Today I want to tackle one small area of event planning, invitations. Sending out a unique invitation can be fun. It is often the guests first impression of what the party will be like. If you are like me, you think "Oh, that's cute," and then maybe hang it on the fridge for a week or two. Eventually though, it finds it's way into the garbage. For that reason alone, I don't like to spend much on an invitation.
Recently I helped my husband plan and host a dinner party event for a group of about 50. We didn't have a lot to work with budget wise so I went with simple. After searching the internet for an idea I headed to our local craft store and bought the necessities- a pack of cardstock, scrapbook paper, and double sided tape. It took me a few hours to put them together but I was pleasantly surprised with the finished product and even more thrilled to have saved well over double of what I would have spent on a pre-made invitation kit.
Currently, I find myself planning a graduation party for my husband who will be graduating with his Masters next week! I first checked out Walgreens and a few other places because I wanted to do a picture invite. Depending on what you are looking for, some of the most basic formats are about 65 cents per invitation print. Instead, I opted to upload a picture to a free online website called fotoflexer. This website had a lot ton of fun editing options including text boxes. After downloading the picture I wanted along with a few quick edits and added text, I saved it to my computer and sent it on it's way to Walgreens to be printed. I ended up spending 19 cents per invitation which is three times less than what I would have spent had I used the pre-made format.
So there you have it, my secrets on frugal invitation making. Happy party planning!
