Make Your Own 21st Birthday Invitations

These girl themed 21st birthday invitations are designed to match a "girl's night out" kind of theme. Maybe you're throwing a party for your daughters 21st birthday complete with big pretty, fruity drinks. Or maybe you're planning a night on the town with dinner and cocktails for your closest girlfriend. This Invitation will be perfect either way!
I used scrapbooking embellishments to decorate the front of the card but these type of embellishments certainly can be created by hand with the right materials. Read on for instructions to make these invitations and tips on how to make your own embellishments.

Tools used to make 21st birthday invitations:
8 1/2" by 11" card stock
another separate paper either decorative paper or card stock
scrapbook embellishments (optional) or make them yourself (see below)
glue stick or glue runner

Step One: Printing the words onto the invitations. Start by using desktop publishing software to set up the text into a 2-up format (or two to a page). Using a 2-up invitations layout will help save money and also makes creating invitations a little easier as the standard paper size is 8 1/2 by 11". Once this paper is cut in half and then folded to create the invitation, the card will be a standard size also making it much easier to purchase envelopes for them. You can find envelopes in this size at most any paper and stationery store or even office supply stores like Office Max or Staples.

* If you want to bypass this step all together you can download a printable text file for this invitation. click here for more information about the printable 21st birthday invitations text file.

Step Two: Cutting the invitation paper. When you are using a 2-up layout there is no choice but to cut the paper in half to create the 2 separate invitation cards. If you went with plan B like I went over above then you can enlist the services of the copy shop and have them cut the invitations in half for you. Most copy and print shops are equipped with hydraulic cutting machines.
Otherwise you can easily cut the invitation paper yourself with a good personal paper cutter (click here for more info).
Besides cutting the invitation paper in half you will also need to cut some paper to help decorate the front of the card. I used a plain white card stock for this decorative piece of the invitation. Feel free to do the same or even use a colored or decorative paper instead. These pieces should be cut to measure about 3 1/4" by 3 3/4" to start. Once you have cut the paper to this size next use a ruler and pencil draw small margins about 1/8" from the edge. draw these margins all the way around the paper. Use these margins as a guideline to cut the edges of the paper with decorative scissors.

Step Three: Fold the 21st birthday invitations. No explanation needed really. Fold the invitations in half. You can also enlist these services at most copy shops if you don't have the time or ambition to do it yourself. When folding by hand you can ensure a nice clean looking fold by going over any messy or wrinkles looking folds with a straight flat edge like the side of a wooden ruler.

Step Four: Put it all together! For the last step use a glue stick or glue runner to attach the cut out decorative paper squares to the front of the card. Place this piece in the lower right hand corner leaving about 1/4" margin to the edge of the invitation. Next attatch the cocktail embellishments. These embellishments have an adhesive already applied to the back so all you have to do is stick em' on. Try placing them so that they slightly overlap the edges of the decorative paper and are also placed slightly askew. Top it off by placing decorative embellishments flowers in the empty spaces and you've got yourself some really cool tropical drink embellished 21st birthday invitations!

* For more information about these tropical drink embellishments by Jolee's Boutique and where you can purchase them go here

To make cocktail embellishments for the 21st birthday invitations

To make these kind of decorations yourself will take a little bit of extra effort but it shouldn't be too hard. For starters there are paper punches available at most arts and crafts supplies, or scrapbooking supply stores that are shaped like cocktail glasses. You can even find pictures of different shaped glasses on the net. Print them onto card stock and cut out the shape. Use the card stock shape as a stencil of sorts. Punch out (or cut out) these shapes out of color frosted vellum. Cut out colored vellum in different shapes to make the liquid inside of the glass. Add little sequins, beads or glitter as decoration. Use construction or colored paper to cut out small shapes like orange and lemon wedges or cherries. You can even make the Hawaiian style flowers using a paper punch. Try layering these flowers with vellum. Add glitter to the edges.

See Also...

Make your own invitations using blank cards

Printable birthday postcard invitations templates

"You're Invited" postcard invitations

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