Weddingbee Blog

Source: Urban Couture Collection Pack (Basic Grey) twopeasinabucket

I first fell into arts and crafts thanks to paper. I’d walk into an art store and get emotional looking at all the different colors, textures and prints. Because of my love for paper, I started to find ways to justify paying .50 for a sheet of 12×12 paper! .50 isn’t much but when you start collecting stacks of it, the cost sure adds up. Luckily I’ve found many ways to use my beloved!

For those brides out there who are doing DIY invitations, here are some my tips:

Carl Paper Trimmer from Staples

Xyron 510 sticker maker

1. Buy bulk cardstock and cut it yourself with a paper trimmer (I bought mine for $35 and it’s been with me for the last 4 years in very good condition). Depending on the quantity of invites and the complexity of the card you’re making, perhaps it’s not worth the stress to cut each card out. (But for me, it’s really easy so why pay the extra money?) The Xyron machine above is basically a sticker making machine. You put your paper in and out comes a sticker. Pretty neat. The cartridges are expensive though and rarely go on sale. I usually wait for 50% coupons and buy it at Michaels.

2. Instead of buying pre-made RSVP cards, make your own. Using 8 1/2 by 11 cardstock, type up the RSVP and try to fit as many as you can on that page. I like using Microsoft Office Publisher for this purpose. Once it’s printed, I just use my paper trimmer to cut out each RSVP.

3. The same goes for place cards too.

4. For those that don’t have much experience with buying paper, don’t limit yourself to the invitation aisles. Check out the scrapbooking section. There’s so much out there nowadays. Fantastic colors, prints and good quality paper that’s acid free and lignin free (which means that your paper won’t turn yellow or disintegrate over time)

Source: Joann’s

5. My last tip is to make your own guest book. I plan on buying an archival scrapbook (see above) and randomly placing photos of us in there, leaving plenty of space for guests to write in their wishes and thoughts. I’m going to mat the photos onto decorative paper that I’m going to use throughout my wedding (ie. invitations & favors). I’m loving the new Basic Grey’s pictured above. Perfect for a garden themed wedding.

Hope this helps. If you are artistic, even a little, try doing your own invites. I’d love to receive a handmade card over a professionally made one any day.