Construction paper
is a great material to use for homemade birthday party invitations. It is available in a wide variety of colors and styles including metallic and glittered versions. Construction paper can be printed on, painted, cut, layered and glued to make a wide variety of styles of invitation. Does this Spark an idea?
Sun Print Invitations
Dark colored construction paper will fade very quickly with exposure to sunlight. You can take advantage of this to make stylish and unusual "sun print" invitations. Cut pieces of construction paper to the finished size of the invitation. Place the pieces on a flat surface in direct sunlight and arrange small items and trinkets associated with birthday parties, like party-poppers, streamers, uninflated balloons and birthday cake candles on the paper. You could also cut out letters from paper spelling out "Happy Birthday" or "You Are Invited..." and place them on the construction paper. If you leave the items undisturbed for a few hours, the sun will fade the paper around the items and when they are removed there will be a silhouette version of the images left behind on the construction paper. You can write or glue a printed invitation message on the reverse side.
Origami Invitations
By printing or writing out an invitation on construction paper and folding the invitation into an origami shape you can make an usual and interactive invitation. There are several appropriate origami shapes that fit a birthday party theme and remain flat enough to be mailed in an envelope if necessary, like hats, flowers and butterflys. Be sure to include a little note with the shape or on it explaining that the person should unfold the shape so that they can read the invitation.
"Batik" Invitations
An unusual decorative background for a birthday party invitation can be created on construction paper using a technique similar to batik fabric dyeing. You will need construction paper, a thin white candle and some paint that is a darker color than the paper. Sharpen one end of the candle to a point using a craft knife and use it like a pencil to draw birthday images and motifs all over the sheet of construction paper. Simple images like candles, balloons, wrapped gifts and cakes are easy to draw and appropriate for the occasion. Thin down the paint with water and paint over the surface of the paper--the images will be revealed as the wax resists the thin paint. You can glue a printed invitation message over the front or on the back of the painted construction paper. Alternatively, cut the batik paper into strips and glue it onto a clean piece of construction paper in a different color as a decorative border, or cut out the individual motifs and glue them to invitations written or printed on another piece of paper.
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