How to Paint Invitations
Printed invitations can be costly, especially when you have a limited budget. Furthermore, creating invitations on a computer -- the generally accepted method of creating inexpensive invitations -- can be complicated when you lack the skill and equipment to make sophisticated-looking invitations. You do not need to be a highly skilled artist to create beautiful and memorable invitations. Hand painting invitations allows you to create a memorable and possibly valuable piece of art to announce your next social gathering. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Purchase blank, ready-made invitations from a craft store. You can purchase a packet of blank cards or purchase cards individually, depending on the craft store. Ready-made greeting cards are created with card stock, which is heavy enough to paint. Such cards can be found in the scrapbooking aisle in most craft stores.
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Draw a border and sketch your design. Use a sharp pencil and a ruler to draw a 1/2-inch to 1-inch margin on the front of your card. Confining your design within margins gives your invitation a professional look. Draw ruled lines on the card if you plan to paint text on your invitation in addition to painting an image.
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Paint your invitation with watercolors. Squeeze a dab of each of your colors onto a palette or white plate. Fill two cups with water: one for your light colors brush and the other for your dark colors brush. Wet your brush and remove most of the excess water before dipping it in the paint. Use colors sparingly as you paint. Paper warps naturally when it comes into contact with water, so using too much water could damage your invitation and render it unusable.
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Dry your invitations. Let your invitation cards dry for 30 minutes. When your invitations are almost dry, place them face up under heavy books to flatten. Place wax paper between cards to prevent smearing. You can use a stack of phone books, textbooks or dictionaries to flatten your invitations. Leave the invitations under books overnight.
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Tips & Warnings
Although water soluble, acrylic art paints can create a sticky surface when you use too much paint on paper, which could cause the invitation to stick to the inside of an envelope. To use acrylic paint, dilute colors until they form a liquid and allow twice the drying time of watercolors.
