Let me start by saying that to endeavor to make your own wedding stationary is no easy feat. Out of the whole wedding, I think it is the only thing that I have put the longest amount of time and effort in thinking, envisioning and researching. After doing hours of research, I was determined to try my hand at DIY letterpressing. It is not the most cost-effective but I have no doubt it will bring me the greatest satisfaction in the end. In this post, I will summarize the preliminary steps towards where I am now.
To begin, my first step in foraging was actually buying the L Letterpress machine. Back in September of 2011, JoAnn Crafts was still carrying the machine but all discount coupons specifically excluded the product. I ended up buying it from Buy.com for 99 dollars, with free shipping AND opened a Chase credit card with a $50 credit towards the first purchase (which I haven't used since! score!). In total, I paid $50 for the machine.
Then, I ordered customized letterpress plates from Boxcar Press. Googling "DIY wedding letterpress" and you will be sure to find lots of helpful tips and information on their website. Designing and arranging was not hard at all and is an easy task even for a person who has never designed at all. I have a background in print-making, which came in handy when using Illustrator, but most programs are pretty user friendly anyway. In total, it took me about 16 hours (two days, when I was unemployed and pretending it was my job :) in total to design Save the Dates, Invitations, RSVPs. But that was probably because I went through a series of designs, a series of editing in word placement, font size, type and other knick knacks. I created something I was very pleased with and was OK-ed all around. With that, I ordered the plates at a cost of $60.
Other basic supplies I gathered before starting:
- a soft roller/brayer
- ink (this I just simply went with L Letterpress ink because it was cheaper in cost and I don't need a whole pound can of ink, even though the unit cost is cheaper and is probably the better ink to use)
- an exacto knife (haven't figured out what I need it for yet)
- bone folder (not sure if I'm using it yet)
- paper from Crane & Co.
- guillotine style paper cutter
That is some good research! I love this budget planning!
ReplyDeleteIf you're doing large, straight cuts, you probably won't be needing an exacto knife especially since you have the guillotine. If you have another person helping, then maybe you can have them slice with a knife to speed it up a little bit. I purchased a self-healing mat, so I don't damage surfaces when I actually do use razors. It has serves me well! ;)