SAVE on your wedding stationery with
DIY wedding invitations
We show you how

It's not hard to make your own DIY wedding invitations.

Just follow our tips:

• First decide on your colour scheme and materials.

  Pop along to your local art shop and take a look at the types of paper available or better still a cheap stationery shop where you can buy fancy paper in cost saving multi packs.

• Choose a nice quality card for the outer and smarten it up by laying an insert in transparent paper inside, maybe something with a texture to it for added style.

• Choose your size of paper wisely. A4 is a common size but you will need bigger envelopes (A5 to fit a half A4 card inside). A good idea is to cut your A4 sheets in half - get this done at the stationers for a clean edge with a guillotine! And then you only need to buy small envelopes:)

• Artwork is a snip if you cheat a little!

  Use a PC with a word processor to find a FONT you like and print the wording onto your card in a slightly lighter shade of colour than the card (if your card is white, then use a very pale shade of grey).

  You can then use a smart silver/gold (or any color you like) pen to draw over the lettering.
  Voila! - professional calligraphy in minutes, if that's the style of writing you want!

• And now for the artwork!

  Take a simple shape like a square, heart or circle and cut it out to make a simple paper template.

  Tip The word processor on your PC will have simple shapes built in - insert one onto a sheet of paper, resize and print it out!)

  Place this onto your chosen fabric/coloured card/voile etc and create a collage.

  Add coloured thread, maybe some additional voile and bind your card together with metallic thread for a stylish designer feel. Use glue spot to stick it all together!

• Play around a little until you find the right design and feel.

  Browse through wedding mags to get inspiration or to see what's currently in fashion, then leave it a few days before asking friends/relatives to comment.

• Make any changes to your "prototype invitation" then make a final sample that you are completely happy with.

• Next comes the production line! If you have a lot of invites to prepare, don't do it alone unless you have a LOT of time on your hands. Instead, have a party, start a conveyor belt system and give everyone a task.

  Just make sure you do the work before you have too many drinks and food is a definite "no no" until every invitation is finished!

Tip: DIY not for you? Another cheap option is to use a graphics package to print your own invites - see the related pages links below OR simply order affordable wedding invitations online.