Invitations are a formal way to request the presence of guests.
Whether a birthday party for kids, an anniversary party to celebrate a grandparent's nuptials or a Christmas party for friends, invitations are an effective method of gathering RSVPs for your party. Center the invitation design around the theme to the party and get creative with the invite construction, if you do not prefer to purchase ready-made invitation cards. Does this Spark an idea?
Photo Invitations
Use a family photo as a background for photo invitations.
Either via your home computer or at a photo center in your grocery store, pharmacy or super center, create photo invitations to send to potential attendees. Photo-processing websites are also available for invite design. Over a photo of the guest of honor, anniversary couple or previous family reunion, layer the details of the party planning to include the date and time, location and theme of the party. Encourage guests to RSVP to ensure that adequate amounts of food and supplies are purchased.
Message in a Bottle
A message in a bottle invitation can be delivered by hand or sent via mail.
Appropriate for pirate-themed parties, among other creative ideas, are invitation messages in a bottle. The kits can be purchased at party supply stores or can be made in your own home with glass or plastic bottles. Create and print the invitations on to white printer paper and make the paper appear to be aged by dipping the paper into coffee or tea and allowing it to dry. Carefully burn the edges of the paper using extreme caution. Roll it up into a tight roll, secure with a ribbon or string, and drop the invitation in to the bottle. Use a decorative cork to stop the bottle and deliver to each guest. An adaptation to the regular invitation is to explain all details onto a treasure map with "X" marking the spot of the party.
Food-Related Invitations
Decorate edible invitation cookies with "you're invited."
Bake decorative cookies or mold chocolate lollipops centered around the party theme as invitations. Write "you're invited" on the cookie with piped icing in the party color scheme and insert into a decorative bag. Tie the top with a ribbon with a note attached announcing the details of the celebration to include location, date, time and who the party is for.
Chocolate molds can be purchased in craft stores in various different shapes or designs. Meltable chocolates used for those molds are manufactured in many colors. Create a colorful themed chocolate lollipop with an attached tag containing party details.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
Deliver the invitation as you would a newspaper.
Organize your party invitation as an announcement resembling a newspaper's front page. In a blank word-processing document, arrange text boxes and photos to appear as a newspaper front page with a catchy invitation headline and "articles" that explain who the guest of honor is, what is being celebrated, RSVP, the time and date of the celebration and what the party theme might be. Print the invitation on thin newsprint paper and cut the edges with a pair of jagged craft scissors. Fold the invitation as a newspaper and deliver it to guest homes by throwing it on their doorstep.
Electronic Invitations
Send electronic invitations as a green method of inviting guests to the party.
Electronic invitations are a cost-free method of requesting the presence of friends and family members at the party. Although, not quite appropriate for children's parties as they may not have an e-mail address or regular Internet access, it is acceptable for most other celebrations. Sites such as Evite, Punchbowl and American Greetings offer free electronic invitations sent to the recipient's email and in some cases, the site organizes RSVPs on your invitation account and offers party planning advice and tips.
Tags: date time, front page, guest honor, newspaper front, newspaper front page, party planning