Pocketfold Cost Breakdown

This weekend, my friends and I made pocketfold invitations. I thought I got it done in under $30, but it turns out that it was closer to $40, mainly because of the stupid paper scorer that I bought (otherwise it would've been just over $30). Not bad, though, considering if I'd purchased them online, it would've been upwards of $80.

Anyway, here's the cost breakdown:

3 packages the "value pack" cardstock. Each pack had 50 sheets of paper, but I only liked three of the colors (about 30 sheets) so we needed 3 packages to get the 75 sheets needed. $9.50 (One was 50% off when I bought it and the other two were 25% off). I do plan on using the remaining sheets (i.e. the colors we didn't use) for the cards that are going inside the pocketfolds, like our RSVP cards and directions, so they're not going to waste!

Corner rounder by Fiskars $7.20 (used a 40% off coupon)

Stamp $5.40 (again, used a 40% off coupon)

Stamp pad $5.40 (used a 40% off coupon)

Paper scorer that didn't really work $8.40 (used a 40% off coupon)

Two boxes of zips $5.00 (used 50% off coupons on them)

Total cost: $40.90

Not bad, yes? The cost should've been $8 less...or at least $5 less if I'd found the bone folder I'd originally been looking for. I also have half a roll of zips left and a corner rounder that I'm planning on using for other projects. (See how I like to justify costs to myself?)

Weekend of wedding crafts (with tutorial)

The invitations are almost done! Well, they will be once we actually get all the details (times, etc...) locked down. But the hard part (at least I hope it was the hard part) is done! Three of my girlfriends got together with me this weekend and we had a wedding crafting party.

We watched wedding movies (including Wedding Crashers, Sex and the City and 27 Dresses before getting chick-flicked out and switching to The Tudors) while putting together 75 pocketfolds . . . and for under $30 as long as you don't count the guillotine paper cutter that I purchased (but will use for other projects as well).

I found inspiration for pocketfolds just about everywhere. Ultimately, I had Bridesmaid C design them and she used these instructions by Mrs. Daffodil as guidance. I knew I wanted rectangular invites, though, since square envelopes (for whatever random reason) cost more to mail.

Supplies:

1 sheet of 8.5" x 11" cardstock per pocketfold

1 paper cutter (I highly recommend a guillotine)

1 paper scorer/bone folder (or if you don't have one, use the edge of scissors like I did . . . but it was REALLY hard)

1 stamp of your choice (optional)
1 stamp pad (optional)

1 corner rounder (optional; after reading weddingbee religiously, I made sure to find the kind where you use your whole hand instead of just the thumb punch)

2 boxes of zips (make sure it's high adhesive!)
3 dedicated friends

Steps:

1) Cut the paper into proper dimensions. Make one cut so that you have a 5.5" x 11" sheet. Using the remaining piece of scrap (the 3" x 11" side) make a 5.75" cut. And that other scrap you have? the 5.25" x 3" piece? We found it fits nicely into the pocketfold and can be a little reception card. Waste not, want not . . .

2) Using the 5.75" strip, score the paper .25" from the edge on the bottom and right edge. Cut the strip diagonally from one corner of the scoring to the other (see diagram; cut from point A to point B). Cut triangles on outside of score line to make sure that there isn't a flap sticking out when you fold the score lines up (again, see diagram.) Note that you're cutting the part that will be folded, not the triangle itself! Fold the scored lines and trim as necessary.

3) Now that big piece you have? The 5.5" x 11" sheet? Make two score lines, one 4" from the bottom, the second line 8" from the bottom. Thus, you should end up with three sections: one 3" section on top, a 4" section in the middle and 4" section on the bottom. Fold the scored lines. I used a corner rounder for the top section so that when it folds over it looks a little less harsh, but that's completely optional.

So, the bottom third will be the part with the pocket and will hold our RSVP card, directions and reception card. The middle third will be the ceremony info (we're going to print it out on beige or cream colored paper then glue it into the middle).

4) Go back to your triangle and place a zips strip on the .25" strip that's been folded up. Try not to touch the zips! The beauty of zips is that you can cut the strip to the length desired, press it onto your paper then peel off the backing. That way you don't have to touch this super sticky tape and it will adhere better. Now stick it onto the bottom edge of your big piece. Press it down firmly, otherwise it's not going to stick. For good measure, stick them between heavy books. I found that this project made excellent use of my now retired law school casebooks. Pictured below, in order of size: Constitutional Law, Trade Regulation (a.k.a. Antitrust), Immigration (okay, this one is my fiance's but I figured he wouldn't mind), and Contracts.

5) Prettify your invitation however you choose. Or don't because it looks pretty the way it is. I found a pretty little scrolly/flowery stamp and used it on the front outside of the pocketfold. Be very careful if you use the brilliance ink pad made by tsukineko. Even though it says fast drying, it took a good few hours to fully dry. Thus, a few of ours ended up smudged, but I wasn't really going for perfection and I like the handmade look they have. Do NOT stack the pocketfolds on top of each other while they dry if you stamp them. You will end up with silver ink (or whatever color you choose to use) on the back of each invitation. After they dry, you may want to stack them up and stick them under law books (or telephone books or other heavy items) overnight to make sure those pockets really stay down.

We're not entirely sure yet how to close the invite. Bridesmaid C (and designer/engineer of these pocketfolds) really wants a wide ribbon to tie it all together. Originaly, I was opting for a thin ribbon. Now that I think about it, and given our theme, I'm starting to look into wax seals, maybe with our monogram. I think it would look really awesome, but am a little concerned with the cost.

Anyway, that's what I did this weekend! I'm super excited about how well it all turned out and how much we accomplished. Bridesmaid C was the first to show up around 10 a.m. followed by Bridesmaid L at around 11 and then Friend D at about 1. By 5 p.m. or so we were completely done and Bridesmaid L even got a start on monogram letters. Having three friends really made everything so much more efficient and was a lot of fun! We had a paper cutter, a paper scorerer, paper folder and pocket gluer. Before I knew it we had 75 pocketfolds nestled between a stack of law books. Great job ladies! Thank you for all your help!

Where Can I Find a Bone Folder?

I went into Michael's today looking for a bone folder or something to score paper with. My paper cutter, a gullotine style cutter, doesn't come equipped with a scoring blade. I look in all the spots I think they might have it: the cardmaking section, near the rubber stamps, in the cardstock and scrapbooking aisles, and the hole-punch/paper trimmer aisle. No luck.



Knowing that I needed a paper scorer for my upcoming craft party, I asked a sales associate. She goes and asks one of her colleagues who has no clue what I'm talking about. She then takes me to another sales associate and I ask, "Do you have something to score paper with? To make it crease better? Sometimes it's called a bone folder?" The sales associate looks at me like I'm crazy, but the customer she'd been talking to is nodding her head. "Come on," the customer tells me, "I'll show you where they are." Turns out this sweet lady is a regular customer. So we go hunting through all the same aisles I'd been through to no avail. She finally suggests buying a cheap paper trimmer since I had a 40% off coupon with me together with a scoring blade. I was a little disappointed that Michael's didn't have just a simple bone folder and I didn't need another paper cutter, but I needed the scorer so I took her advice.

I went home and tested out the scoring blade in my newly purchased paper trimmer. The cutting blade seems to work perfectly fine, slicing through cardstock with ease. I then pull the scoring blade across the cardstock. Nothing happens. I pull the blade back across the other way. Nothing. Awesome. I now have a second paper trimmer which I purchased to use exclusively as a paper scorer and the scoring blade doesn't even work! Turns out, I can drag the blade of scissors through where the scoring blade slides and it scores cardstock fairly well, but I'm still annoyed.

All I really want is a bone folder! Why is it so hard to find?

Shopping at Michael's, One Week at a Time

Because we have a pretty limited budget, we decided to do as many DIY projects as possible. We want to do our invitations, reply cards, programs, bouquets, reception decorations (including table cloths), aisle runner, accessories (such as jewelry, garter and veil) and possibly even food items ourselves or through the help of friends and family. Also, we agreed to go to Michael's once a week and buy one item at a time (or two if I can drag Fiance with me) with the 40% off coupons that we get with our newspaper each week. Sounds like a plan, yes?

Here's what we've learned.

First, it's not really necessary to hunt down the Michael's coupon each week in our throw-away mail or newspaper. Turns out every time you make a purchase from Michael's, along with your receipt comes a coupon to use for the following week. Sometimes the coupon is 40% or 50% off any single item or occassionally you get a 20% off entire purchase coupon. Personally, I much perfer the single item coupons because I don't mind picking up one item at a time.

Second, Saturday afternoons in the month before Christmas are a terrible time to make your weekly stop at Michael's. I went there yesterday to return a rotary paper cutterthat I bought from Michael's on Black Friday (it was a great deal! It was regularly priced at $70, but was selling for $30 and then I used a 20% off coupon so I got it for $24...but then I decided I really wanted a guillotine cutter instead and will pay the extra $ for what I really want) and buy some silver ink. After battling a Ford Ranger who did NOT want to let me merge into his lane, I get to the parking lot and . . . what?! No parking spaces?! Now, other than Black Friday at 8 a.m., I've only been to this particular Michael's on weekdays either in the early morning or early afternoon and have easily found parking immediately adjacent to the door. Turns out, the story is quite different on the weekend. Ordinarily I would've said "Screw it!" and come back midweek, but I was meeting one of my bridesmaids so we could decide exactly what design we were going to use for my wedding invites. Michael's is indeed a madhouse with the line snaking through the holiday stocking stuff displays, past the cardstock, and halfway through the back of the store. Yeah, definitely not going back there on a weekend, at least not in the month of December.

Third, not all Michael's are created equal. The Michael's closest to where we're currently living has a woefully small paper-product (i.e. scrapbooking) section (and instead is replaced with a ginormous Crayola section for 7 year olds). Sad. Which means every time I visit my old stomping grounds (really only about half an hour away) I must stop into Michael's there.

Fourth, seasonal sales clerks are no help at all. I actually understand this one having worked a number of retail jobs throughout high school and college. Seasonal employees are there only to help with the huge crowds, they get hired in November or so and don't have a lot of time to learn the store, hey often don't care about customer service because they have no real ties to the company. Even so, I get a teensy bit frustrated by the blank stares I get when I ask for help. "Excuse me, but do you know where your envelopes are?" *Blank stare* "Hi, can you help me find your paint pens?" *Blank stare* Worse still is when I get a similar response from an assistant manager: "Excuse me, but do you know where I could find flat glass ornaments to decorate?" I asked, showing him a picture of what I want. *Blank stare* accompanied by, "Uh...if it's not on the shelf, then we probably don't have it." Wonderful.

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Items that I'm looking to buy from Michael's in the next couple months: guillotine paper cutter, cardstock, envelopes, ribbon, eyelets, hole punch, floral wire, double-sided sticky tape, ink...