So you may be wondering.. how on earth am I going to afford these wedding invitations?! When I started my research with the popular invitation sites, I was SHOCKED at the cost. All of the ones I liked were over $1000 (!!!). Like what?! Then I found these DIY wedding pocket invitations.. and they were a huge hit. I got so many compliments on them!
Why Pocket Invitations for a Wedding
One of my biggest pet peeves when I get wedding invitations in the mail is that they come in about 5 different pieces. You know.. the actual invitation.. the RSVP card and envelope.. the directions, the attire, the registry, etc. I mean, there is a lot of information to get across, no doubt. But it drives me nuts when you open up the invitation and they all fall out.
It’s like the bride and groom are saying “Here ya go.. now this is your card problem to deal with!” Okay not really.. but you get the point.
Anyways, I can never get all of them to stay under one magnet on my fridge. Therefore, they end up getting put in different places or even lost. Then, when it comes to the wedding weekend, I typically will forget the pieces I need to bring.. you get where I’m going with this.
So to be honest.. I’m instantly overwhelmed and stressed before the wedding even starts. All because of some silly, very expensive, wedding invitations.
Therefore, I just didn’t want to be the reason people felt a little more stressed before my wedding.
Last thing.. If you’re going to put all this time and money into these invitations, don’t you want your guests to be able to utilize the information on them and keep them in one place? That’s why I decided on the pocket invitations. Plus, these DIY wedding pocket invitations are elegant, formal, and they stand out from other invitations.
The Choice to Make My Wedding Invitations DIY
So once I knew for sure I needed these pocket invitations, I realized these, too, were WAY over my budget. Sorry but like…. I’m not paying $7-$8 per invitation when I have 150 to send out, not including any extra’s for screw ups. That extra $1,200 can go towards my honeymoon, thank you very much!
So, I put my head down and was determined to make some DIY wedding pocket invitations looks professional.
Cost for DIY Wedding Pocket Invitations
So how do you do this, and how much did it cost? Here’s my financial breakdown. For 150 invitations:
| Invitation Template | $11 total |
| Cards and Pockets Paper Order: | Subtotal: $306.09 |
| Pocket Invitations | $106. 25 @ 0.85 ea |
| Invitation Mats | $58.75 @ 0.47 ea (includes mounting to pocket invitation ((optional))). |
| 5 x 7 envelopes | $40 @ 0.32 ea |
| Gold Glitter Belly Bands | $37.32 @ 12.44 ea for pack of 50 |
| 3 x 5 RSVP Envelopes | $27.50 @ 0.22 ea |
| 2.25’’ Squares | $13.50 @ 4.50 ea for pack of 50 |
| Shipping & Handling | $22.77 |
| Zip Dry Glue x 4 | $31.96 @ 7.99 ea |
| White Textured Paper x 4 | $51.80 @ 12.95 ea |
| Wax Seal Stamp Kit | $13.99 |
| Wax Sticks | $12.99 |
| TOTAL: | $427.83 |
With this total, it comes out to about $2.85 a piece – WOW. Talk about budget friendly!
TIP: I highly suggest ordering color samples from the Cards and Pockets website first to figure out exactly what colors you want to use. I used Coral (backer boards), Peach (envelopes), Gold Glitter (belly band), and Opal (for the pocket fold) because those were the colors of my wedding.
There were a few other items I did NOT include in the pricing above because a) you may already have one or have access to one, or b) you will need them regardless of how you create your invitations or what part of wedding planning you are working on. This includes:
| Printer – Envy 5055 | $64.94 |
| Stamps – Two Ounce | $114.69 |
| Stamps – One Ounce | $91.98 |
| Cutting Board | $26.84 |
So, there’s my totals for everything I possibly need.
If you’re serious about creating these DIY wedding pocket invitations (and making them look professional), I suggest you read carefully. I’ll list everything I did right, what I did wrong, and the tricks I learned along the way so that you can create yours as seamlessly as possible.
Before you purchase, I should warn you- this is NOT a “one-night” kind of task. I’d give yourself at least a busy week or two to get them done. The benefit of it is the price, and while it will look AMAZING, I’m giving you a heads up that you’ll have to put in the work. If you’re a determined DIYer like me.. it’ll be worth it!
Better yet- get your mom/bridesmaids/future-mother-in-law to help you out one weekend. The more help, the merrier!
So here are all the specifics about everything you’ll need. If you want to start with the actual directions of how to put this all together, make sure you scroll down and find the subtitle “DIRECTIONS”.
MATERIALS YOU NEED
Before we get into HOW I made these DIY Wedding Pocket Invitations, we need to talk about allll the materials you’re going to need. Yes, it’s a lot. But as long as you can check off everything on this list, you won’t need anything else! I’ll also link for you everywhere to find the materials you need.
INVITATION TEMPLATE
First off is the invitation template. I found this digital template via Etsy. To access this digital template, click here. This designer also has tons of other templates to choose from. I chose this template for it’s simplicity and basics. I also loved that the titles on the sides are all equally visible in the pocket, making it a clean organized look. Something else to think about when choosing an invitation is if you want the option to have all matching pieces (Matching signs, ceremony pamphlets, etc) – which you can with this invitation. Minty Papery Shop on Etsy has tons of other DIY Wedding Pocket Invitations with matching sets as well.
After purchasing, downloading the template was a breeze. I was sent to Templett.com. Within minutes, I was able to download my DIY wedding pocket invitations into a PDF format to print at home.
TIP: make sure to click “Show trim marks”, so when you print, you know exactly where to cut.
PRINTER
So I really wanted to talk about this printer specifically for a few reasons. Since we’re going to be printing the names and addresses on the invitations, it’s important to have a printer that can not only print on a 5×7 envelope, but also print on a 3 x 5 envelope (or index card as the size is commonly referred to).
Click here to get the HP Envy 5055 Printer.
5 x 7 is available by most printers, but 3 x 5 is a little less common. One way to check is by moving the sliding piece of the printer to see if it’ll fit that size paper. After having to do quite extensive research to find one that does, I came across this HP ENVY 5055 All- In- One Print Printer.
Needless to say – I LOVE this printer, it has been great to me. I’ve been using it for all my wedding needs and I’ve had no problems. It was 100% worth the investment. I will say it does take it’s time to print, but has more capabilities (such as printing 3×5 invitations).
CARDS AND POCKETS PIECES
Without www.cardsandpockets.com, these entire DIY wedding pocket invitations would not have been possible. They have been great to work with. When I ordered samples through them, I was a bit upset because the package came damaged. After notifying, they refunded me completely. When I ordered the actual invitations, everything came in great condition – no problem at all.
TIP: I highly suggest ordering samples of everything you want, and putting a complete invitation together first before deciding to move forward. This way you can adjust colors, looks, texture, etc before making a complete purchase.
So, to order these specific pieces from Cards & Pockets, here’s what you’ll need. All items have been linked. I’ve also listed my color choices for reference.
A7 pocketfold invitations – Opal
A7 invitation mats – Coral
Invitation envelopes (A7) – Peach
RSVP envelopes – Peach
Belly Bands – Glitter Gold
2.25’’ Paper squares – Coral
Tip: I Paid a little extra to have the invitation mats mounted to the pocketfold. It was definitely worth the few extra dollars to take a step or two out of the process.
TIP: Make sure you order extra of everything. For example, I’d order an extra:
10 pocket invitations
10 mats (if not buying already adhered to invite)
25 invitation envelopes
25 RSVP envelopes
Set of belly bands
Set of 2.25’’ squares
That may seem like a lot, right? Think again. Mistakes happen. I ended up having to order 10 more invitation envelopes because I accidentally printed 10 addresses upside down.
CARDSTOCK PAPER
This cardstock paper is what you will use to print your invitations on, so make sure you choose something nice. The colors may vary for you, but I chose this one. I bought 4 packs of 50. I definitely recommend going for a higher grade (thicker) cardstock. It makes a difference.
TIP: I highly suggest buying from Amazon. At first, I started checking Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and every other craft store open. Problem was that no one had enough pieces for me to buy in bulk. In other words, there were very very limited choices on set packs to buy from (definitely none of the textured wedding colors). Therefore, I just buy online. I bought plenty of extra for mine.
ZIP DRY GLUE
Okay so here’s the thing. If you’re going to be creating your invitations like this, you HAVE to buy this specific glue. Here’s why. When I sent my fiancé out to find this glue, Hobby Lobby was closed, Michaels didn’t have it, so he ended up at Lowe’s buying some “special glue”. Well… the glue bled through and we ended up having to redo about 50 invitations. Yikes.
Click here to buy this specific Zip Dry Glue.
So if you don’t want your glue to seep through or leave any marks whatsoever, get this glue!
CUTTING BOARD
As for the paper cutter, if you don’t already have easy access to one, I highly suggest this one from Amazon. I’ve been able to cut everything on it, and it cuts cardstock really well. I don’t suggest doing more than one piece at a time, but I’ve never had an issue with the cutting not looking professional.
Click here to get this cutting board.
STAMPS
I ordered my stamps from Amazon.
Because the whole invitation will weigh over 1 oz (1.8 oz to be exact), you need to make sure you buy 2 oz stamps. You can find the 2 oz. stamps I purchased here.
You’ll also need the 1oz stamps for RSVP envelopes. (Yes, you’re supposed to put stamps on for your guests. Annoying, I know.) Click here for the 1 oz. stamps.
WAX SEAL KIT
Click here to find this wax seal kit.
Although I debated getting a more personal one from Etsy, I figured I’d save a little extra money and use this wax seal instead, and it worked out great. If you’re on the fence about using a wax seal, I highly suggest it. It’s like the icing on top of the cake to make your invitations that much nicer. I’ve gotten lots of complements on these.
WAX SEAL STICKS
The sticks that are provided in the kit simply just aren’t enough. I actually liked these better anyways because they are easier to cut. For reference, each stick will create about 8 seals. With 125 seals to make, I ended up with 2 or 3 extra sticks. It was the perfect amount. Here is the link to the ones I used. They also have all kinds of different colors.
Now that you have all your pieces, it’s time to get to WORK!
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1: EDIT, PRINT, AND CUT
First things first – edit, print, and cut your DIY wedding pocket invitation pieces first. If you ordered the same DIY Wedding Pocket Invitation template I did, you’ll be redirected to templett.com where you can edit, then turn into a PDF. If not using the same template, it’s important to note the sizes:
- Main Invitation: 4.5” x 6.5”
- Details Card is 3” x 6”
- Response Card: 3” x 5”
- Registry Card: 3” x 4”
When printing, it’s good to note that you can fit on the regular 8 ½” x 11″ sheets:
- The main invitation – 2 per page
- The largest sheet (Details) – 2 per page
- The medium size (Response) – 4 per page
- The small size (Registry) – 4 per page
- The centerpiece square – 16-20 per page
For my specific invitation, here is my layout:
When ready to print, stick your cardstock paper in the printer and print.
TIP: make sure to print with trim marks.
STEP 2: PUT IN INVITATIONS
Go ahead and put the 3 side pieces into your invitation pockets. This way, you don’t have to keep up with them, and they won’t get lost. They’re already ready to go.
STEP 3: GLUE INVITATIONS TO BACKING BOARD
It’s time to glue on the invitations to the backing board. Again, make sure you are using the right glue. It’s very important to make sure you don’t ruin invitations like I had done with some of these. Otherwise, your DIY Wedding Pocket invitations will look.. well… too DIY. (No thank you!)
To glue, all you need to do is create a square on the back of the actual invitation and stick it on evenly. The glue should be about one inch off the edge making a square around the entire card.
TIP: make sure you don’t go too far to the edge, otherwise the glue will bleed through the invitation.
Give plenty of time to dry.
STEP 4: GLUE 2’’ NAME PLATES
Next, you’re going to glue the 2’’ name plates to the 2.25’’ cardstock backing board.
Again, you don’t want to go too close to the edges, or else the glue will seep through. Also, leave plenty of time to dry.
STEP 5: FOLD BELLY BANDS
Sounds easy enough right? Make sure you wrap around the invitation and apply straight, then crease. Then take it away from the invitation, and crease again. Make sure it’s not too tight, or else your guests won’t be able to slip it off. If you apply too loosely, it won’t fit in the envelope properly. The key here is to make sure that it can easily slide up and down when you move it, but won’t move on it’s own.
TIP: Do NOT fold the bellybands all at one time (or even in groups). When you do it this way, it creates too big of a crease, won’t fit properly around the pocket invitation, and won’t properly fit in the envelope. I’d highly suggest doing one at a time.
STEP 6: GLUE BELLY BAND TOGETHER
When gluing the belly band together, it’s important to know which flap will go over which. Why? Because when you apply the 2’’ name plate on the outside, you want to make sure it’s centered and the glued ends can be covered up. So, choose which flap will go on top based on which makes it more centered.
TIP: Once glued, stick under a book to dry. This allows it to make sure it can’t come apart. I suggest waiting at least a few hours after gluing.
Sometimes, the “back part” and “front part” of the belly bands may get stuck together. As long as you can pull it apart, that’s totally fine. No one will see the inside of the belly band.
Also, if the glue doesn’t seem to be enough (can be a little trickier with the glitter belly bands), then this is one of the only times it’s okay to use a different stronger glue. Because this part will be covered up, any bleed through with the glue is okay.
STEP 7: GLUE NAME PLATES TO THE BELLYBAND
I’ll be completely honest with you, this was the hardest part of the entire DIY wedding pocket invitation process for me. Now that I know how to do it, hopefully it isn’t so much for you.
First off, I recommend using a stronger glue in addition to the zip dry glue. Again, I’d make the square with the ZipDry, then I’d put a nice circle dot with a stronger glue and firmly attach to the bellyband.
Again, only use a stronger glue when combining the bellyband to the 2’’ name backing board. If you use it between normal paper to paper, it will bleed through.
Like we did when combining the bellyband, you want to definitely stick under a book or something flat to dry. I also recommend allowing this to dry overnight.
After drying, check to make sure it has stuck and will not come off.
STEP 8 (PART 1): PRINTING ON YOUR ENVELOPES
Now it is time to print on your main envelopes and RSVP cards.
Just as a reminder, I am using the HP Envy 5055 Printer. If using a different one, make sure it fits a 3’’x5’’ (or index size) paper. Depending on the brand, the options may look a little different.
Starting with the RSVP cards, you can find this template within the template you have downloaded from Etsy.
After downloading these two pages into a PDF, click File -> Print. Under print options, select “Print as PDF”. You also want to choose the option to edit the size. In this case, it will be 3’’ x 5’’. Last option you need to change is select print specific pages 2- 2. This will allow you to only print the template for the Return address, and not the RSVP page as well. Click “Print”.
Next, you need to insert the envelope face down. When closing the printer, you should be prompted to make sure you have the right size paper in there. Make sure in your printer’s settings you adjust the paper size to 3’’x5’’.
Once in PDF format, it’s time to print. Make sure your print settings are still set to 3’’x5’’ on both your computer and printer. Once ready, click print.
STEP 8 (PART 2): PRINTING ON YOUR ENVELOPES
Now for your main envelopes, there is not a specific template for this. Therefore, we must make one by hand (I promise it’s easier than it sounds).
Open word document –> click Layout –> Size –> choose 5’’x7’’.
Change orientation to landscape.
Starting with the return addresses on the back, center your content.
Enter your information.
As for the fonts, I downloaded free fonts from dafont.com. I used Feel Script for our names, and Modern No. 20 for the addresses. Feel free to search the internet for any that you’d like. There are free downloadable fonts everywhere.
Both of these templates can be downloaded for free if you just search in Google. Type in “Feel Script” free font download, and do the same with Modern No. 20. I suggest making the font of the name a little bit bigger than the addresses. Make sure it is still located at the top of the page so that it will fit perfectly on the flap.
Again, you’ll have to go through the same steps as before with adjusting the size on the printer and computer, except this time you’ll want to choose 5’’x7’’ instead of 3’’x5’’. You also won’t need to make into PDF to print.
So, enter your 5’’x7’’ envelope in the printer, and adjust the printer size settings to match. When you select Fileà Print, make sure you adjust the size there as well (as shown before with the 3’’x5’’).
Finally, you’re ready to print.
Once you have the return addresses on all of them, you’re now ready to print on the front. Using the same template on Word, erase, and write the first name and addresses of your guests. Press the ENTER button a few times to make sure it is centered on the page.
I used the same fonts as above (Feel Script and Modern No. 20). The size of the Fonts will most likely have to be adjusted based on the name and address.
Make sure you re-enter those 5’x7’’ envelopes with your now return address side (flap) face-up.
TIP: After the first one, keep pressing the ENTER button, and it will automatically create a new page in the same shape and size. Fill out 10 or so addresses at a time, then you can click “print all” and have those 10 done. Rather than clicking Fileà Print each time.
Finally, you’re ready to print!
STEP 9: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
After you have printed on all your envelopes and glued all your pieces together, you’re ready to put the entire invitation together.
First, make sure you apply your one ounce stamps to your printed return RSVP envelopes.
Then, stick behind the second the second page.
Now it is time to fold up your pocket invitations, slide your bellyband on, and stick the entire invitation in the envelope.
STEP 10: STAMPING AND SEALING THE INVITATION
If you’ve made it this far, CONGRATULATIONS! You’re ALMOST done!
This part is probably my favorite part because not only is the wax seal fun to do, it’s also a GREAT job for your not-so-crafty fiancé.
First off, your two-ounce stamps need to be applied on the top right corner.
Next, it’s time for the wax seal. Know that this isn’t a quick process, and it’s best to turn on a movie while doing this.
To apply the wax seal,
You’re first going to light the candle given to you in the kit. (HINT: we eventually ran out of the candle they gave us, but any candle will do).
Next, you’re going to cut the wax seal sticks into pieces, a little less than an inch each. This takes a little muscle, but use your scissors and work around the wax. (This was a great husband-duty!)
Then, you’re going to take your inch-long wax stick piece and stick it in the spoon provided. Hold over candle to melt. This process will take a few minutes.
TIP: I liked to take a toothpick and swirl it around every once in awhile to make sure the stick was being fully melted.
After it is fully melted, pour hot wax onto center of envelope flap to seal. After pouring, stick your stamp directly in the center and wait. I like to start heating the next one while the hot wax cools. The cooling process will take a minute or two.
After you complete this process, you’re officially DONE! Can you believe it?!
Congratulations on finishing your DIY Wedding Pocket Invitations! Get ready for all kinds of compliments!
If you have any questions when creating, please feel free to comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible! Otherwise, you can email me at everydaykatemay@gmail.com, and I’d be happy to help you! I’d LOVE to see your completed invitations, so send to me when you finish! Also, let me know if you have any further tips you think I should add. Congratulations again on your up and coming wedding.. and happy DIYing!