Anyone ever make birth announcements?

[Gillian]

I know I'm probably crazy to even think about this, but I haven't found any birth announcements that I love that don't cost a fortune!

I'm thinking of something simple. maybe 1/4 of an 8.5x11 cardstock, with a patterned layer glued down next and then another layer with the info. The last layer I was thinking attach with a a ribbon? Maybe make it vellum? Can you laser print on vellum? I was going to make a template on Word for the last layer & just update it when the baby gets here.

Any suggestions? Anyone ever done something similar? How did it turn out? I can just see myself nursing an infant, amusing a 2 year old and attempting to assemble birth announcements! I'd rather have them NOT unisex, and I don't know what this kid is, so I can't do them now.

 

[yummy72]

I made invitations to a Valentine Tea for DD one year. Printed my info on vellum and then "matted" it with a printed paper and punched two holes in the top and attached with valentine ribbon. I haven't had trouble printing on vellum, just handle carefully until dry b/c it smears. You might try looking on the Two Peas website under the cards category. People usually post examples of cards, invitations and annoucements they have done

Good Luck!
Candi

www.twopeasinabucket.com

 

[DMoss3377]

For a friend, when she had her baby last year. It was really simple and quick and it would probably be quicker now.

What I did, was stamped 8 1/2 X 11 white cardstock with baby feet in 3 different shades of blue. I cut it down into 4ths, then cut those fourths down by another 1/4 of an inch, so I could mat them with blue cardstock. I had set up my layout for the info on the computer at the same time as I did the stamping and matting. Then when the baby arrived, I put all of his info in the template on the computer and printed it out on vellum...4 to a page. I let them dry well before touching...careful not to lay them on top of eachother either...then cut them down and tied them to the stamped and matted baby feet with a blue organza ribbon in two holes I punch at the top. Took me about one full evening if you add up both portions of the project. I made 48 cards and went to Michaels and found the perfect envelopes to go with them. They were the perfect size and were vellum.

Although, now I've seen pattern paper already with baby hands and/or feet on them in pink and blue, so you wouldn't have to stamp like I did. All the other steps would be the same.

Have fun, I will definitly do this project when I have children.

Feel free to ask me anything if you have any questions.

 

[Gillian]

Those both sound great! I'm going to buy some vellum & practice printing on it.

Dana, did you trim the vellum, or use it 1/4 size? Did your friend feel they were too small?

I could stamp my own paper. I've done that before when making cards. But this time I want to make it as easy as possible! I am going to shop for printed papers. Maybe I'll even find some that are good for either boy or girl and save myself some time.

 

[mom2grace]

Here is what I did.

Cut 8.5 x 11 paper into 1/4's. It was pink cardstock, solid.
Made wallet-size copies of her birth photo, stuck the photo to the pink cardstock with 2-sided tape (actually CM tape runner)
Printed the vital info on vellum, 4 to a page, cut smaller than the pink by 1/4 inch. Used one piece of tape to stick it on, covered with a ribbon.

I had the advantage that I knew she was a girl, will probably do the same with this coming baby, even though we don't know the sex.

This is easy to enlist help with too, since is is basically just cutting paper.

You could even buy the blank cards for the pink layer and add the rest, this would give you room for a personal message on the inside, but who has time for that?!

Susan

 

[JESW]

I stamped the birth announcements for both our kids.

One simple idea would be to get a stamp of two baby feet (I've seen these at A.C.Moore) and on the front of the card have = Our house has grown by two feet! ...and then have the announcement inside. There are books about making baby cards. Too bad you didn't live closer as I have a whole drawer of baby-type rubber stamps!


Jill

 

[Gillian]

Actually, my local stampin' up consultant lives close by & owns about a zillion stamps! But I really feel that it will be easier for me (after the baby) to use printed paper. I've done some "production line" stamping, and it does go fast, but I think the paper will turn out better. And I can have my mom & DH help me with some of it. I wouldn't trust anyone else with stamps!

Thanks again! I can't wait to hit my LSS tomorrow!

 

[DMoss3377]

To answer your question...I did trim the vellum down to the same size as the white cardstock that was stamped.

I was able to fit a sweet little poem and all the vital info on the vellum and there was still room left over. She didn't think they were too small at all...she had thought of just doing the photo greeting cards you can get done at Costco, but she wanted something a little more special since this was her first.

I should have one at home, I'll try to find it and scan a copy to send you, so you see exactly what I did.

And I agree...when I go to do announcements for my own baby...whenever we're blessed to have one...I'll probably go for printed paper as well...just for the simplicity and ease of it. Although, I really like the photo idea that mom2grace did...but I may do that for something else since I'll want to get these announcements out quickly.

Have fun and feel free to ask me anything else.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I made birth announcements for both of my children.

For DS's we scanned his little footprints from the hospital. The card was blue with his little feet on the front. It said, "Someone new stepped into our lives". Inside we printed the date, time, etc.

For DD I wanted sheep and couldn't find sheep cards anywhere. I bought a cute sheep stamp and stamped them on the front of a pink card. I used the white embossing powder, so it turned out very sweet. I had that much done before the baby was born. Inside we again put the date, time, etc. I may have used a stamp that was made like the inside of a birth announcement. I'd have to go look at it. I remember that I wrote the info by hand in pink. At the time we didn't have a color printer.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Here's a tip for printing on vellum. I usually use excel because in the print options you can change the type of paper to transparency. This print option uses less ink because it knows the paper is not going absorb as much. It has worked like a charm on all of my vellum papers. I haven't had a smudge yet.

I make wedding cards all the time. This year I am making 3 of them. I figured the price of cards these days you can make a really nice card for the same price and personalize it too. I love all the ideas you have gotten. The hard part will be picking something to do.

Good Luck!

 

[Gillian]

I just laser printed a piece of vellum! It came out great! No smudges like you'd have with an ink jet printer. The black ink looks nice too. Very crisp.

I went shopping and picked out a pale blue paper with stars for a boy. For a girl I found a white paper with little red/pink heart flowers. It also comes in vellum so I'm going to try printing on that as well. That will save me a gluing step!

For the boy I just have to decide if I prefer the writing on vellum or white paper.

I also considered doing a black & white photo but I didn't like the way they printed on my laser printer. I had a new ink jet still in the box but I gave it to my MIIL when hers broke.