invitations

How to Design an Invitation

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

How to Design Invitations | DIY Invites | Invitation Tutorial | Easy Invites
Designing an invite – especially for your own event – is so fun! Here are some easy steps to guide you through it.

1. Determine the style and aesthetic of your event. Your invite should be a reflection of the actual event. You don’t want a formal, elegant invite for a backyard BBQ. Is your event:

  • Formal and elegant
  • Whimsical and fun
  • Geared to kids
  • Sporty
  • Feminine
  • Other

2. Select the form of your invite:

  • Single card
  • Folded
  • Layered paper
  • Unique shape
  • Other  

Invitation forms | How to Design an Invitation by Eileen McKenna

3. Select a type of invite:

  1. Border art with text in the middle
  2. Small icon with text below
  3. Large art or image with text below or to one side
  4. ”All Art” with text in open areas
  5. Image in background behind the text
  6. Text as the art

Types of Invitations | How to Design an Invite by Eileen McKenna

4. Select a size. Keep in mind standard envelope sizes and postage rates. I believe square envelopes are more expensive to mail. Standard sizes:

  • A7 – 5” x 7”
  • A6 – 4.5” x 6.25”
  • A2 – 4.25” x 5.5” (1/4 of letter size paper)
  • Other

5. Select artwork that suits your theme. Digital download invitation borders and clipart are available in my Etsy shop – Click here to visit. Or use a photo of the guest of honor. Or both.

6. Collect all the key information of the event – The who, what, where, when, why, RSVP, and anything else you need to convey. Write it on scrap paper or print it out for the next step.

7. Layout. On your scrap paper divide the information into different levels of info and label it. The most important info is what the event is – Level 1. Level 2 is the date and place and Level 3 are the time and address. Use the same style to format anything within the same level. The style of the text is made up of font, text size, and color. Select colors from your chosen artwork. Use no more than two fonts that complement each other. While professional layout programs are great, Word and some free or inexpensive programs can do the job too. 
Levels of information in an invitation | How to design invitations

8. Paper. Select a thicker card stock than basic computer paper. Select specialty paper(s) or colored paper if it suits your event’s style and works with your chosen invite form and type.

9. Optional – Add embellishments. Keep in mind some embellishments will increase the cost of postage.

  • Ribbon
  • Sequins or rhinestones
  • Other

Whether you print at home or send you file to be printed at a copy shop, following these steps will help you achieve the perfect invites for your event! Click here to visit my Etsy Shop for downloadable invitation borders and clipart for your invitation designs.
How to Design Invitations using downloadable art Eileen McKenna

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How to Design an Invitation | Create your own DIY Invites by Eileen McKenna

4 Tips for Professional Looking Invitations

| Eileen McKenna {my creative resolution}

4 tips for professional looking invitations | Christmas holiday invites | Cookie Swap invitation
It’s not hard to make your invites more professional looking. Think about the type occasion – is it formal or casual? For children or adults? Design the invite with the vibe of the party, and these four tips in mind:

  1. Size. Don’t design your invite to be 8.5” x 11” (letter) size. Instead choose a standard invite size (so it fits in a standard size envelope.) Popular sizes are 5” x 7” and 4.25” x 5.5”. You can fit 2 invites (next to each other) on a letter size sheet when printing. Then trim to desired size.
  2. Fonts. Use two fonts. Highlight important elements on your invite with a font suitable to the vibe of the occasion. Make important information bigger. Use a simpler font for details.
  3. Artwork. Use artwork – there’s so much affordable artwork to download online on sites like Etsy. Visit my Etsy shop here. Choose border artwork, or clipart for the top of the invite, or even use artwork in the background – making sure the text is still readable. A photo of the guest of honor is also a good option especially for kid parties.
  4. Text Color. Use one or two colors. Black plus one color is a safe way to go. Select the colors from the artwork or photo.

Added details for added interest:

  • Make the paper with the text a little smaller and layer on top of a piece of interesting paper (that is the final invite size). Attach the two pieces of paper with glue or hole punch, and tie them together with a ribbon.
  • Glue an element or two – like sequins, or anything that fits your occasion’s theme.
  • Order envelopes in one of your colors.

Browse my Etsy shop for downloadable holiday art, borders, and backgrounds for your next invitation project!

Download a free editable text template file (word doc):
invitetemplate_eileenmckenna

4 tips for professional looking invitations | fall halloween holiday invites