decorative touch.

If you want to get really creative, you can embellish the ribbon with small decorations. For example, you could glue on some small beads or tie a small charm to the ribbon. You could even write a message on the ribbon with fabric paint or a permanent marker.

Finally, adjust the ribbon so that the ornament hangs straight. You don't want your ornament to be lopsided! And that's it! Your wedding invitation ornament is now ready to be displayed or gifted.

Frequently asked questions