Designing Birthday Invitations for Teens

Sometimes simple is the way to go with birthday invitations.

Teen birthdays hold particular significance. These are the years that youngsters transition from child to adulthood. Due to their importance, teenagers often wish to celebrate the anniversaries of their birth in high style. Parties are the most common way of acknowledging these milestones. One of the first steps in creating a memorable occasion is the designing of birthday invitations for your teen.

Theme

Ask your teenager what type of theme he desires for his party. Once you have a theme, invitations are generally easy to design. For example, if your teenager wants a detective party, you can decorate a mystery card with detective type images and include a small plastic magnifying glass in each envelope. You can advertise the party as a "murder mystery". In this case, you can send clues in your invitation that can be fully developed on the evening of the party. Other ideas are to have your teen identify a favorite band, movie, sport or hobby and use this for inspiration. Decorate the invite with associated pictures or small items that fit the chosen subject.

Software

Your computer can be your teen's best friend when it comes to designing party invitations. Visit online card sites if you want pre-made cards you can print out on cardstock. Look at software programs that allow you to personalize cards by adding your own photographs and designs. Search for pictures which will highlight your theme if you have settled on one. If you have the time and funds, you can even create a DVD to enclose with each invite. Videotape your teen talking about her party, dressed in party attire surrounded by balloons for full effect. Burn copies onto blank discs and place them in paper sleeves inside your folded cards.

Crafts

Visit your local craft store and let your teen go wild picking cute and cool supplies to decorate blank invitations. If you teenager is into glitter and stickers, there is no end to the little things you can find to add sparkle to invites. Counsel your child to purchase small items that match well with the party's theme if there is one. Otherwise, you both can choose from traditional party decor such as stickers depicting balloons, party horns, stars and candles. Check the clearance aisles, especially if you don't have anything specific in mind in order to get ideas and find inexpensive articles to use in your invitation creations. Assemble your cards at home and remember that every invitation does not have to be the same but can be matched to each recipient's personality.

Printing Service

Take a very artistic route if you or your child is talented. Draw the image you want to decorate your card with and compose the words to your invitation on regular white paper. Take your creation to a local printer who can copy the images and inside message to individual cards. This is an especially good way to create your cards if your teenager is having a very large party requiring lots of invites.

References

• Purple Trail: Teen Birthday Party Planning Ideas