Vellum Fold-over Invite

This professional looking card can be used as an invite or as a greeting and is made with card stock, vellum (or tracing paper), and any type of ribbon you like. It's printed on both sides so that when the flap is folded over, the design beneath the vellum continues throughout the card.

If you prefer not to purchase inkjet vellum (see PRODUCTS>Fun Papers), you CAN use tracing paper in an inkjet printer, but it usually requires some trial and error to find a paper that will not cause your ink to smear. In addition, since most tracing paper pads come in 9" X 12", you will have to trim the sheets before you feed them into your printer unless your inkjet is a wide format. We know one particular brand of tracing paper that works splendidly in HP inkjets and will probably work just as well in any other brand. It's made by Bienfang and is called Parchment 100. Look for a black covered pad with blue lettering. You should be able to find it in most art supply or craft stores.

MATERIALS:

Cardstock

Inkjet vellum or tracing paper(see PRODUCTS>Fun Papers>Inkjet Vellum)

Hole punch

Sheer ribbon (wired or unwired both work well)

Quarter-fold invitation envelope

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Open a blank page in your graphics program.

2) Draw a rectangle 6.75" X 4.25 " and orient the rectangle depending upon whether you want a vertical or horizontal card. (You can fit two of these cards on one sheet of paper.)

3) Draw a straight line 1.25" to the right of the left edge of the rectangle(for a horizontal card) or from the top (for a vertical card). This is the line you will score for the flap that folds over. Group the rectangles and lines. Save the file.

4) Draw a larger rectangle around each of your fold-over invites and fill this with your choice of color or fill. Or select a background clipart and resize it so that it will extend slightly beyond all edges of your invitation. Copy and paste to do the same for the second invitation on the page. Send these backgrounds to the back layer so that your invitation outline is showing.

5) Print one copy out on plain paper to make sure your alignment is correct.

6) Remove the outlines for the two invites from the page and run the sheet through a second time to print the backgrounds again on the back of the paper. If you used a design for your background that requires a specific orientation, this is the time to be certain that it did not print upside down on one side of the paper!

7) Check alignment and readjust as necessary.

8) Once all alignments are correct, put the rectangles back on the page and print it out on your cardstock. Save the file.

9) Remove the outlines again and reprint the background design on the back of the cardstock.

10) Cut the rectangles out of the cardstock and fold on the score line.

11) Open another blank page in your graphics program and draw a rectangle 5.5" X 4.25". This will be the file for the vellum paper. Place a guideline 1.25" (to the right for a horizontal card or below for a vertical card) from the edge of this rectangle. This will allow you to position your text box so that none of your text will be covered by the fold-over. Place your text box in the space to the right or below this guideline and place your text in this box.

12) Print one page out on plain paper to check alignment. Once you are satisfied with alignment, print out on the inkjet vellum.

13) Cut out the vellum piece and place it on the invitation, with one edge beneath the fold-over. Secure it with paper clips and punch two holes about a half inch from each other through the folded flap and the vellum.

14) Feed your ribbon through these holes and tie a bow on the front of the invitation. Trim the vellum edges if necessary.

You can further embellish this card by trimming the three exposed edges of your vellum with fancy edge scissors or using a craft or border punch to give it some added pizzazz! You can even add elements of your background design to the envelope for a truly professional look!

Vellum Fold-over Invite Instructions

For a print friendly version, click on this link.