Handmade Party Invitations: Design Your Own With This Secret Tip

Receiving handmade party invitations is just as exciting for little ones as it is for grown-ups. When we receive a wedding invitation in the mail with its beautiful layers of paper and decorative ribbons and buckles, we know how romantic and elegant that wedding will be. For children the feelings are the same; a fun and interactive invitation that sets the mood for the party and builds excitement for the big day ahead.

Of course, making your invitations by hand takes a bit of effort, but as with many things, the gift is also in the giving. It can take some time to put together such special invitations, but the beaming smile on your child’s face when he or she hands them over to their grateful and utterly impressed little friends is worth every sticky, sticky moment.

So what’s the secret to designing your own handmade party invitations? The answer is simple, let yourself be inspired by nature and the theme of the party.

I once had the pleasure of hosting a fairy party for an 8-year-old girl whose mother is just as inspired by fairies as I am. We came up with some wonderful ways to create a fairy valley atmosphere in her home and naturally I wanted her invitations to reflect that theme and really create a sense of enchantment. The possible ways to say enchant with fairy parties are many, but since it was autumn, the idea that came to mind seemed obvious. Beautiful leaves abound at that time of year, so after collecting the right ones from a nearby park, it was simply a case of writing the invitation on the leaf with a fountain pen in tiny fairy writing. The effect was certainly charming.

Collecting items to use for handmade party invitations is not only unique and creative, but also completely free. Large shells work wonderfully for a beach or mermaid party and can be easily painted or simply written on with a marker pen. Strips of bark or tropical green leaves are perfect for a jungle party, even a coconut, while not free unless you live in a tropical climate, can be used to contain an invitation to a tropical luau.

One of the most fun invitation activities I’ve ever embarked on with my own daughter was creating something unique for a beach party. We had already made a message in a bottle for her Pirate Party the year before, and used a variety of shells for a huge Hawaiian Luau for my husband’s 40th birthday, so I wanted to try something new. The idea came to me while we were at the beach and watching the children write messages in the sand. Bingo! We collect a variety of beach treasures, shells, grass, driftwood, and frosted glass. We then wrote our invitation in the sand, spread the results of our artistic beachcombing efforts around the message, and simply photographed it. The result was charming. The photos were printed at home on the computer and then the rest of the invitation details were printed on nice card stock and glued to the back.

So the next time you throw a party, think about it for a moment. Sure you could send out the usual paper invitations, and there really are some beautiful ones on the market today, but why not try making your own? Let nature be your guide, the cost is negligible, but the fun will be Having collecting and building the invitations with your child will be a memory that will last forever.