You like the idea of making your own special handmade party invitations, but don’t really know where to start, or think your skills with paper craft are a little lacking, but every time you pick up that generic pad of fill-in-the-blanks invitations you just don’t feel happy right? Taking a little time to make your own invites adds a special touch to any party, but what’s more gives you a fantastic opportunity for a craft with the kids.

So, forget fancy paper craft ideas and start looking around the house for things you already have, or if needs be, pop down to the local discount store for the things you don’t.

Here are 5 easy handmade party invitations that you can make very easily together with your child.

1. Photograph It:

This has to be one of my favourite ways to put together an invite, and it’s also the simplest. Start by handwriting your invitation on a large piece of card and get your party child to hold it in front of themselves with a big cheesy smile on their face. Now just take a picture, print them on your home computer or through your local photo processing in standard 10 x 15 cm size. Laminate them for extra strength, or glue to coloured card.

2. Flip Flop It:

This one will probably require that quick trip to the discount store I mentioned and while there pick up some really groovy flip flops The humble flip flop makes a great invite  for summer pool parties, beach parties or anything with a tropical theme. You can write the invitation on the sole with a marker pen, or use the flip flop as a template and draw around it on a piece of coloured card. Cut out the flip flop shape, write the invite and decorate before sticking onto the sole of the flip flop. You could even use this as a basis for a game whereby each child has to find out who has their matching flip flop by sitting in a circle and asking each other questions with yes or no answers like the game ‘Who Am I?’

3. Age It:

I’m sure you’ve all at one time or another made a pirate map, perhaps when you were at school yourself. Well a better and safer way to get the aged look onto a pirate map for example is to make up a tray of tea, no milk or sugar required of course. Just soak a few tea bags in a tray of water and then drop sheets of regular paper into the water nice and flat. You don’t need to soak for too long, we don’t want the paper to disintegrate. Take out and hang on the line with a peg to dry. You now have the basis for a beautiful handmade party invitation with an authentically old look. Write on it with a fine marker pen in a loopy old fashioned way; perfect for any pirate party.

4. Puzzle It:

Take your invitation, either hand written, printed or one of those ones you can buy in a pad. After writing, glue to a piece of card stock. On the back create a jigsaw puzzle effect by either drawing odd shapes or mimicking a traditional jigsaw design. Now cut up the invitation accordingly and pop all the pieces in an envelope. Your little guests will need to put the invitation together in order to read it.

5. Inflate It:

Balloons are extremely cheap to buy and very easy to use as an invitation. Write the invitation on regular 80gsm paper, roll it up into a scroll and insert the invitation inside the balloon. Now blow it up and deliver to your guests with the words POP ME! written in marker pen. It’s even more appealing if you can inflate with helium and tie with coloured ribbon. Imagine your child turning up at school with a bunch of balloons for all their friends to stomp on, great fun!