Handmade Wedding Stationery: Crafting Your Own Special Day

Creating handmade wedding stationery is a great way to add a personal touch to your special day. While it may seem daunting, with the right tools, planning, and creativity, you can craft beautiful invitations and other stationery that will impress your guests. From designing the layout and choosing the right paper to adding special details like wax seals and gold foil, there are endless possibilities to explore. Whether you're a crafting novice or an expert, making your own wedding stationery can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to save money and inject your unique style into your wedding.

Sourcing paper and envelopes

Types of Paper and Envelopes

When creating handmade wedding stationery, you can choose from various types of paper and envelopes, including:

• Cardstock: This is a thick and durable paper commonly used for wedding invitations. It comes in different colours, sizes, and textures, such as handmade or textured cardstock.
• Handmade Paper: Using handmade paper, such as the main invitation in the example above, can add a unique and elegant touch to your stationery.
• Textured Paper: Printing or writing your invitations on textured paper can elevate the overall look and feel.
• Seed Paper: Seed paper is a unique option that guests can plant in their gardens, incorporating an eco-friendly element into your wedding.
• Vellum: Translucent vellum paper can be used for invitation jackets or belly bands, adding an elegant touch to your design.
• Envelopes: When sourcing envelopes, consider the size, colour, and thickness. You may need multiple sizes to fit nested envelopes or additional inserts. Choose colours that complement your wedding theme or opt for classic options like white or cream. Ensure the envelopes are easy to seal and can be addressed or decorated as desired.
• Start Early: Sourcing supplies can take time due to stock outages and supply chain issues. Begin sourcing paper and envelopes early in your wedding planning process to avoid delays.
• Determine Sizes and Thicknesses: Consider the sizes and thicknesses of the paper and envelopes needed. Create a mock-up invitation suite with scrap paper to ensure your components fit together neatly.
• Consider Nested Envelopes: If you plan to have multiple envelopes, such as an outer and inner envelope, select sizes and colours that nestle together nicely.
• Order Samples: Order paper and envelope samples to touch and feel the quality, colour, and texture. This will help you make an informed decision and ensure the final result meets your expectations.
• Calculate Quantity: It is recommended to order 20-25% more paper and envelopes than you need to account for mistakes and practice. This will ensure you have enough materials to create a cohesive set.
• Eco-Friendly Options: If sustainability is important to you, look for recycled paper and envelopes with post-consumer waste content. Some companies offer eco-friendly options, such as Paper Source's collection of recycled cards, envelopes, and enclosures.
• Customisation: Consider companies that offer customisation options, such as Paper Source, which provides envelopes in exclusive colours and sizes. You can also create your own envelope liners or choose from pre-made options.
• Online Marketplaces: Online platforms like Etsy are excellent sources for unique paper and envelope options. You can find a variety of suppliers and designers who can help bring your vision to life.
• Local Craft Stores: Don't underestimate the power of local craft stores like Hobbycraft, The Works, or Baker Ross. They can be great places to find materials and tools for your handmade wedding stationery.

Designing the layout

Know Your Vision

Start by establishing a clear vision for your wedding stationery. Consider the theme, colour scheme, materials, and tools you want to use. Take inspiration from professional designs, but tailor them to your skills and resources.

Choose Your Tools

Select the right software for designing your layout. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are popular choices, but free platforms like Canva also offer flexibility and a wide range of templates.

Font and Colour Choices

Choose your fonts carefully, as these can make or break the overall look. Consider using a mix of fonts, such as a script font for names and a classic block-cap or italicised font for the rest of the text. Limit your colour palette to 2-3 colours to save on printing costs.

Create a Digital File

Create a digital file for each card in your desired size. This ensures you can easily edit and adjust your design. For instance, create a .psd file for each card, allowing you to work on layout, wording, and special quotes.

Be Mindful of Paper Size

When designing your layout, remember to leave a sizable border if you plan to create a faux deckled edge. This will make folding and tearing easier, although it may result in wasted space.

Practice Makes Perfect

Before finalising your design, practice and tweak as needed. It's essential to be confident in your layout before committing to printing and assembling.

Consider Inserts

If you have additional information, consider creating inserts for your invitations. These can be designed using simple tools like Microsoft Word or Canva. Include details such as directions, reception information, and registry cards.

Remember, the layout design is a crucial step in creating cohesive and beautiful wedding stationery. Take your time, be creative, and don't be afraid to seek inspiration and guidance from online resources and templates.

Printing the text

There are several ways to go about printing the text for your handmade wedding stationery. If you're looking for a professional finish, you can use a letterpress printer, which gives the text a beautiful raised effect. Alternatively, you can use an online or local printing service, ensuring that you check the paper sizes are compatible with their machines.

If you're feeling more hands-on, you can print your wedding invitations yourself at home or use a printing shop. Platforms like Etsy offer customisable templates that you can personalise and then print yourself. This option gives you more freedom to choose your own paper and add DIY touches like stamps or handwritten signatures.

When designing the layout of your stationery, consider using a program like Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Canva, or Adobe Illustrator for the best quality. You can also use Microsoft Word or Canva to create simple text-based invitations or inserts with coordinating fonts.

Remember to always proofread your text before printing, and consider enlisting others to help check for any mistakes.

Adding decorations

Gold Foil Details

Gold foil is an inexpensive way to add elegance and luxury to your wedding invitations. You can add gold foil anywhere on the invitation, such as the border or the insert card. The beauty of gold foil is that it looks best when it's sparse and scattered, so you don't have to worry about making them all look identical.

Watercolour Backgrounds

If you're artistic, consider using watercolours to paint the background of your invitations. Each invitation will be unique, and as long as you use similar colours and placement, they will look amazing as a set.

Painting on Textured Paper

Printing, drawing, writing, or painting your invitations on textured paper will give them a handmade feel and make them stand out. You can use watercolours to paint greenery or simply handwrite your invites on textured paper.

Floral Wax Seals

Using dried blooms or botanical leaves to adorn your wax seals is a creative way to decorate your envelopes. These seals have stickers on the back, making them easy to use. You can also personalise your wax seals with your initials, either by using real wax and a rubber stamp or ordering stickers.

Vellum Invitation Jackets

Vellum cases are a great way to make your homemade wedding invitations look professional and elegant. These translucent jackets come pre-folded, saving you time and effort.

Lace Detail

Adding lace detail to your invitations is a unique way to incorporate texture and elegance. You can use Modpodge to attach the lace to your invitations and RSVP cards, and then secure it with hot glue.

Leafing

Leafing is a beautiful way to add shine and elegance to your invitations. You can use copper, gold, or silver leafing and leafing adhesive to create this effect.

String or Ribbon

Adding a simple piece of string or ribbon to your invitations can give them a rustic, handmade touch. You can use hessian string or ribbon that matches your wedding colours.

Real Flowers

Including real dried flowers or fresh flowers in your invitations is a lovely way to tease your wedding colour scheme or include flowers you plan to use on the big day.

Assembling the invites

Once you have all your wedding stationery supplies, it's time to assemble the invites. This is the fun part where you get to see your hard work come together. Here's a step-by-step guide to assembling your handmade wedding invites:

Step 1: Prepare the Inserts

If you have additional inserts with details and directions, reception information, or registry cards, prepare these first. You can design these yourself using a simple Word document or Canva and print them out. Alternatively, you can send your guests to your wedding website for all the extra details instead of including paper inserts.

Step 2: Assemble the Layers

Start by placing your invitation on top of the copper paper. Secure it with double-sided tape. Then, glue the invitation and copper paper combo onto the chipboard backing. Repeat this process for the RSVP card. Remember to allow some wiggle room when sizing the layers to ensure they fit comfortably in the envelope.

Step 3: Add Embellishments

Now it's time to add those special touches that will elevate your invites. You can add a lace detail by gluing some lace onto the back of the chipboard. You can also add a wax seal, either with your initials or a floral design, for a luxurious finish. Don't forget to include any dried flowers or botanical leaves you want to include with your invites.

Step 4: Secure with a Band

To keep all the pieces of your invitation suite together, add a vellum jacket or a belly band. You can make your own belly band by measuring and cutting vellum sheets to size, then stamping or printing a design on them. Wrap the band around the invite and secure it with glue or string.

Step 5: Insert into Envelopes

Carefully insert your assembled invitation suite into the envelopes. If you have multiple envelopes, such as an outer and inner envelope, place the inner envelope inside the outer one. Don't forget to include the RSVP card inside the RSVP envelope for your guests' convenience.

Step 6: Final Touches

Add the finishing touches to your invites by applying your wax seal and any vintage stamps you may have. You can also hand-cancel your envelopes at the post office to ensure they don't go through a machine and get damaged. Now, your handmade wedding invites are ready to be sent out!

Frequently asked questions