Make Thanksgiving Invitations

Actually you could easily make these as a postcard or a traditional style card. To make them a traditional style card simply switch to a 2-up invitations format (or two invitations to a page) and just cut the paper in half. Fold the cardstock in half to create a traditional style open and shut card.

Materials used to make Thanksgiving Invitations
8 1/2" by 11" cardstock in the color of your choice
some colored paper of any weight (for the decorative border)
Fall or Thanksgiving themed decorative paper
Thanksgiving Themed stickers, embellishments, or die cuts
decorative border scissors or punch
(optional) paper punch
glue stick
personal paper cutter

Step One: Getting the text printed onto your paper. If you are computer savvy or good with the desktop publishing software then go right ahead and design the text for this invitation yourself. I reccomend setting up the text as a 4-up format (or four invitations to a page) for postcards or a 2-up invitations format (or two invitations to a page) for traditional open and shut kind of invitation cards.

* go here to download and print the "you're invited to Thanksgiving Dinner" text file

* go here to download and print the Thanksgiving postcard invitations template

Step Two: Cut your papers. You have two choices when it comes to having your paper cut. You can cut it yourself by hand using a personal paper cutter, or you can visit a local print or copy shop to utilize their paper cutting services. These services are usually pretty unexpensive and save alot of hassel.
Cut the cardstock into quarters to create 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" postcards. Also, if you decide to print the postcard template onto plain white paper to ceate a more decorative effect then you will also have to cut this paper into quarters. After they have been cut into quarters, then go back and trim the edges about an 1/8". If you are using paper cutting services from a copy or print shop just remember to tell them to trim the edges.

Step Three: Choose a decorative fall or Thanksgiving themed paper. Now tear off the corners from about 2 inches down. To reuse the same paper to make more torn corners just use a personal paper cutter to cut the paper back into a square shape and then tear the corners off again. Keep repeating this until your paper cannot be used any longer. Then move onto another sheet.
Now take one of the torn off corners and apply a layer of glue onto the back using a glue stick. Paste this corner onto your postcard aligned into the upper right hand corner about 1/4 - 1/8" from the edge.

Step Four: Make decorative borders. To make these borders you will need some colored paper or cardstock (I chose a burgundy colored cardstock) and some decorative edge scissors. Use these scissors to cut the edge of your chose paper about 1/4" from the edge of the paper. To make these borders as straight and neat as possible what I reccomend is to use a ruler and pencil to draw a straight line down the edge of the paper to use as a guideline when cutting. Once you ahve these pices cut next trim them so that you have some that measure about 5 1/4" and another set that measure 4 1/8".
Next apply some gluestick to the back of the borders and attatch them to the postcards so that they form a kind of frame. They should cover the seam where your decoartive fall/thanksgiving theme paper meets the cardstock. The frame should also be about 1/8" to 1/4" from the edge of the cardstock.

Step Five: Add stickers or embellishments. I used a set of Thanksgiving themed stickers to decorate my Thanksgiving invitations postcards. You can also use scrapbooking embellishments, die-cuts, or paper punch shapes.

Step Six: Finishing touches to the Thanksgiving invitations postcards. If you printed directly onto the back side of your postcards then you are done.
But if you printed onto plain white paper to make a more decorative postcard then you have a little more work to do. First apply some glue to the back of one of the pieces of white paper with the Thanksgiving postacrds invitation template printed onto it using a gluestick. Attatch it to the plain side of the cardstock postcard. Make sure and center it as best as you can. To go a step further use either some extra stickers or paper punch shapes to give this side of the invite a little extra pizzaz. I added paper punch maple leaf shapes. I punched them out of the same burgundy cardstock I used to make the decorative border frame for the front of the thanksgiving Invitations.

More tips to make your own Thanksgiving Invitations postcards...

* To make the exact same invites as I did: I used a tan colored cardstock as the base of the card, a burgundy color for the decorative border. I used a scallop edges decorative scissor, and maple leaf paper punch. The decorative paper I used is made by Provo Craft and the name of the pattern is "Fluttery Things". The stickers I used are made by Stickopotamus and the name of them is "Thanksgiving Feast".

* Instead of using stickers try using a turkey shaped die-cut or paper punch and some maple leaf shapes.

See also

Printable Thanksgiving postcard invitations template

Make Thanksgiving holiday cards using kids art work

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