How to Beach / Starfish wedding invitations

Make a wedding invitation all your own and for less! These instructions are for the invitation shown but can be modified for flowers, leaves, charms, and anything else your imagination allows.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cardstock to print on and for background
• decorative pieces to attach
• ribbon
• envelope or box mailer, depending on size of decorative peice
• glue gun
• ATG 700 gun
• special adhesive tape for ATG gun

1. Order starfish from anyone that you choose. I used www.shelloutlet.com, at the time they were the cheapest for good quality starfish. they are very delicate so I also ordered box mailers after I finalized the dimensions of the card.

2. Decide wording, font type, size and colors of invitation. allow room at the top for your ribbon and decorative piece. I wanted thermography which has the letters slightly raised so I ordered from www.mygatsby.com. The wording was printed on a 4"x6" ecru cardstock.

3. Select a color for the background (metallic cappuccino) size 5"x 7". Perfect sand color.

4. Purchase ribbon 5/16 organza royal blue was beautiful, 12 inches per invitation is needed for finished 5"x7" card. cut into 12" strips.

5. order ATG700 tape dispenser gun and ATG Tape (1/2 inch x 36 yards) 1 roll will do approximately 54 invitations for a finished 5"x7" card.

6. on the back of printed invitation, about 1/2 inch from the top, apply one strip of adhesive tape using the ATG 700 gun.

7. apply 12" strip of organza ribbon with 3" hanging off of right side (backside of card.

8. apply adhesive tape to all four sides of backside of printed invitation

9. apply invitation to the background cardstock and press firmly where adhesive tape is located being careful to allow ribbon to hang

10. take both ends of ribbon and tie in a knot at the top right of invitation. pull tight but not tight enough to pull up on invitation.

11. using hot glue gun, apply a small dab of glue to the knot (position the ribbon ends to where you prefer) and affix the starfish to it. the small amount of glue should adhere the starfish and the ribbon down to the invitation.

12. fold the end of each ribbon in half and cut at an angle away from the starfish. you may finish the ends anyway that you desire.

Tips & Warnings

• when using items from the sea or any other possible odorous environments, let them air out in a dry environment for as long as possible.
• Look at the return information on all products, you may only have a few days after receipt to inspect and return.
• ATG 700 gun and tape is extremely hard to find, mygatsby.com, framing and hobby supply stores may carry them.
• practice with scrap items for every step along the way till you are comfortable and remember to make an invitation for yourself.