How To Make Belly Bands For Wedding Invitations

You can learn how to make belly bands for wedding invitations in three easy steps. For this tutorial, you only need cards measuring 12 by 12 inches in color that would complement your wedding invitation design.

This project is quick and affordable, so it’s ideal for small weddings and those on a budget. You can also read how to save money on wedding invitations to save more on your wedding invites costs. 

how to make belly bands for wedding invitations

 

How To Make Wedding Invitation Belly Bands At Home

 

Step 1. Cut the cards into strips 

  • Prepare several card stocks in the color you want for the wedding invitation belly band; keep the wedding color scheme in mind to decide on the color
  • Card stocks or cover stocks are ideal as belly bands because they are thick for keeping the card together but are still flexible that you can fold them into bands
  • Prepare a pair of sharp scissors to get clean edges on your strips
  • Cut each card into strips, usually an inch wide, but you can cut them larger, depending on the look your want for the belly band against your wedding invitation
  • Use a ruler to get straight strips, and if you need to make a lot of belly bands, opt for paper guillotine for precise cuts rather than manually cutting each card stock with scissors
  • Depending on the paper guillotine, you can even cut through multiple cards, and you can use the measurement markings on the guillotine as a guide

 

Step 2. Fold each strip to create the invitation belly band

  • Now that you have several card stock strips, work on them one by one to make the belly bands
  • Have someone help you in folding to save time, especially when making multiple bands for the wedding invites
  • Grab the end of the card strip and fold it for about three inches 
  • Use the fold’s crease as a guide on where the wedding invitation’s right side should touch against when you slip on the belly band
  • Turn the wedding invitation over and ensure that the card strip is flat without any folds
  • Fold the other end of the strip so that its crease will also touch the other side of the wedding invitation securely
  • Make sure that the band is not loose on the invitation but also not too small that the guest can’t take it off 

 

Step 3. Glue the belly band together

  • Slip off the wedding invitation carefully without deconstructing the folded card strip 
  • Construct the belly band by applying glue on one end of the strip
  • Press the ends of the strip together to form the band
  • Let the belly band dry completely, then slip it on your wedding invitation
  • Do the same for the rest of the card strips and slip the bands on your invitations to finish
  • You can also slide in your information card inside the belly band along with the wedding invitation 
  • At this point, feel free to decorate the belly band to make it more aesthetically pleasing; just remember that you’ll put the invitations on an envelope, and you don’t want it to get thick from embellishments
  • You can also make the card strips more appealing by using scissors with curved or zigzag edges when cutting them
  • Another decorative option is to glue in paper details on the bands, write or print the couple’s name on it with some dainty details, or slip in some dried flowers within the band

 

What Size Is A Belly Band For Wedding Invitations?

The standard size for wedding invitations is 5 by 7 inches, and if this is the size of your wedding invitation, your belly band can measure 11 by 2 inches. 

Depending on the look you want, you can also cut the belly band strips smaller at an inch instead of two inches. However, you want the length to be 11 inches to cover your wedding invitation comfortably. 

What if your wedding invitation has a unique size? You only need to get the card’s width and multiply it by two, then allocate an extra inch for the overlap of the belly band. 

 

How Thick Should A Belly Band Be?

Your belly band shouldn’t be thicker than one inch, which is why card stocks are ideal for DIY belly bands. Card stocks are usually 0.010 inches thick, suitable for holding the printed material securely but still thin enough to fold the strip. 

You can’t use thin papers for making belly bands because remember that you will have two to three printed materials for the wedding. The band should hold the invitation and RSVP set together without their edges cutting through the belly band. 

 

Are Belly Bands Needed For Wedding Invitations?

It’s best to have belly bands for your wedding invitations because they will secure all your printed items neatly. They will make a great alternative to an inner envelope while also adding visual appeal. 

 

How Do You Keep Wedding Invitations Together?

  • Belly bands
  • Ribbon strips, strings, or twines
  • Inner envelope

 

Conclusion

And that’s it! You’ve just learned how to make belly bands for wedding invitations using card stock strips.

You only need to fold and glue the strips together for a quick and basic belly band. However, please cut the strips neatly and measure your belly bands accordingly. 

Are you also curious about how many invites to order? Read how many extra wedding invitations you need

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