If you recall my invitation formatting post, construction is where I had the most trouble. We ended up picking something pretty similar to this:
(Invitation via Oh So Beautiful Paper / by Christa Alexandra)
…using inspiration from these as well:
(Invitations via Ritzy Bee Blog / by Timeless Paper)
…but with a little twist:
For the belly band, we watercolored some large pieces of watercolor paper with our accent color:
We were pretty haphazard with the style, since we were going to punch it anyway. I bought this Martha Stewart punch (with a 50% off coupon from Michaels!):
(Image via Amazon)
This thing was the bane of my existence. We started out with really heavy weight paper—it was painful just to press down the punch once. I think we must have gotten a dud because even when we switched to lighter watercolor paper, the paper kept catching in the punch and blahdy blahdy blah—it took forever.
Pretty though, right?
The green watercolored bit is actually a die-cut my mom already had. We watercolored the green and then punched out a bunch of those using her Sizzix machine—basically a home version of those big die cut machines your elementary school teachers have. It ended up playing nicely as a flap and an easy way to incorporate watercolor. When I get to the inside, you’ll see it mirrors the invitation design too.
Next…the inside and the final Gray Wolf invitation reveal!
All photos personal unless otherwise noted.
Apparently, you can sharpen a dull puncher by punching into Aluminum foil a few times. I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently it really works 
These look great so far– can’t wait to see the inside!
@Miss Care Bear: ah yeah we tried that! wax paper supposedly works too, but i think we kinda ruined the punch by trying it on such thick paper.
@Almost Mrs.P: thank you!
Can’t wait to see the whole thing! These look amazing so far.
your invitations are such a labor of love. so pretty. I can’t wait to see the inside! I’m so excited!
Love the watercolor, the color scheme, the lined envelopes… all of it.
I really like the watercolor effect, and that belly band is too cute I kind of want that punch.
I think it’s just that those punches don’t work very well. I tried on for our escord cards and wanted it to go through two sheet of paper, which would up being impossible. Although I changed up the way I used it and figured out how to make it work.
You should have your invitation handpainted on a wine box or memory chest. When my husband gets a wedding invitation from someone, he recreates it onto a wine box or memory chest. It’s a great memorabilia for their wedding. He is creating a really intricate one with chandeliers this next month.
Mrs. Gray Wolf, Washington DC Age and Occupation: 26, Business Development Executive Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Research Scientist Engagement Date: November 11, 2011 Wedding Date: February 2013 Venue: Whittemore House About Me: I'm an ultra-organized, pun-loving, list-making, cheese-enthusiast bride-to-be. Although my day job is in cubicle land, I'm happiest in the modern art wing of a museum, having recently earned my Masters in Museum Studies. Shortly after a chance meeting five years ago, I moved in with Wolfman and haven't looked back since. We love music, movies, TV, and all things pop culture; we have an unspoken competition to be the first to share the latest YouTube sensation or indie song. Together, we've filled quite a few pages in our passports, but also love quiet nights in with a Game of Thrones marathon and our French Bulldog, Tonks (Harry Potter, anyone?). I'm planning a small, cozy winter wedding---think mercury glass and candle light---in the heart of DC. Our venue is a historic home with a lot of political charm, but needs a bit of work to be wedding-ready.
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