Reader Question:
My daughter would like to incorporate black lace onto her invites, any suggestions? We can certainly visit M&J trimmings in NYC. We also have local material places near us in Nyack, NY. Do I print the verbiage onto good linen paper, ala Michaels, and then glue the black lace around the invite like a wrap?
Since my lace wedding invitation post, I’ve had a number of people ask me about making them! To answer the question above, here’s how I would go about making them:
For this project, you'll need your choice of papers (I chose Champagne metallic paper and plain black cardstock from paperandmore.com ), black lace (I purchased this on sale for $1.48 p/yard at G-Street Fabrics in Virginia), beige "rat tail" cord (on sale for 52c p/yard), black thread, ruler, pins, paper cutter, printer, double sided tape, and a sewing machine.
For the purposes of this post, I didn’t print the invitations, but that is the first thing you should do (after you’ve figured out your design concept). For this style, you could fit three invitations to a Letter sized page. I used metallic paper which is only compatible with laser printers (sadly, it smudges with Ink Jet). You could also experiment with linen paper, which will work with an Ink Jet. Personally, I prefer to buy my paper online because there is more selection and it’s usually cheaper. Check out Paper and More, Blue Dot Paper Shop, and Paper Presentation (which also has a store in New York City) for some low cost samples. So, now let’s pretend that the invitation is printed and move along!
Use a paper trimmer to cut your printed invitations down to size. Also cut the black backing cardstock in a slightly larger size (depending on what size invitations you make, it might be more economical to use a 12x12 sheet). Craft stores have a good range of entry level slicers available ranging between $10 - $60.
Tape the invitation pieces together with a piece of double sided tape in each corner. I've found that of all the various tape/glue dots on the market, 3M double sided tape works out the most economical. Measure the width of the invitation, then double that measurement for the lace, adding 1/2 an inch.
Fold the measured section of lace in half, securing at the end with a pin. I decided NOT to cut the lace yet - I waited until I had sewn the lace together and confirmed that it was the right fit before doing so.
Using matching thread, sew the lace together, 1/4 inch from the edge. I used a patchwork foot for this because it measures exactly 1/4 inch between the needle and the edge of the foot. If you have a walking foot, that would work even better. Secure the ends by reverse stitching about 2 stitches.
Test the lace by slipping it over the invitation to make sure it fits - it should be tight, but not so tight that it's hard for the guests to take it on and off. When it's right, you're ready to cut! (I used a contrasting thread so that you could see what I did here).
Here's what the back of the invitation looks like. I pushed the seam to one side. If you want, you could open the seam up and press it flat with an iron, but for demo purposes, I decided not to 
And here's what the front looks like.
To add some additional interest, I played with wrapping Rat Tail cord (beige) around the invitation. Tying the bow was a bit of a pain because it's pretty slippery. You could also play around with thin beige ribbon - making sure to trim the ends at a 45 degree angle so they don't fray.
So there you have it! The sewing part would get a bit time consuming, but I think it would yield a better result than glue. You could also play with double-sided iron-on hem tape if you don’t have a sewing machine. Total cost for the materials in this design works out to be a little over a $1 per invitation (based on getting paper from PaperandMore.com in packs of 100 sheets, giving you leftovers for programs, name cards, direction and RSVP cards). The price of ribbon and lace varies a lot, depending on what type you get, and printing also varies, depending on whether you are getting them professionally printed or doing them at home. You’ll also need envelopes! Finally, because of the bulky bow on the front, you may have to pay the higher postage charge (around 65c).
Remember, whenever you have a wedding related question, feel free to send us a message and we’ll try our best to answer it! And don’t forget about our Haiti cupcake raffle – a $25 donation to World Vision gives you an entry to win a fabulous wedding day treat (and makes you feel good too!)!
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