Kid's Stuff
Throwing a party for Halloween? You'll need a spook-tacular invitation! And you've come to the right place
for easy how-to's on making a "killer" of an invitation.
The cold fact of the matter is that ghouls and boys, no matter how big or little, love holding a special
invitation right in their claws. Creating an invitation to send to everyone on your list need not be something
to fear! It's easy!
If you've got a great photo of you, your kid, or your pet dressed in Halloween finery, make that the focus
of your invitation. If you've left yourself plenty of time you can create and order great invitations from
Rite Aid.
If you didn't plan far enough ahead this year, you can make your own invitations. Just print multiples of your
photo, gather a few easy and inexpensive materials, and set up an assembly line in front of
True Blood
or another TV show you love to drool over.
1. Gather Materials
Don't go all old-school with construction paper. Instead, get your clutches on a slicker, more impressive look by using neon
poster paper, markers and poster and craft paint from Rite Aid. Or, check out the scrapbooking papers at the crafts store.
Black is always the number one color, but bright pumpkin, fuchsia, hot orange, and day-glow green really work their magic.
At the crafts or office supply store, look for lightweight copy paper in a bright neon colors too, or chrysanthemum paper,
plus envelopes for a 5 ½" x 8 ½" invitation.
2. Create the Invitation
Count on other automated copy strategies to provide the information for your party... Type up a document with the 5 W's:
the who, what, where, when, and witch number to call or email to use for RSVPs. Don't forget to mention whether costumes
or contributions to the refreshments are welcome or obligatory. When you've created your message, audition some fun fonts
such as
and print as many copies as you need onto colored copy paper. Cut them to fit in the inside of your folded card,
and use a glue-stick to adhere.
3. Create the Cover
Here are some ideas to help you make a haunting invitation, Choose the one that will make your friends go WOW!
- Haunting Reminder: Use gluestick to attach your awesome photo from a previous Halloween. Frame it with
zigzag lines or blood-red drips made with a permanent marker, or embellish it with Halloween stickers.
Get your kids to help!
OR
- Scary Silhouette: Find a simple, evocative shape: Google image + scorpion, coiled snake, bat, witch's profile,
etc. Copy and enlarge to fill a quarter of a page. Outline the shape, place black paper underneath, and cut out
the shape, working through both layers. Place the black silhouette on a flat-bed copier, and copy onto bright
paper. Trim and glue to the cover of your cards.
- Give Yourself a Hand: Using a disposable, plastic foam tray as a paint palette, squeeze or pour on a little
white, non-toxic acrylic paint. You can even use glow-in-the-dark paint, but be aware that the results won't be
as opaque and easy to read in the light! Press your hand into the tray, then press on the front of the card,
lifting your hand straight up. For a shadowy effect, make your handprint on a scrap of window screening. Let
dry, then use paint and a paintbrush or a black, felt-tip marker to draw long, pointy fingernails atop the
thumb and each finger. Cut out around the screening, print and glue to the front of the card. Or glue on a
caption, such as, "Come on over..." or "I want you in my clutches, so come to my Halloween Party!" or,
"Claw your way over to my house for a Halloween Party!"
4. Special Delivery
If you can hand out your invitations personally, consider getting into costume. If they will be hand-delivered but
not necessarily by you, add some treats to set the mood: a plain mask that you ask guests to decorate and wear,
or a baggie of candy corn. If you are sending them through the mail, add stickers to the envelope.
5. Then start planning a great party!
Created by Eleanor Levie, Craft Services, LLC
