Weddingbee boards

Are you ready for the most time consuming DIY ever?! Well here is how we made the invites for my wedding and they were well worth all of the work! I appologize in advance for not photographing step by step but we spent almost 6 months total making them over time. I know now there are probably ways to make the process more efficient, but here is how we did them. Yields approximately 150 invitations.

Supplies:

 5x7 cardstock: I ordered classic white linen(http://www.paperpresentation.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PPN&Category_Code=CARDS_C_FC57)

 Outer #7 envelope: I ordered natural craft(http://www.paperpresentation.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PPN&Category_Code=E75B)

 A7 envelope: I ordered translucent(http://www.paperpresentation.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PPN&Category_Code=A7B)

 4 Bar envelope: I ordered natural craft(http://www.paperpresentation.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PPN&Category_Code=4BARB)

 About 4 yards of yellow seersucker fabric

 About 7 yards of iron on paper

 Sewing machine

 Thread

 Double sided tape

 Paper cutter

 Custom wax stamper (I ordered mine here: http://www.nostalgicimpressions.com/product_p/723h.htm)

 Faux sealing wax (I ordered mine here: http://www.save-on-crafts.com/bananawax.html)

 Hot glue gun

 Printer

 Wax paper

 & ½ cup of patience ;-)

 Initial Design:

1. I chose fonts for my suite. For mine, the text is in Copperplate Gothic Light (all lower case),  our names and headers are in Honey Script (download here for free: http://www.dafont.com/honey-script.font) and we addressed the envelopes in Adine Kirnberg Script (download here for free: http://www.dafont.com/adine-kirnberg.font). If I could go back and do it again, I would eliminate the latter and you Honey Script to address the envelopes.
2. I chose the wording for my suite and typed it up in MS Word. All of the cards to be printed on (invite, info and rsvp) were 2.5 x 3.5 in size, but I used a 5 x 7 card, therefore I could print two per card. This cut costs quite a bit. I printed them out in a dark gray using my laser printer. The info and rsvp cards were right justified and the invite text was centered.
3. I used my paper cutter to cut all of the cards in half.

 Invites:

1. This is where the fun begins. Use a stencil (aka one 5 x 7 card) to cut out 5 x 7 pieces of fabric. Do the same with the iron on paper x 2 (aka make twice as many).
2. Heat up your iron to the highest setting. Peel back one side of the iron on paper and apply it to a 5 x 7 card. Press firmly and make sure all of the area is covered.
3. Let cool. Peel back the remaining side of the iron on paper and lay pre-cut fabric on top and align properly. Use the iron again and make sure all area is covered. Trim any excess fabric or lose threads.
4. Using a paper cutter, trim 1/8 of an inch of one horizontal and one vertical side. This will now make the fabric covered card 4.875 x 6.875. This will allow for a slight border.
5. Center your invite card (2.5 x 3.5) on the fabric covered card. Using double sided tape, center and adhere the card in place. Using a sewing machine with your choice of thread (mine was pale yellow), on the zig zag setting sew each side of the invite card onto the fabric covered card. You will notice that not all sides of the zig zag will meet up perfect. And that the stitching shows through on the back of the card.

1. Place a piece of wax paper on your ironing board. Peel back one side of a pre-cut wax paper. Line it up on the back on your partially completed invite. With the text side laying on the wax paper, iron the back of the card.
2. Peel back the remaining side of the wax paper. Taking a blank 5 x 7 card, center your partially completed invite. Placing a piece of wax paper on top, iron the backing onto the invite. You can reuse the wax paper numerous times without having the replace it. Your invite it now complete.

 Info & RSVP cards:

1. Taking the seersucker fabric, cut 2.5 x 1 strips out of the fabric. Do the same to the iron on paper.
2. Using your sewing machine, stitch a zig zag line along the edge of all of the strips.
3. Take a piece of pre-cut iron on paper and peel back one side. Center the fabric and iron it on.
4. Peel back the other side of the iron on paper. Take a pre-printed and pre-cut info/rsvp card and place the strip on the left side of the card. Line up and iron in place. Your info and rsvp cards are now complete.

Making the wax stamps:

1. Heat up the faux sealing wax in a hot glue gun.
2. Take a piece of wax paper and squeeze out wax making a circle about the size of a quarter.
3. Place your wax stamper down and hold for a few seconds.
4. Repeat numerous times. P.S. They won’t all turn out perfect. :)

Assembly of the suite:

1. Using your printer, print our the return address and mailing address on the Outer #7 envelopes.
2. Repeat using the return address on the 4 Bar envelope
3. Repeat with the invited guests names on the A7 translucent envelope
4. Stamp the 4 Bar envelopes.
5. Package the invitation suite in the A7 translucent envelope. Seal using a hot glue gun.
6. Take a pre-made wax seal, add a dab of hot glue to the back and center on the envelope in your desired location. Allow a few seconds to dry.
7. Place the A7 translucent envelope in the Outer #7 envelope, seal shut with hot glue, put stamps on it and VIOLA! You are done! At this point, you will be jumping up and down!

Extra information:     

We used two stamps to mail and it was plenty. I believe they were .65 cents, but I liked the queen and king stamps anyways.

We took our time doing each step. I’m sure you could finish them much faster             that we did. I am actually 100% positive of it!

AND last but not least, I haven’t heard the end of compliments on the invitations. It is SO AWESOME knowing the hard work all paid off!

I’m sure I left something off, or didn’t go into detail enough, or confused the crap out of you at some point, so please feel free to PM me for more information or questions!

LOOKS AMAZING!!!

Oh. My. GOD. Those are STUNNING!!! I am totally floored - your guests were so lucky to get something that beautiful in the mail - love it!!

@Farmers Market Bride: I LOVE THEM!!!!! OMG How awesome!!! You did so wonderful! I never thought about parchment paper! Very awesome! I am so very happy somebody else gave it a try! Congrats on beautiful invitations! :D Let me know what your guests say!!!!

@Farmers Market Bride: Also, I love that you used different sissors to cut the strips of seersucker for the info card and such. I LOVE it! It looks tons better! I wish I would have though of that!

These are wonderful. I have absolutely no talent or patience but these are sooooo pretty!!!!