Brown paper-bag envelopes are an economical and eco-friendly alternative to conventional wedding invitation envelopes. Paper bag wedding invitations, homemade or bought from store, are especially great if you are planning a rustic or organic theme for your wedding. The envelopes can further be embellished and decorated to give it a personalized style. Following few ways, would help you create your own version of wedding envelopes.
1. Homemade
Let your creativity surface as you make fancy envelopes at home using your piled up grocery bags. Cut the bag from two adjacent sealed sides so that you get a long strip of paper. Now cut the paper in a way that you get an inch longer than twice the desired height on the envelope. Fold the cut paper in half, leaving aside on top 1 inch thin strip. Seal from both open sides with a glue and use that extra inch of paper as an envelope flap. Once your basic envelope is ready, you can go ahead and use tons of things from home to decorate and embellish the same. Going with the organic theme, you can create a mix media art kind of thing using other organic material like thread, paper, colors, etc. To add a personal style, you may even paste some wedding pictures or do some journal and collage art over it.
2. Store bought
You may purchase in bulk, 100 percent recycled brown bag envelopes from a local craft store or online. These envelopes are much like the homemade ones but this would save your time and effort. These envelopes also come in variety of colors but retain their trademark texture. You can choose a color that goes well with the wedding theme. These envelopes can also be personalized using varied techniques. You can use embossing tools to emboss subtle artistic designs onto the surface of envelopes. You may attach a fancy string, a cluster of pearls, stones or a decorative brooch in the center of the opening flap. This would give each envelope a regal and vintage touch.
3. Stamping
Stamping tools are easily available in the stores and you can buy yourself one that complements the theme of your wedding. You may also contemplate getting a custom-made stamping tool personalized with your monogram. Use the tool to create an aesthetically placed design along the surface of each of your envelope. Alternatively, you can use stamping to create borders or just one single design over the flap or in one corner of the front side of the envelope. Make sure you practice stamping on a rough paper bag so that you are familiar with the art before doing it on actual envelopes. You should know the right amount of ink to be used in order to prevent bleeding. Apply just the right amount of pressure onto the stamping tool or it may mess up the design. Metallic inks look the best.
4. Wax Seal
If you want to pay heed to every single detail, then go ahead and seal your envelope in the most elegant way. To attain the desired result, you may create or order a monogrammed sealing wax stamping tools. You may alternatively choose stamping tools of designs that complement your wedding theme and colorful wax sticks in can be purchased separately. Melt the wax sticks in a big container and use it to seal the envelope using the stamping tool. The process is much like stamping with ink, just that you need to be extra careful because the wax is hot. Practice a few times on a rough paper bag before sealing the wedding envelopes.
The above-mentioned techniques would certainly help you create budget-friendly and personalized wedding invitations. Self-made wedding invitations are easily affordable in monetary terms, but they are priceless because of the emotional value they carry.