May 11, 2016 – The Frugal Crafter Blog

Hi friends! I have been very inspired to create wedding projects this spring because I have a couple of friends getting married! I think many young people are first introduced to DIY while planning their wedding as either a way to save money or inject their personal style on their special day. Todays project will help you do both. This tutorial is created with a beginner in mind so my apologies if it moves a bit slower but I am hoping it will make it helpful to any beginners. Also since this project is great to batch out you can use the same design for Christmas cards or anytime you need a bunch of cards.

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The supplies you need for this project are simple and inexpensive so I urge you to seek out quality items because it will make the cards feel really luxurious. The cardstock I am using is 110# Recollections cardstock from Michael’s, a ream of 100 sheets is about $13, that will yield enough cardstock for 150 cards with embossed panels with extra. You could get 50 reply postcards from the extra if there were no mistakes. Please note that all 110# cardstock is not the same, the Georgia Pacific 110# is much flimsier. For a wedding get the good stuff and at a big box store you can use a coupon. The other splurge is the embellishments but they are surprisingly affordable too. The buckles I am using are less than a dollar from Totally Dazzled and if you use the coupon code FRUGALCRAFTER you can save an extra 10% bringing the cost of your DIY wedding invitations to about a buck a piece. Don’t wait, the coupon code is only good through June 15th, 2016! To buy a custom invitation with layers, embossing, vellum and embellishments like this would cost $5 each or more! I’d rather spend that money on a honeymoon!

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Don’t be overwhelmed, watch the video to see how easy these are to make and glean some helpful tips!

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

Rhinestone slides, buckles & charms (Totally Dazzled)
Heavyweight white cardstock (110# Recollections brand)
Embossing folders and die cut machine (or purchase embossed cardstock)
Ribbon, lace and assorted trims
Foam adhesive and double stick tape
Vellum (A pack of 50 ink jet vellum is $10 at a craft/office supply store)
Brads
Ink and patterned paper (optional)
Corner dies or punches (optional)

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Directions:
1. For each gate fold card you will need a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of cardstock. Score and fold 2 1/8″ from each side to create the base.

2. Trim embossed cardstock to 5 1/4″ x 1 3/4″ and adhere to each panel with foam tape.

3. Print wedding invitation words on vellum and attach to inside of the card with brads. Tip: attach to patterned paper and glue the paper in the card.

4. Add a rhinestone buckle on a length of ribbon, wrap around card and tie with a bow.

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Tips!

You CAN print on vellum with an ink jet printer, just give it a few minutes to dry before using.
Batch it up! Do all of the card base folding in one sitting, emboss all the panels in one sitting, do all the glueing at once. You want to do this assembly like style to make it quick and easy. Gather those bridesmaids and groomsmen and put them to work. (pay them with beer and pizza, just keep the food away from the invites LOL!)
Don’t worry about “rules” this is YOUR day, use the colors and motifs you like, nowadays anything goes! One of the prettiest wedding color schemes I have seen was my nieces Sarah’s wedding and it was green, black and orange, it was stunning!
Don’t go crazy if this is your first time crafting. Stacking ribbon and inking embossed panels can look great but every additional step can add a lot of time when making a big batch of cards. If you don’t think you will do a lot of crafting after the wedding opt for pre-embossed paper or a pattern paper you like instead of investing in a die cut machine and embossing folders. Better yet, see if you have a crafty friend who has a die cut machine you can borrow!

You’ve got this! Start early and don’t let it become stressful, if you are not already a crafter it may lead you down the road to a wonderful new hobby and if not at least you can say “I did it myself!” and that is an awesome feeling! Congratulations on your special day and til next time happy crafting!