Party Invitations

Use Invitations to share the special moments of our lives with family and friends. Whether you're celebrating a birthday or throwing a Halloween bash, the right invites can increase attendance and set the mood for a truly festive event. Try these fun and easy ideas for spicing up your next party.

The marriage of digital photography with computer software and colour printers makes it easy to customize invtes on your PC. For your next birthday party, try printing a photo of the lucky person wearing a colourful birthday hat on the front of the invite. Or, print a photo of your new home on the invite for your house warming party. It's a personal touch and a good way to help everyone find your new home for the first time.

In addition to photos, it's easy to add borders, symbols, clip art and other design elements that can help create a theme. Both blank-stock and pre-printed invites are usually available at office supply stores, party supply or hobby shops, neighbourhood printers, on-line retailers and even some department stores. Before purchasing invitations to customize on your PC, refer to the owner's manual of your colour printer to determine what paper sizes, weight and thickness it can accommodate. For best results, make sure your printer produces colour with at least 300 dpi (dots per inch).

Many local printers and party supply stores will also do the printing, and they offer a variety of custom options as well. Simply choose from a menu of designs and card stocks, provide your specific wording (and even a digital photo) and your custom invite will be ready in no time.

You can add a touch of class to any event by using wax seals on your invites. Pre-made, customized wax seals that simply stick onto envelopes are available, or you can purchase wax seal kits and make your own.

Easy Accessories

You don't have to involve a printer or even your PC to create great invites for any occasion. Here are some of our favorite ideas for little touches that create fun and thoughtful invitations.

Wine Charms: Punch a small hole in a corner of each invitation with a micro hole punch, and attach a wine charm for each adult invited. Packages of wine charms are available at party supply stores and most wine retailers. Your guests can bring their unique charms and attach them to their wine glasses at your dinner party or wine tasting. Other types of inexpensive charms in various styles and themes are available as well.

Ribbons, Bows & Silk Flowers: A lacy, sheer white bow adds elegance to a wedding invite. Use your micro hole punch to attach a small charm of two wedding rings joined together to your bow. Including a small silk flower inside the invitation to an outdoor wedding reception or garden party is a nice touch, too.

Colourful Confetti: Festive, foil confetti for every occasion is available at hobby shops and party supply stores. Sprinkle pumpkins and candy inside a Halloween party invitation, for example. Your invited guests will know they're in for a fun evening from the moment they open their invitations.

Stamps: Just like the confetti, colourful stamps are an easy way to make an invitation hard to decline. Attach red and orange leaves to your fall-themed party invitation, or gold stars to a "five-star" dinner party. Old-fashioned rubber stamps that use an ink pad also are popular and widely available in various designs and colours.