DIY: Easy, Personalized Thank you cards/Stationary from DIY wedding invitation kits and other random stuff

Sigh, call me lame because I’m still working on Thank you cards for the NYC wedding.  But I moved to another country (and am moving to yet another another continent again) – that’s a pretty good excuse right?  Ok and I get overwhelmed easily.
But I’m back now so I’m all over these cards now.  I think the thank you card may be the most important piece of stationary (some of our friends internationally didn’t even get our invitations but they’re getting thank yous in some form!)

I’ve had friends who have given gorgeous thank you cards – picture postcards with collages, personal hand-crafted/bound handmade paper and envelopes, and lovely monogrammed cards with ribbons.

I wanted to keep it Chic ‘n Cheap and simple of course.  I also wanted to use stationary and other stuff I already owned but punch it up a little.

Bought some random invitation kit and don’t know what to do with it?
Got tons of random ribbon lying around?
Have leftover tulle from random showers?
Stared at random stickers from scrapbooking parties from random showers?

I began with these materials:

• Invitation Kit
• Tulle
• Ribbons
• Scrapbook paper
• Edge press
• Glue stick

Tip: If you are a card-writing person and see these invitation kits on sale (I got these for $5/40 cards at Target) – GET THEM.  I use these regular, large cards as wedding cards and the RSVP cards as thank you cards.  I’ve been to 15+ weddings (and counting).  Can you imagine cards for all those weddings at $3 a pop?  This kit rocks and the card is pretty cute.  Anyway, it’s the message and the gift that most couples will be looking at!

1. Take the 3″ x 5″ RSVP cards in the invitation card and use it as your base.  If you like to keep it simple, do nothing further! Or just stamp “Thank you” on the front with a stamp like Ms. Very Married.

2. Dress it up!
Edge press:
– Press evenly on stationary ensuring edges and pattern aligns as you continue

Scrapbook paper embellishment
– Cut paper 1″ smaller on each side than base and glue to base stationary.  If adding ribbon/tulle, glue in back of scrapbook paper.   Use stickers on top of paper for extra textural element.  I cut out random hearts with contrasting scrapbook paper to add some fun.

Here are some examples:

Photo Personalization
Use your high quality digital photo and convert it into a 3″ x 4″ print (can be printed from a Kodak machine in this size).  Or take advantage of the free 4″ x 6″ offers tons of places give you for signing up and put 2  3″ x 4″ on a 4″ x 6″ layout using MS Powerpoint.  You can even write a thank you here too.

I sent a few to Walgreens, cut them out, and pasted them on top of some scrapbook embellishment.

Have fun with it.  You can still do thank you cards with simple things you already have and of course remember, it’s the note (and maybe like some of our older relatives the picture) that they appreciate!