How To Create Your Own Party Invitations

Party-givers have access to a tremendous selection of free party invitations in this Internet age. No matter the occasion, there are free invitation images you can download and print on your printer. There are, of course, plenty of the more mainstream variety, such as printable anniversary invitations. But there are also many free printable invitations that are available for very specific party types and a variety of holidays. For example, there are tea party invitations and many others.

Do-it-yourself invites are usually fairly easy to prepare if you know how to use a word processing program, such as Open Office or MS Word; or a publishing program, such as The Print Shop Professional or PagePlus. Simply place the invitation graphic into the program, scale it to the size you want and print it. But as simple as that is, you should to be aware of some key elements when making the invitations. The following advice will help you understand those subtle elements and allow you to get the most value out of invitation art:

• When using word processing software program, use tables or text boxes to get two or more invitations on the page. This will save you a lot of time — and card stock. (You’ll probably find that using a table is the easier way to go. If you’re not proficient with tables or text boxes, check your word processing software’s help materials.) Be sure to match up one or more edge of the invitation art to the other, so you can eliminate one cut.

• When cutting the invitations, using a paper cutter is your best bet. If you don’t have one, you can pay someone to cut them at a print shop, copy center or office supply store that offers that service. If you don’t have use of a paper cutter at all, the next best method is to use an ruler, X-acto knife and some kind of board that hopefully will protect your tabletop from cuts. And if all else fails, you can use scissors. If you decide to go that route, draw light lines with a pencil beforehand, so you’ll see where you should cut. If you know you can’t cut straight, try using patterned scissors that will hide any cutting imperfections.

• Once your invitations are cut, you might want to take the extra step of enhancing them. You’ll find a vast array of suitable decorations at your neighborhood craft store. These include die cut paper embellishments, silk flowers, rhinestones and many other surprising elements you may have never even seen before. Glitter glue or dimensional paint can also be used to make the invitations truly your own. Be careful with this, however, because less is truly more when using embellishments. Use the glue or paint sparingly. Make sure to have extra invitations printed, so you can try it out until you get the best look.

I hope these suggestions help you get the most out of any free printable invitations you plan to make. Have fun making them!