Making your own wedding stationery is a creative approach that lets you design something to suit your day perfectly. Receiving an invitation that has been handmade by the bride and groom also feels extremely special. It’s a wonderful gesture, and the card can become a keepsake of the day. Do have a good think about it first, though ‐‐ it’s a time‐consuming process, so can either become an enjoyable part of your wedding preparation, or a major regret.
Above, left to right: Confetti’s Fleur de Lys Gatefold Invitation DIY Kit in Vintage Pink and Pearl and Navy and Pearl
Is DIY stationery right for you?
If you’re thinking about making your own stationery, the first thing to do is to be realistic about how much you’d like to make, and how much time you have. If you’re having a relatively small wedding and have plenty of time, creating your own could be an excellent idea. If, however, you’re inviting hundreds of guests and only have two months before your big day, you’ll be better off sticking with a personalised range. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make other items of stationery. Don’t forget that as well as invitations, you might need place name cards, order of service sheets, menus, seating plans and thank‐you cards. Table names and menus are a simple way of having some artistic input without too much work, as you’ll probably only need to make 10 to 15 in total. Place cards can also be a simple way of being creative. See the Confetti DIY wedding stationery pages for everything you need.
The benefits of creating your own stationery
- Perfect if you want to use your creativity and artistic skills to create completely unique designs
- Getting creative is fun. Evenings spent with bridesmaids making cards can be a highlight of wedding planning
- You’ll have the chance to create an unusual design or wording format that you might not find in a personalised stationery range
- DIY stationery tends to be less expensive
Above: Confetti’s Heart Tree DIY Invitation Kit and Elegant Heart DIY Invitation Kit
Get creative
Have a practice run and see how long it takes you to make something. The key thing to remember is that you don’t need to make each and every item of stationery ‐ just one type is fine. It’s also important to assess your creativity. If you’re an artistic person, you might decide to try something relatively challenging. If the last piece of artwork you created was at primary school, now’s not the time to try your hand at the most complicated design you can think of. Simplicity is the key. Once you’ve decided what you’re going to create, start practicing and creating as soon as you can. The more time you give yourself, the more you’ll enjoy it. And remember, you can always rope in your bridesmaids for a fun night in making stationery with the girls.
Top tips for DIY stationery
- Give yourself plenty of time ‐‐ the more time you have, the more you’ll enjoy being creative without feeling too pressured.
- Have a look at wedding stationery offered online and on the high street to give you some ideas and inspiration.
- Choose your colours and plan your design, taking into account the style of your wedding. If, for example, your dress is decorated with beading, you might use a bead style trim on your stationery. If your cake is adorned with feathers, you could incorporate feathers into the design.
- When you have an idea for the design, make up a few different samples. This ‘testing’ session is crucial ‐‐ you can see exactly how the finished products will look and whether you enjoy making them before you buy enough for your entire wedding party. You’ll also know exactly what you need to put on your shopping list.
- Before you even think about going shopping, make a detailed list of what you need. You don’t want to waste money by buying too much, but you also want to make sure you have enough (allowing for a few mistakes along the way). Paper, glue, glue dots, trims, ribbon, envelopes, pens, place cards, ribbon and card might all be on your list.
- Create a ‘makes’ area at home and get organised. You need to give yourself plenty of room and have a working system. If possible, choose an area where you can leave your stationery out and don’t have to pack everything away every time you finish.
- Try and find some willing helpers (such as the groom, bridesmaids, family and friends) and don’t be precious about doing everything yourself.
- Make sure your guests know the time and effort you’ve put into making the stationery ‐‐ a handmade invitation or place card by the bride herself is something they’ll treasure, so write ‘made by …’ on the back.
- Consider making a special design for the members of your wedding party.
- Be sure to make an extra set to keep for yourself to put in your wedding photo album or scrapbook.
Above: Personalised Wedding Fans
Create your cards with confetti
Confetti’s creative options give you two choices ‐‐ you can either use special occasion cards with inserts or start from scratch with blank cards and trims. View our full range of cards and trims at the Confetti shop.
Special occasion cards and inserts
- Simply choose the jacket and inserts. You’ll find similar designs to those offered in the personalised ranges
- Cards are available in packs of 10
- They are the perfect choice if you’re on a budget. 20 ‘Love Heart’ invitations with inserts will cost just £27.96 while the same design personalised is £80 for 20.
- If you’re planning an occasion other than a wedding, opt for blank inserts that you can print through your PC
- While these are easy to put together, you will need to allow a little time to fill in the inserts
- View our full range of special occasion cards and inserts.
Above, clockwise from top left: Eco Chic Wedding Reception Place Cards | Eco Chic Invitation Inserts | Pearl Damask Pocket Wallet Invitation Kit | Navy and Pearl Fleur de Lys Gatefold Invitation Kit
Blank cards and trims
- Either create your own design using your choice of trims and blank cards, or use a kit to create a pre‐set design
- Allow plenty of time and be realistic about your designs and how long you have to create them.
- Depending on your design, this is probably the least expensive way to create your stationery. A basic design with card toppers and tabs will cost just over £1 per card
- Always buy extra ‘ingredients’ to allow for any mishaps and in case you need to make any extras. You might also like to save a couple for your wedding scrapbook.
- View our full range of blank cards, card toppers, tabs and trims.
Find all manners of wedding stationery in the Confetti shop as well as countless items and inspiration for your wedding!
And you can discuss this topic and more with hundreds of brides in the Confetti forums!
