How to Create Personalized Birthday Invitations

Personalized invitations are an easy, inexpensive way to alert friends and family of an upcoming birthday party. By making them at home, you get to add your own style, tailor the invitation to your event and send each invitee their own custom-made card. With just a few simple supplies, you'll have perfect birthday invitations that set the mood for the upcoming party. Your guests are sure to arrive when they note the special attention you paid to their invitation.

• 1

  Print out enough copies of a small or wallet-sized photo of the birthday person. A picture of a childhood birthday or other special moment should suit the card well. If it is a child's birthday, you can just use copies from school picture day. If you do not have a photo printer at home, pay a visit to your local drugstore with a photo center. The photo clerk should be able to inform you how to print pictures either from digital copies or negatives.

• 2

  Center the picture on the front of the note cards, making sure to leave room at the top or bottom for lettering. Affix the photo to the card with glue and allow it to dry completely before you move on to the next step.

• 3

  Write a greeting on the front of the card like "It's a birthday party!" or "Shhh! It's a surprise!" Use the stencil to ensure that the letters are all uniform. Outline or fill in the letters using puff paint or glitter paint. Squeezeable paint will give your invitations a decorative, textured look and won't bleed through the card like markers can. Allow the paint to dry completely before working on the inside of the card so that it does not smudge.

• 4

  Type up a document containing the location, time, date, directions and any other pertinent information. If you require an R.S.V.P, give guests a time frame to respond. Include a generic greeting like "Hope you can make it! From, the Johnson Family." Print it on colored printer paper for a festive look. Play with colors, size and fonts to fit the mood of your party. Since the note cards will be smaller than printer paper, you can fit more than one set of information on a page.

• 5

  Cut the paper using the craft knife and ruler so that it has straight, uniform edges. Make sure the cut paper is smaller than the note card to leave room for a greeting. Affix it to the card with glue and allow it to dry.

• 6

  Use the puff paint to personalize the card by writing a personalized greeting like "Dear Mark" or "We miss you Grandma!" Seal the envelope with a birthday-themed sticker or stamp and put your invitations in the mailbox.