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I thought I would show you some great things you can use for invitation DIY. I know that for many people it’s difficult because you don’t have access to designing your own graphics for invitations, can’t afford custom invites (like me), or are just short on time. Here are some letterpress invitation sets from Target that are so beautiful and chic.
Wedding Invitation Kit with Ivory/Brown/Green Flowers
Green Flat-Panel Invitation Kit
Pink Peony Invitation Flat-Panel
Jean M. Tea-Length Invitations (Check out the other color combos too)
Baroque Flat Panel Invitation Kit
Jean M. Piper Pocket Invitations
Now, you may be like me and want to add that extra personal touch to everything, so that it is really “yours” and has the extra “wow” element. Have you ever seen Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade on the Food Network? She takes already prepared things and adds those extra ingredients to take a plain ready-made dish to something really delicious without too much cooking and chaos on your part. Here are a few ideas to do some semi-DIY invitations. You can take these simple invitation kits to another level.
You can add embellishments like simple belly bands by using some decorative matching paper cut in strips to wrap around the invitation. Use a square punch out with your monogram or date to attach to the center of the belly band strip.
Order cheap monogram stickers to put on that belly band or add them to the outer envelope.
Even a simple bow attached to the top of the invitation could be an extra personal touch.
Another great detail would be investing in a $10 corner rounder to give the invitations a more polished and custom look.
If you want to use different envelopes you can back the invitations in another color paper to pull together your colors. For example, the black filigree invitation would look great against some green paper to create that chic and modern color scheme of white and black damask with green details.
Take one of the more basic invitations (like the Jean M. Piper designs above) and use a rubber stamp with some metallic ink to stamp out a floral design or flourish. You could even get really fancy and emboss some images!
Look at these fun stamp images from Stampin’ Up!
Photos above from Target, myOWNinvitations blog, Create for Less, Renaissance Writings, With This Ring Blog, Stampin’ Up
What do you think? Have you taken the “Semi-Homemade” approach to any of your wedding planning details?
We bought the black filigree ones! We haven’t printed them yet or anything; hope they’re easy to do at home! Lol
I love the embossing idea! And ribbon belly bands add such a great pop of color!
What a great post, Duckling! I keep looking out for the Target invites to see if they come out with one that may fit my theme better. Occasionally you can even find them on sale.
We’re doing the green flat panel ones. The only part we are having trouble with is finding somewhat matching paper to print the directions and additional informaiton on. I love them anysways, and the quality is quite good.
We bought Wilson invitations online, and are adding some colored font for extra pizazz. I like the idea of adding a belly band!
Thanks for all the great ideas!!
Mr.D and I both agree we wish we had done the Target ones. Brides magazine has a great line at JoAnn’s (or Michael’s?)
Awesome post! I was just saying this weekend how I felt so lost for invitations and I really love the information you have given out. Thank you!
i like how target’s getting all faboulously chic as of late. it’s awesome!
@Miss D’orsay: it’s michael’s and some of them are super cute. plus even cheaper with the ubiquitous 40% off coupon!
The Brides Magazine invite line is at Michael’s, and lately they’ve had many styles 50% off ($15-$20 for 50 invites). I plan to make invitation liners and belly bands for my invitations. I made a sample the other day, and it was so simple!
Yeah, I’m thinking about ditching the total DIY for the semi-homemade approach! A $10,000 Wedding had the brilliant idea to stich embroidery floss/thread into her printed invites to give them more texture. http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/
Love it!
I wish I could find something semi-homemade that fits our style. I guess my fiance and I are just too weird and quirky. 
Invitations can be expensive, specially the pocketfold ones. I bought the cardstock, the pocketfold envelopes, and printed them at home with my own design. I must say, they came out very beautiful.
Yay DIY! I love the Target ones… AND I must say that I am addicted to Stampin’ Up! products!
Michael’s has a 40% off right now…
I posted it on my blog: http://engageology.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/michaels-coupon-40-off/
Also, when we registered with Target, we got a $5 off coupon for the Letter imPressed invitations (they’re really embossed, but nobody only a letterpress snob would know that, and honestly, if we weren’t letterpressing ours, I’d get the Letter imPress line!)
My invitations “as is” were plain white rectangle cards with black writing. FH and I lined the inner envelopes with a beautiful paper and added a wax seal.
Our invitations are from Michaels. They are the fern leaf ones (I don’t know the “model number”) but they are perfect. We bought them before we had our venue! Luckily our invitations match our venue (not that I’d have cared if they didn’t!).
I have suggested the Target invites to several brides. At first their reaction is no way. I am glad that you are bringing this to the attention of brides. Letterpress for way less…you can’t beat that.
Ha! We are using the Green-Flat Panel Invitation Kit from Target that you put above - 2nd from top to bottom.
We have the baroque ones, haven’t tried printing them yet, hopefully I will still like them. Thanks for the ideas, I wanted to jazz ours up a little and never even thought of your ideas, thanks so much!
awesome post! I keep seeing kits for invitations now - kits that didn’t exist when we were making ours. A kit would have been MUCH simpler, me thinks! 
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Mrs. Duckling, San Diego Age and Occupation: 23, Psychology Grad Student, Youth Diversion Specialist/Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee and an Executive Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Marketing and PR Coordinator Engagement Date: May 17, 2008 Wedding Date: September 2009 Venue: Rancho Bernardo Inn About Me: I'm currently living in Orange County, but planning our wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are a DIY wedding "2fer", as I'm the crafty one and Mr. Ducky is in charge of all of our graphic design and technical aspects. When not wedding planning or reading wedding blogs, I'm attending grad school and rotating between two different jobs to keep things exciting. My favorite things include shoes, Post-Its, Labrador Retrievers, traveling, psychology, delicious food, photography, reading, craft gadgets/supplies, and of course, my wonderful Mr. Ducky!
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