Diy Wedding Invites: Crafting Your Own At Home

Planning a wedding can be an expensive and stressful time, so it's no surprise that many couples are choosing to make their own wedding invitations at home. In this guide, we'll take you through the steps to create beautiful, budget-friendly invitations that will set the tone for your big day. From choosing the right paper and printing options to adding personal touches, we'll help you navigate the DIY route with ease. So, get ready to roll up your sleeves and let's dive into the world of wedding invitation design!

Design: Choose a romantic font and consider your wedding location and colour scheme when designing your invitations

When designing your wedding invitations, it's important to choose a font and colour scheme that reflect your wedding location and theme.

Font

Cursive or calligraphy fonts are excellent choices for wedding invites, as they are soft, romantic, and elegant. They pair well with a serif font for the rest of the text in the invitation. Some examples of font pairings are:

• Great Vibes + Montserrat
• Playfair Display + Montserrat Light
• Josefina + Times New Roman
• Montserrat + Hammersmith One
• Bodoni + Josefin Sans
• Playfair Display + Arialle
• Pacifico + Open Sans
• Pinyon Script + Forum
• Neutraface 2 Text Light + script font
• Palatino Linotype
• Stylish Calligraphy
• Wanderlust Letters
• Carried Away (Ballerina Script)
• Catherine de Beaumont
• Darleston
• Didot
• Lato
• Modesty Regular
• Mr. Dafoe + Anonymous Pro
• Pinyon Script + Josefin Sans
• Vast Shadow + Roboto Condensed
• Champagne and Limousines + Libre Baskerville
• Minna Drop + Kollektif
• Nickainley + Quicksand
• Sophia

Colour Scheme

Your colour scheme will have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of your wedding invitation. When deciding on a colour scheme, consider your wedding location and theme. For example, if you're getting married in a church, you might opt for a more traditional, romantic aesthetic, with colours like peach, pear, rose, and ivory. If you're tying the knot in a country or farm setting, a rustic and natural look might be more appropriate, with colours like green, rust, gold, or brown.

Other popular colour combinations for wedding invitations include:

• Pink with purple
• Blue with white
• Gold with anything!
• Green with rust or gold
• Pink and blue
• Deep red with analogous tones and deep green accents
• Yellow, deep green, and light taupe
• Coral and pastel blue
• Gold and olive
• Charcoal with pink and red roses
• Gold and dark blue

Printing: Opt for a high-quality printer and buy ink in bulk to save money

Printing your wedding invitations at home is a great way to save money, but it can be time-consuming. To make the process as smooth as possible, opt for a high-quality printer and buy ink in bulk.

The Canon Pixma TR8620 All-in-one Printer is a great choice for printing wedding invitations. It can print excellent graphics, texts, and photos, and its LCD screen makes it easy to navigate the menu. This printer can also handle various cardboard materials and print any design of your choice. The quality is impressive, with sharp details and rich colours, and it can print quickly at 9.2 pages per minute in black or 3.2 pages per minute in colour. It's also budget-friendly and convenient for home use.

Another option is the Epson EcoTank ET-2750, which offers cartridge-free printing with easy-to-fill ink tanks, including two years of ink in the box. This printer is cost-effective and can print up to 5,200 pages, making it ideal for large weddings or other events.

When it comes to ink, consider signing up for an ink subscription service like HP Instant Ink. This service delivers ink when you need it for up to 50% less than the cost of buying cartridges. You pay a low monthly fee based on how often you print, and unused pages roll over. You can also cancel at any time.

Alternatively, if you have a Canon Pixma printer, the Pixma Print Plan subscription can save you time and money. This subscription starts at $3.99 per month, and you can choose the "pay as you print" plan or the monthly plan. Ink is automatically sent to your house when you are low, and shipping is free.

By choosing a high-quality printer and buying ink in bulk, you can save money and ensure that your wedding invitations look impressive.

Paper: Pick a cardstock that suits your design and consider buying a kit with envelopes

When it comes to making your own wedding invitations, the paper you choose is an important consideration. The type of cardstock you select will depend on your design, your printer, and your budget.

First, you'll want to select a cardstock that suits your design. If you're going for a traditional look, a solid white cardstock is a popular choice. Linen cardstock, which has a delicate woven texture, can add a bit of visual interest to a simple invitation. Cotton cardstock is smooth and absorbent, making it suitable for both laser and inkjet printing. Parchment paper has a thin, semi-translucent appearance with a slight marbled effect, making it a unique choice for spring or small weddings. Felt cardstock has a texture that falls somewhere between cotton and canvas and gives invitations a sophisticated look. Kraft cardstock, also known as recycled cardstock, has a rustic appearance and a textured, fibrous look, perfect for vintage-themed weddings.

The weight of the cardstock is another important factor. Cardstock weight is measured in pounds, with a higher number indicating a thicker cardstock. For home printers, 80-90# cardstock is ideal as it can easily feed through most desktop printers. 100# cardstock can also work for some home printers, giving your invitations a more professional appearance. If you're looking for the heaviest weight you can print yourself, opt for 110-130# cardstock, but keep in mind that you may need to use an industrial printer. Anything above 150# is best left to professional printers.

In addition to weight, the finish of the cardstock can also enhance the look of your invitations. A cardstock with a bit of texture, such as linen or felt, can give your invitations a luxurious feel. If you're printing at home, textured cardstock can also help hide imperfections or quality issues.

When selecting your cardstock, it's important to consider the limitations of your printer. Desktop printers often have restrictions on the thickness of paper they can handle, so be sure to review your printer's instructions and do a test print. Start with a lower weight cardstock and gradually increase the weight until you encounter issues like smudging or jamming.

If you're looking for convenience, consider purchasing a kit that includes envelopes along with the cardstock. This ensures that your envelopes will match the size and style of your invitations.

Envelopes: Choose envelopes that fit your theme and consider adding a wax seal

When it comes to envelopes, you'll want to choose ones that fit your wedding's overall theme and aesthetic. They should complement your invitations and add to the style of your special day.

If you're going for a traditional or vintage aesthetic, consider adding a wax seal to the envelope. Wax seals have been used for centuries to secure envelopes and other important papers. Today, they are purely ornamental but can be a great way to evoke a regal, old-world feel. You can use a traditional method of melting wax and pressing an engraved metal stamp into it, or opt for self-adhesive wax seals, which are easier to use and can be customised with your initials or another personal detail.

If you decide to use wax seals, be aware that they may require additional postage costs as they can make your invitations too thick to be processed by machines. You can also use outer envelopes to protect the seals before mailing.

When choosing envelopes, consider the colour of the paper and the colour of the ink used for the addresses. The postal machines are fine with almost any colour, but they don't like red or white writing. Darker-coloured inks on light-coloured envelopes are the best option.

Assembly: Use a paper cutter for clean cuts and delegate this task to someone else if possible

Assembly: Using a Paper Cutter for Clean Cuts

Using a Paper Cutter

The quickest way to get clean cuts for your invitations at home is to use a paper cutter. This will give you straight, clean edges that are difficult to achieve with manual scissors. If you don't already have one, you can find paper cutters in various models, including manual, automatic, high or low capacity, and stationery or mobile. Choose a paper cutter that suits your needs, space, and budget. Make sure it can accommodate the type of paper you are using, such as thin paper or cardstock.

Safety First

Paper cutters can be dangerous, so it is important to follow safety precautions. Always place the paper cutter on a level flat surface before cutting and keep hands, fingers, and clothing clear of the cutter blade. Ensure that the safety mechanism is in place when the paper cutter is not in use. For example, economy and arm cutters usually have a safety latch that keeps the blade in a down position.

Cutting the Paper

Place the paper on the cutting base, following the measurement guides provided. Do not put more paper than the maximum number allowed on the cutter to ensure a clean cut without rough edges.

If you have a manual cutter, use the blade to cut the paper by bringing the arm down or maneuvering the blade. If you have an automatic cutter, the machine will maneuver the blade for you.

Slowly bring the blade down, ensuring your hands are out of the way. After cutting, use the blade latch to secure the blade and prevent it from moving.

Delegate the Task

Consider delegating this task to someone else if possible. Cutting paper can be time-consuming, and it's always helpful to have an extra pair of hands. Ask a bridesmaid or a crafty friend to help with the assembly process.

Frequently asked questions