07 November 2010

autumn baby shower: invitations

I knew the baby shower invitations needed to be green and brown. I knew I wanted them to be simple and graphic. My main inspiration was this invitation from Twig & Thistle. Once I saw it, I fell in love with the layout, font...everything. I chose the closest font I could find for free (Bebas Neue from Font Squirrel) and plowed ahead. (The name and "baby makes three" font is Desyrel from Font Squirrel.)

I knew I wanted some type of green embellishment at the top to really stand out. A scalloped circle? Some type of layered button flower? At the time, we didn't know if the baby would be a boy or girl, so I decided to go gender neutral with a onesie. I found a great onesie punch online, only to find that it was discontinued and sold out everywhere. Crushed.

But I couldn't find anything else I liked as much as the onesie, so I made my own template, traced 25 little onesies on shimmery green cardstock, and hand cut each one. It took some time, but I'm so pleased with how they turned out that the time was worth it.

I attached the onesies with foam tape so they would pop up, create a shadow, and really make an impact.

 My house is a bit out of the way, so I knew I would need to include a map. I planned the layout to include about an inch of blank space at the bottom that could be folded under and adhered on the sides with double-sided tape to create a pocket. I tucked the map and registry enclosure in the pocket for a nice, neat package. So, to be clear, the photos above and below are showing the back side of the invitation.

I just love how the enclosures tuck inside. I will definitely use this idea again. This style would be great for DIY wedding invitations, too. Maybe even holiday cards--you could tuck your family newsletter in the pocket. Pockets are handy. :)