DIY digital invitation using your smart phone

I am hoping the photos in this post come through okay. when I uploaded to blogger, their clarity changed a bit.

There has been times I am hosting a small shindig, and decide to send a text/email blast instead of traditional printed invitations. Even though I am sending an invitation digitally, I still make the invitation super cute and usually in theme with the type of gathering I am hosting. Side note: I know there are e-vites that you can create, but I find creating your own a touch more personal and convenient being everything is done on your smart phone. I am going to share how I create and edit my digital invitations. Let's get started:)

1. First you will need a photo editor.  Most smart phones come with a photo editor of some kind, but they tend to be limited. My all time favorite photo editor is PicsArt. PicsArt is a free app that can be found on the google play store. There are many other great photo editing apps out there, but for the purposes of this post, I am going to be talking solely of PicsArt. 

2. Download a background image and clipart you would like to use for your invitation. You will be downloading these images directly to your smart phone's gallery. For this particualr post, I am going to be creating an invitation for a gender reveal party. ( If you are unfamiliar with a gender reveal party, click here.)  Below are the images I used.

Background image

Clipart #1

Clipart #2

Clipart #3

Keep in mind, when trying to find clipart to use, you are going find PNG files are easier to work with. PNG files have a "transparent background" which make layering photos easy.  Alot of clipart are JPEG files. JPEG files can be a pain as they tend to have a white background behind the clipart. Just in case I lost you, below is a visual of what I mean.

Notice how this image of a frame has a solid white square around it? This is a JPEG

This frame doesn't have a white square; it has a transparent background. The frame image shown here is a PNG file. 

Hopefully that makes sense.  Just a FYI, the second photo is lighter in color because I used a filter while editing it for my invitation. Now back to the actual DIY portion..

3. Once you have your back ground image and additional clipart downloaded, you are going to open PicsArt. You are going to start off by editing the background image. This is going to be the base/foundation of your invitation. Once the background image of your choice is on your screen, you are going to start layering the different clipart you previously downloaded. For invitations, I tend to use a frame. A frame isnt necessarily needed, but looks great to put the invitation text in.

As mentioned, I used a filter to lighten the photo

 Adding additional clipart!This is the fun part. Dressing up the invitation.  I decided on a BEE theme for the gender reveal, so my clipart is bee related.

In PicsArt, you are able to edit each individual clipart you add. So I took the buzz trail off from the bumble bee, and soften both the bumble bee and the hive by using filters

4. Adding text. In PicsArt, they have a good variety of font styles with plenty of customization options (color, outline, shadowing, orientation,  etc.)

  

I used a variety of fonts with a white and gray color scheme, adding a pop of pink and blue. 

5. Finalize your invitation by adding anymore images.

I added two additional bumble bees, lightening them with filters as well

  I have been using PicsArt for years already, so I am pretty good at navigating and editing my photos. This gender reveal invitation took me less than 15 mins to put together.

Do you find your self sending text/email blast as quick invitations for informal events?  If you ever decide to go the route of customizing your own digital invitation and need some quick tips and tricks, feel free to contact me:)