DIY Halloween Party Invitations (For the non-scrapbooking, non-paper crafting types out there.)

We host a Halloween Party every year, and one of the things I really enjoy doing is making the invitations. (Here are the invitations I made last year. Super easy.) While I did do a “Save the Date” over Facebook at the beginning of the month, I think there’s just something special about getting an actual invitation in the mail. Even if it’s just one item in a the middle of a dozen bills and junk mail pieces, at least it’s a fun item, right?

These are the ones I made this year:

I am not a scrap-booker, or a particularly talented paper crafts person. However, I can measure, I can cut a straight line, and I have double sided tape and ribbons. I am good to go, and so are you.

Here are the supplies needed for basic construction. Makes 20 invitations.
(Of course you can substitute your own color scheme, patterns, etc. The colors listed are for your shopping list/measuring purposes, m-kay?)

10 pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock in a silvery gray
10 pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock in a black & white pattern
5 pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock in orange
8 to 12 pieces of letter size white cardstock
transparent tape
double sided tape
glue stick
spool of 3/8 inch black grosgrain ribbon

To dress it up a bit, you can use whatever you like and do whatever you want.

Embellishments:

spool of 1& 1/2 inch black satin ribbon
black and white stamp pads
chandelier stamp
electronic cutting machine or decorative edge scissors
foil stickers

Start by cutting all of your gray cardstock in half. You should have 20 pieces, measuring 6 x 12.

Next, (if you’re using ribbon on the front of the invitation) cut a length of ribbon that is about 7″ long.

You’re going to start by taping one end to the “inside” of the card, an inch or two from one of the ends. Wrap it around the front of the card so and tape it to the the other side. (I run a little bit of the glue stick across the front to keep the ribbon from sliding.)

Once the ribbon is in place, it’s time for the inner, patterned piece of paper. Cut off a 3″ strip and set aside. Take the 12″ side of the 9 x 12 piece and measure 5 1/2 inches over and cut. You should have 2 pieces that are 5 1/2 x 9. Set the scraps aside for another project. (Or if you’re me, hoard eleventy billion little scraps of paper and never do anything with them, but steadfastly refuse to throw them out.)

Put a little piece of double sided tape in the top two corners of the patterned paper, then run glue stick over the rest of the paper. Lay it on the “inside of your invitation, making sure to cover your taped edges of ribbon. (Because no one wants to see that.)

I cut a patterned edge at the bottom of the card. If you don’t want to, that’s OK, or if you don’t have a decorative paper punch you can use decorative edged scissors. Whatever you want.

This is also the point where you are going to fold the card. From the top, measure 5″ down and create a fold. Then fold the bottom 2″ (with the decorative edge) up.

Make sure you make a nice, crisp crease.

To create the “pocket” for the invitation, you’re just going to tape a ribbon around it.

Start with double stick tape right in the middle. Cut a length of ribbon that’s about 12″ long. Place one end of the ribbon on the tape, wrap it around the back of the card and adhere the other end to the front. Add a piece of regular tape over the top to make sure it’s nice and secure.

Add your little embellishment over it to hide the seam, then put your invitation (and RSVP card) into the pocket.

To make both the little orange embellishments that went on the inside, and the larger gray embellishment on the front of the card, I used my Cricut machine. (This was from the Classic Font Cartridge, 1.75 and 2.5 inches, respectively.)

The front shape was stamped with chandelier shaped stamp, first with a white ink, then black ink slightly off-set right over it. I put brads through the holes on the front, and didn’t worry about the tiny holes on the smaller shape inside.

As far as the actual invitation inside, the orange cardstock was cut into 5 1/4 x 4 3/4 inch pieces. I printed the information on white cardstock and then cut it out so that it was slightly smaller than the orange piece. I distressed the edges of both pieces with black ink from the inkpad, then I used the glue stick to adhere the white invitation to the orange piece. Done.

By the way, don’t be like me and forget to put any RSVP or contact info on the invitation. If that happens, you are going to have to print up a separate piece and tuck that into the pocket too and pretend that you meant to do it that way.

I’m pretty happy with how they turned out.

By the way, you might be thinking it’s kind of weird that I have chandeliers on my Halloween invitations. I am more of a eerie/Poe kind of Halloween person than a gory Halloween person. I am envisioning a party with chandeliers and candles everywhere and kind of spooky and Victorian/Gothic. That’s why chandeliers…

(Also? It’s my party and I’ll do whatever I want.)

about Vivienne Wagner

Comments

Hi I'm Shannon! says

September 28, 2012 at 8:51 PM

Those are just gorgeous! Love the chandy, reminds my of the Haunted Mansion. I’m sure your party will be fabulous!!

lisbonlioness says

September 30, 2012 at 3:57 PM

Just from how you describe your Hallowe’en personality type (and yeah, I totally think that should be an online multiple choice test!!) I’d LOVE to party with you on October 31st! Nailed it… chandeliers, top hats, Nevermore and creaky floor boards. That’s all I need!
Love your cards, they are classy and elegant. One of my future purchases (after the sudden, unexpected windfall that I just know must happen one day) is a full kit of scrapbooking materials. I love digiscrapping, but something to stick into an envelope and mail to loved ones via snail mail would be fantastic!