Ever since we mailed our invitations out back in January I've had quite a few requests from friends and brides-to-be asking how I made the Vintage Sheet Music Pockets that held our invitation suite. So... here we go!
^^Step 1. Gather your supplies and tools.^^
Paper supplies: I decided to make our pockets out of vintage sheet music, but you could choose anything from wrapping paper or newspaper, to magazines or maps! (ooo maps!) Go with what inspires you most and compliments the theme of your wedding.
Tools: A good pencil, an acid free glue stick, sharp scissors, scotch tape and a paper cutter.
^^Step 2: Choose your template.^^
Back in December I spent (more than) a few hours in Paper Presentation scouring their envelopes and pocket templates before I came across this one. I experimented with a couple variations, but in the end this format looked sharp and was the easiest to trace and cut.
**very important - make sure your invitation pocket fits into your outer envelope before you decide on final template!**
^^Step 3: Trace & Cut.^^
Because we will be using the title of the sheet music as the belly band, make sure to leave space at the top when you are tracing your pocket template. **This is only vintage music template specific** Trace lightly and try to position the template over the illustration in an aesthetically pleasing fashion.
I found it was most efficient to free-hand cut the templates out rather than using the paper cutter. Don't worry about cutting in perfectly straight lines once the pocket is folded you won't notice these small imperfections!
^^Step 4: Cut the belly band.^^
Keep the cover of the sheet music folded in half when you are cutting the title. You will need all the length to be able to wrap it around the pocket. I often had to do minor repair work at the crease of the sheet music with a bit of scotch tape. Make sure your paper is lined up and held securely in place before sliding the blade down the paper cutter.
^^Now you have a invitation pocket and belly band!^^
^^An advantage to using vintage sheet music was having the inside as well as the outside tell a story. Sometimes it was the musical score, sometimes lyrics or sometimes more illustrations. The lyrics to this song were particularly adorable to me...^^
^^Step 5: Fold your pocket.^^
Place your template on top of the newly cut pocket, line up the corner and edges, and using your original template as a guide - bend and fold!
^^Step 6: Glue your belly band.^^
Fold your title strip of paper around your freshly folded pocket, line up the title and glue the paper to form a belly band that can slip on and off the pocket. The belly band looks fantastic and it holds the pocket flaps in place!
^^Step 7: Stuff your invitation suite into your pocket and slide belly band into place!^^
^^Sit back, admire your work and then - repeat!^^
