Part of making a birthday party special is being able to do something that no one else has done or to do it better than they did. When it comes to our children’s birthdays, this is especially true. Even if you have a party in the same venue as the last kid in class, you want your child’s birthday party to be different and unique.

One way to set a birthday party apart is to make your own invitations. DIY is incredibly trendy right now and it happens to be the best way to preview the party you are planning, like a tangible little teaser. Below are five incredible DIY birthday invitation ideas that are sure to get the creativity flowing.

First Birthday Photo Invitations

Let’s face it: your one-year-old is not going to remember this milestone. The first birthday party is all about the parents and the memories that they will hold onto. Making custom photo invitations is a great way to leave a lasting impression on your guests and create a treasured keepsake for Mom and Dad. All you need is white and colored card stock, printed photos, scrapbook paper, and some optional tools like a paper cutter and bone folder, and you can create invitations.

3D Sweet 16 Invitations

Your child’s sweet 16 is one of the biggest milestones in their lives, and at that age, it is probably the biggest event of his or her year. Making 3D DIY invitations is trendy, which is important to teenagers, and sets the tone of the party for being unique, well-planned and super fun. For a sweet 16 invitation, all that is needed is A2 sized scallop cards, any decorative paper, a couple of origami dresses, colored card stock, and fun embellishments. Glue and glitter can also be used.

Video Invitations

Sending a video invitation through email or social media is a fun way to make your party personal and make sure that all of your guests understand the details of the event. You can make your own video using a smartphone and computer and then send out the movie file or link, or you can use a website like starwarsintro.com to generate your own personal Star Wars crawl with music.

Treasure Map Invitations

If your child wants a Peter Pan adventure or scavenger hunt themed party, a treasure map invitation is an easy DIY invitation that can be made by anyone and customized for each individual. Use heavy paper or card stock and design your invitation in a program like Microsoft Publisher. After printing your invitation or treasure map, lightly singe the edges to make the map look old and weathered. You can also use wax seals that are found at any craft store to seal the invites as well.

Printable Invites

If you aren’t comfortable printing invitations yourself at home, or you're not really the DIY kind of person, a great way to still make your invitations unique and customized is to order them online through someone’s shop on Etsy, Zazzle, Vistaprint, or a specialized website such as Paperlust Birthday Invitations and customize invitations that will be printed and sent to you in the mail.

This is a great compromise between full DIY and mass-produced blandness. These invitations are usually very affordable and will save you time and energy putting together the invitations yourself. Some shops will even add embellishments to the invitations for you.

DIY or Customize

Regardless of whether you go 100% DIY or order customized invitations online, your invitations are going to make the party memorable and leave a great first impression on your future guests. DIY and customization also allow you to be more unique and creative in setting a theme for your party, so make sure you take full advantage of that.