diy acrylic invitations

There are many styles of acrylic invitations but I will show you the easiest way to make one with the least amount of materials.

Some of these include making vinyl cutouts of graphics and words and then adhering them to mylar sheets. You can also print on transparencies and then paint the back with acrylic paint so the print shows up better.

Each of these methods has its own aesthetic it’s really up to you and what look and feel you’re going for. For me, the easiest way to make an acrylic invitation is to print everything using a printer. I don’t feel like weeding a bunch of letters out of vinyl and I think printing it provides the most flexibility in terms of graphics.

All you need to do is a little extra graphics editing. In this post, I’ll provide a tutorial on how to make DIY acrylic invitations.

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Materials for Acrylic Invitations

Mylar Sheets – I used a set I got from Amazon. I recommend 4Mil plastic sheets which are easier to cut.

Clear Sticker Paper – I have yet to find completely clear mylar sheets that can be printed so instead, I do a 2 step process where I print on sticker paper and then stick it on Mylar. I use Avery brand sticker paper.

Cricut – I use a cutting machine to do some of the cutting for this project. This of course is optional but it sure makes things go faster. Check out my reviews for Best Cricut machines for beginners if you’re new to the Cricut.

Templates – If you would like to use this transparent background magnolia illustration, I’ve included it for free in my resource library. You can use it in any editor like Word or Powerpoint and not just Cricut Design Space.

Find Your Image

First, we start with a background graphic. I love public domain images and especially vintage prints. Here is the one I will use in this example tutorial.

This is Magnolia (1886) in high resolution by L. Prang & Co. Original from The Library of Congress. Digitally enhanced by Rawpixel. You can get the image from Raw Pixel here. There are so many public domain images you can find and use with this method.

Of course, there are several ways you can make your own image as well for these DIY acrylic invitations. For example, you can flatten and dry a flower in a book. Then, you can take pictures of it to get a similar effect. If you enjoy painting in acrylics, watercolor, or oil paints, you can take a photograph of one of your paintings. There are also many other stock image websites for DIY wedding invitations, thank you notes, and birthday cards.

Remove the Image Background

Then, I use Clippingmagic.com to remove the background of the image. There are lots of background removal tools out there that provide automated results. Clipping Magic is the only one that has both full auto background removal and lets you make editorial changes afterward which is necessary for this project.

Once you upload your image to Clipping Magic, the software immediately analyzes the file. Then, it automatically produces your result with the background removed. If you find that there are parts of the image you want to clean up, you can use the inspect and edit tools within the Smart Editor.

For example, you can use the red tool (-) to remove any unwanted portions the remover didn’t erase automatically. Additionally, you can use the green tool (+) to bring back pixels that were lost in the foreground. The scalpel tool works great to further refine the edges of the acrylic invitation image as well.

Download Your Result

After just a few clicks, I’ve made the background of my image transparent. You need a transparent background so the subject of the image can be overlayed with text. Additionally, a transparent background allows you to add design elements in front of and behind your flower image asset.

When you’re happy with your image, you can download it as a PNG with a transparent background. This way, you can keep the flowers intact to print and use on the invitation.

Upload Image To Printing Software

This next part, you can do with any editor like Power point, Microsoft Office Word or any Google slides or docs. Since I’m going to cut this on my Cricut cutting machine, I will just edit and create my graphics within Cricut Design Space.

I use the Upload option within Cricut Design Space to upload the transparent PNG of the Magnolia. I mark this image as complex because I want to preserve the details of the flower.

In addition, there is no additional background selection necessary. Therefore, I can just select Print Then Cut Image. If I were doing a different craft and only needed the image outline, I could choose the cut image option. Additionally, I could upload the image as an SVG for easy scaling. In this case, the transparent magnolia PNG works great.

For avid Cricut users, you might wonder why I don’t just remove the background within Cricut Design Space itself. The reason is their underlying algorithm for that process sucks and it takes too long and doesn’t do a very good job of creating an outline around the part of the graphic I want to keep. For high-quality results, just use ClippingMagic.com. It’s easy to edit, and the automated process makes it go much faster. This way, you can spend time creating more invitations.

Slice & Flatten In Cricut Design Space

Once uploaded to the Cricut Design Space Canvas, I use the various graphics editing tools to slice and flatten my original image. To create a clean 90 degree angle, I added a rectangle shape within the design space. This way, I can position the flowers in the corner of my DIY acrylic invitation. Depending on how you design your invitation, you can use a heart or circle shape as well.

After you make the rectangle, you can use the Slice tool to shape your PNG. This is located at the bottom of the Layers panel. To activate it, make sure you have two layers selected. Typically, you cannot slice more than two layers because the software wouldn’t know what shape to cut.

Add Text Copy

You can also use the text tool to create your copy. When choosing fonts, keep in mind that you should choose something your party guests can read. Since I made DIY acrylic wedding invitations with the Cricut, I chose to embellish the word “Wedding.” Then, I was able to add the smaller details, such as the venue and date in a sans serif font. Try to keep your text evenly spaced, so it’s easy to read throughout the design.

Print Your DIY Acrylic Invitation

When you’re done designing, just flatten the whole design and then Make It. For an easier assembly process, I print these on transparent sheets. Then, I paint the back with acrylic paint to increase the legibility. You can also use your Cricut to make DIY envelopes and belly bands for the invitations as well.

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