How about one that's a puzzle and comes in an envelope-- decoupage your message onto cardboard and cut it apart?

--Jenn

Since it's a Christmas party, how about putting the invite on a Christmas ornament? ~Anj

Anj, that's a great idea since they can be hand delivered, and since they already did a jigsaw puzzle. Brilliant, Anj!

Another thought would be to use standard wooden (hinged) clothespins, felt and tagboard. Cut a pattern for a pair of mittens out of the tagboard and matching set out of felt. Decorate the felt mittens and glue onto tagboard. Glue the tagboarded, felt mittens onto the clothespins...tops matching at the closed end. Then take your clothespin and clip it to an invitation that you have made. Should end up looking like the invitation is being held by a pair of mittened hands. Each one can be decorated differently...kids can help, too.

WOW neat ideas!!! You all are great!
I'm clueless!!! but glad to see a couple of new faces!!!

Yes, great ideas! Keep 'em coming! We've recently done a Christmas decorated clothespin with it holding the invitation, with a magnet on it to put on the fridge. But I like the mitten idea! Going to put that in the file for a few years down the road.

So far, the only one we haven't done is the Christmas ornament one. Good idea!

A few others we've done are the little army guy with the parachute that you throw up in the air- we wrote the invitation on the parachute. One year we did it backwards to they'd have to read it in the mirror. Candy bar wrappers.
We may have to move far away so we can recycle our invitation ideas!

I thought about doing a personalized snow globe but have to keep the expense to around $2 since we send out about 50 invites. I also thought about putting a recordable sound chip in a card or Dollar store stuffed animal, but it's also too cost prohibitive for the sound chip.

Like I said, keep the ideas coming! ;)

I saw cute ornaments in the dollar store, four to a pack, so that wouldn't be too bad. I def would try the dollar store, they have some things that with some creativity could be great, and cheap too!

I like the ornament idea too. But will try to come up with a few more that might help for future years.

How about a "message in a bottle", just save up bottles all year for it and use stickers to decorate outside of bottle.

Or save up the wet wipe plastic containers and put pretty labels on them, then write the invitation on something that could be pulled out of the container in one continuous strip. If tops are not Christmas colors, just spray paint with the new spray paint for plastic.

Get small boxes with lids and decorate the outside in Christmas theme then have invitation accordian folded inside. You could even cut the paper in shapes like snowmen, ornaments, mittens etc. Just be sure to not cut them apart so they can be folded as one continuous piece.

Use empty clear CD cases and decorate one side with decoration and have invitation either inside or on the other side.

Bud vases are plentiful and cheap at TS, just put in a silk poinsettia and then hole punch the invitation and tie it on with a pretty ribbon.

Small christmas tree decorated with craft paper ornaments with party info written on.

Use the clear water slip decal paper and print out party info on computer (Be sure to spray a sealer on top and let dry), then adhere it to candles, ceramic tiles, etc.

Find mittens on a string and stuff invitation inside. (Not sure of cost on this one--maybe check places like Oriental Trading.)

Get decorated gift bags at dollar stores and put invitation inside. Add some colorful curly ribbons.

Or a cheaper way would be to use white lunch bags (they have those now in addition to the brown ones--about 20 or so in a package.) Then you could stencil or stamp or use stickers to decorate them.

That's all I can come up with for now. I'll keep thinking.

Luvs

How about inserting a rolled invitation into a balloon before blowing it up? Hand each couple a filled balloon.

or..

Write the party info in invisible ink on a plain piece of construction paper with clear instructions to "heat things up" to get the scoop on the party details.

You can Google the recipe for making your own invisible ink.

In case the invisible ink idea appeals to you. You can buy the ink ready made.

Here is a link that might be useful: store bought ink

It's a holiday party so you could bake a giant gingerbread or angle cookie and write the info on it with frosting. Don't use gooey frosting, use the powdered sugar/water/egg white style that dries hard and sticks tight. Cut the corner from a plastic sandwich bag and use it to make a piping bag for doing the lettering. (Make the cut very small!) Use a steady hand and the lettering should look great.

Slip the cookie into a cellophane envelope or cellophane gusset sack. The cookie can be eaten rather than making something that will end up in a landfill.

(I like the ornament idea that was suggested too.)

Here is a link that might be useful: FDA Approved Cello Bags

Mmmm. That sounds yummy!! Wish someone would send me a cookie invitation right now!! ha Can you tell I'm on a diet? ha

Hey Kathleen...been a while since I've been called brilliant! I likey!! hahahaha

On the Christmas theme...how about wrapping the invitation up in a box as a present? With Christmas wrapping paper and a big bow. Or you could just make the tag on the box the invitation and put something good in the box....like cookies!!

I'm hungry.
~Anj

I like the snowglobe idea - this may be one to watch for on the post-holiday clearance racks so you can use it next year.

What about little picture frames? You can decorate them for the holidays and frame your invite info. All the better if you take family photos at the party for guests to take home.

I like the cookie ideas. If your hand isn't steady enough for an invitation in icing, you could have little gingerbread people holding the invitation - a little icing to adhere a ribbon to each of their hands with the printed invite strung between them. (I know they also make printable icing, but I think you'd need to go through a commerical baker for that one)

You could use magnets - they sell magnetic paper that can go through an inkjet printer - kind of like the things you get from the pizza guy, but you could have fun with the design.

You could make your own Christmas crackers. (That would be fun, but pretty labor intensive - you could also add a paper wrap to the outside of pre-fab ones)

Or if you print the invitation like a gift tag, you could attach it to almost any token, seasonally-appropriate item - ornaments, candles, hot cocoa mix, etc.

Good luck! Sounds like a fun party.

Here is a link that might be useful: craftfetish blog

Here are some water globes that are not to highly priced the more you need the cheaper they are) Maybe you can think of someway to use these

judy

Here is a link that might be useful: national art craft

you could get the inexpensive stretchy knit gloves --often 2 pair for $1 at many larger reail stores, most I've sen them for is $1/pair (i usually pick up a few pair to have on hand in case one of the kids in my class forgets their mittens)-- you could put one word or piece of info in each finger- or depending on the group of people and if you know they wouldn't be offened--- you could do the mini rolls of toilet tissue (you can get these in the travel or camping section) and do the same thing only start it out with "Please don't make a stink--you're invited" on the first square and one word or info on each foloowing square . . . .

I know it's way beyond holiday party time, but I wanted to say that lovestocraft's idea "Find mittens on a string and stuff invitation inside. (Not sure of cost on this one--maybe check places like Oriental Trading.)" was similar to what our agency did for our winter party invitations. We actually had a friend who did knitting to knit mittens and the invitations were inserted inside. There was a note attached to the invitation to bring the mitten to the party and put it in a box that was at the front table, and our committee made pairs and donated the mittens to a children's winter clothing charity.

How neat that they went to charity afterwards. Really accomplished two goals there. Thanks for sharing. Luvs