I knew from the beginning that I wanted to make my own invitations myself. I planned to letterpress them, and figured I’d save myself some money. Turns out I was wrong.
Here’s the list of items I bought to D-I-Myself…
Crane Crest Pearl White envelopes = $49 (with shipping)
Crane 4-Bar envelope = $36 (with shipping)
Crane Lettra paper 20 23×30″ sheets = $90 (with shipping)
custom embosser from Etsy = $120
custom stamper from Etsy = $28
letterpress studio/guidance = $180
paper for lining envelopes = $25
paper for belly bands = $12
bakers twine to wrap envelopes = $18
adhesives, cutting tools, etc = $12
FedEx Office/Kinkos printing of ceremony cards = $32
custom letterpress plate from Boxcar Press = $48 (not even counting the 2 previous plates on which I ordered, then we changed details and had to re-order).
After all these expenses, I lost steam on this project twice. I’m finally mailing them today.
My lesson-to-self, Just because you want to do it and think you can do it, sometimes it’s better to leave it to the pros. I did get some help from a fabulous letterpress shop (Dick & Jane Letterpress) that let me help print, without putting all the stress on me to do it right.
Lesson-to-self #2: stretching the cost out over a longer period of time can make it difficult to keep the expenses in check.
Has anyone else done a DIY that ended up costing more than getting it done by a professional?
