How to Make Wedding Invitations With Cricut (And Whether It's Worth It)

Gisella Tan
2 days ago
7 min read

Making your own wedding invitations with a Cricut sounds like the perfect DIY project: beautiful results, personal touch, major savings. And it can be all of those things, but it can also turn into a time-consuming nightmare if you go in unprepared.

Before you commit to cutting 150 invitations by hand, let's get real about what this project actually involves, who it's right for, and how to do it without losing your mind.

Is Making Wedding Invitations With Cricut Actually a Good Idea?

Let's start with the honest question everyone's afraid to ask: Should you actually do this?

When Cricut wedding invitations make sense:

You already own a Cricut and have basic experience with it
Your guest list is under 100 (ideally under 75)
You have 20+ hours to dedicate to this project over several weeks
You genuinely enjoy crafting and won't resent the time
Your design is relatively simple (not 47 layers with hand-tied ribbon)
You want a specific look you can't find pre-made

When you should probably skip it:

You don't own a Cricut and would need to buy one just for this
Your guest list is 150+ (the math gets brutal)
Your wedding is less than 3 months away and you haven't started
You hate repetitive tasks or have limited patience
You're already stressed about wedding planning
Your budget is the only reason (there are cheaper alternatives)

The real cost-benefit math:

Materials for 100 invitations:

Cardstock: $50–$100
Envelopes: $30–$50
Specialty materials (foil, vellum, etc.): $20–$75
Adhesive, ribbon, extras: $20–$40
Total: $120–$265

Time investment:

Design and testing: 4–8 hours
Cutting: 8–15 hours (depends on complexity)
Assembly: 10–20 hours
Quality control and fixing mistakes: 2–5 hours
Total: 24–48 hours

Compare to:

Budget print services (Vistaprint, Canva Print): $150–$300 for 100 invitations
Mid-range custom stationery: $400–$800
High-end letterpress: $1,000+

The bottom line: Cricut invitations save money compared to mid-range and high-end options, but the savings are smaller than people expect when you factor in materials and your time. The real value is creative control and the satisfaction of making something yourself.

If that tradeoff sounds good to you, keep reading. If you just realized you don't have 30 hours to spare, that's valuable information too.

What You'll Need: Materials and Tools

Cricut machine options:

Cricut Maker or Maker 3: Best for wedding invitations. Handles heavier cardstock, offers more precision, and supports specialty tools like the foil transfer kit.
Cricut Explore Air 2 or Explore 3: Works fine for simpler designs on standard cardstock. May struggle with very thick paper or intricate cuts.
Cricut Joy: Too small for most invitation projects. Skip it.

Essential materials:

Cardstock (65–110 lb): This is your base. Heavier cardstock (80–110 lb) looks more premium but requires a Maker for clean cuts. Lighter cardstock (65 lb) works on any machine.
Envelopes: Buy these first, then size your invitations to fit. A7 (5x7) is standard for wedding invitations.
Cutting mats: StandardGrip (green) for most cardstock. LightGrip (blue) for thinner paper. Replace mats when they lose stickiness.
Fine point blade: For most cuts. Replace it if cuts get ragged.
Scoring wheel or stylus: For fold lines on pocket folds or layered designs.
Adhesive: Tape runner for large areas, glue dots for embellishments, foam squares for dimension.

Optional (but tempting) materials:

Foil transfer sheets: For metallic accents. Requires the Cricut foil transfer kit.
Vellum: For overlays or belly bands. Tricky to cut, so do a test run first.
Specialty cardstock: Glitter, shimmer, textured. Test before committing; some don't cut cleanly.
Wax seals: Not Cricut-related, but a popular pairing.
Ribbon or twine: For wrapping or belly bands.

What beginners often overbuy:

Multiple cardstock colors you'll use once
Expensive specialty paper that doesn't cut well
Every blade type (you probably just need the fine point)
Premade SVG bundles with 500 designs you'll never use

Pro tip: Buy materials for 10 test invitations first. Make those. Then buy in bulk once you've confirmed everything works.

The Process: Design to Finished Invitation

Phase 1: Design

Option A: Use a premade template

Sites like Etsy, Creative Market, and Design Bundles sell Cricut-ready wedding invitation SVGs. You customize the text in Cricut Design Space.

Pros: Faster, professionally designed, predictable results
Cons: Less unique, may need editing skills to customize well

Option B: Design from scratch in Cricut Design Space

You can create text-based designs directly in the software using the built-in fonts.

Pros: Fully custom, no additional cost
Cons: Limited font options, learning curve, can look amateur if not careful

Option C: Design in Canva/Illustrator, import to Cricut

Create your design in another program, export as SVG or PNG, then import to Design Space for cutting.

Pros: More design flexibility, professional fonts
Cons: Requires design software knowledge, import can be finicky

Design tips:

Keep it simple. Every layer, fold, and element adds assembly time.
Test your fonts at actual print size; some look great on screen but are unreadable when cut small.
Leave margins. Cuts that go to the edge are more likely to fail.
Design for your skill level, not Pinterest.

Phase 2: Testing

Do not skip this phase.

Before cutting 100+ invitations:

Cut a single test on your actual cardstock
Check the cut quality. Clean edges? No tearing?
Test assembly. Does everything align? Is gluing manageable?
Get feedback. Show it to your partner or a friend. Does the text read clearly?
Time yourself. How long did one take? Multiply that by your guest count.

If anything is wrong, fix it now. Adjusting after you've cut 50 invitations is painful.

Phase 3: Cutting

Batch your cuts. Cut all of one layer before moving to the next. This keeps materials and settings consistent.

Mat management:

Clean your mat between cuts (a lint roller works well)
Let cardstock sit on the mat for 30 seconds before cutting to ensure adhesion
Remove paper carefully to avoid bending; use a spatula tool

Machine settings:

Use "Cardstock" or "Heavy Cardstock" settings based on your paper weight
Do a test cut if switching materials
Replace your blade if edges look ragged or torn

Common cutting problems:

Paper not cutting through → Increase pressure or use "More" pressure setting
Paper tearing → Blade is dull, replace it
Paper curling after cut → Mat is too sticky, or paper wasn't pressed flat
Inconsistent cuts → Mat is losing adhesion, or blade needs replacing

Phase 4: Specialty Techniques (Optional)

Foil transfer: The Cricut foil transfer kit lets you add metallic accents. It's beautiful but adds significant time.

Works best on smooth cardstock (not textured)
Requires specific Design Space settings
Practice on scrap paper first; pressure matters

Scoring and folding: For pocket folds or gatefolds, use the scoring wheel (Maker) or scoring stylus (Explore).

Score before cutting when possible
Use a bone folder to get crisp folds
Account for paper thickness in your design, as thick cardstock folds differently than thin

Layering: Multiple cardstock layers create depth and visual interest.

Cut each layer as a separate operation
Use foam adhesive squares between layers for dimension
Keep layers to 2–3 max, or assembly becomes tedious

Phase 5: Assembly

This is where most people underestimate the time involved.

Set up an assembly line:

Lay out all components
Do one step for all invitations before moving to the next
Work in batches of 10–20
Take breaks; assembly fatigue leads to mistakes

Quality control:

Check each finished invitation for smudges, crooked elements, or adhesive showing
Set aside any with issues to fix later
Count as you go to make sure you don't come up short

Assembly time reality: If each invitation takes 5 minutes to assemble, 100 invitations = 8+ hours of assembly alone. Factor this in.

Common Cricut Wedding Invitation Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Designing something too complicated

That Pinterest invitation with six layers, hand-dyed ribbon, and wax seals looks amazing. It also took someone 80 hours to make. Be honest about what you're willing to do 100+ times.

Underestimating material waste

Your first cuts won't be perfect. Buy 10–15% more materials than you need to account for mistakes, test cuts, and the invitations you'll mess up at 11pm when you're tired.

Not testing cardstock brands

Not all cardstock cuts the same. One brand might work perfectly; another might tear. Test before buying in bulk.

Skipping the test invitation

"I'll just start cutting, it'll be fine." It won't be fine. Test first.

Assembly fatigue

Hour 15 of gluing tiny envelope liners is not fun. Build in breaks, work over multiple days, and enlist help if possible.

Forgetting to order envelopes first

Your invitation size is determined by available envelope sizes. Design your invitation to fit a standard envelope; don't design first and then hunt for a weird size.

Not leaving time for addressing

After cutting and assembly, you still need to address envelopes. If you're hand-writing or using the Cricut to write addresses, add several more hours.

Waiting until the last minute

Start this project 4–6 months before you need invitations mailed. You will hit problems. You will need to reorder materials. Build in buffer time.

What DIY Invitations Don't Handle (And How to Plan for It)

Beautiful invitations get people excited. But paper can't adapt when things change.

DIY invitations are static. Once they're mailed, you can't:

Update venue details if something changes
Remind people to RSVP when they forget
Correct a typo without reprinting
Answer the questions guests will inevitably have

This isn't a reason to skip DIY invitations; it's a reason to have a communication backup plan.

What to pair with your Cricut invitations:

A wedding website with current details (so guests can double-check)
A way to send updates if anything changes (venue, timing, etc.)
RSVP follow-up system for the 30% of guests who won't respond

Tools like Daisy Chat handle guest questions and RSVP reminders via text, so your gorgeous handmade invitations can focus on being beautiful, and your communication can stay flexible.

Cricut Wedding Invitation Checklist

Before you start:

Confirm your guest count
Buy envelopes first (determines invitation size)
Choose your Cricut machine and verify it handles your paper
Select or create your design
Order materials for test invitations only

Testing phase:

Cut and assemble one complete test invitation
Check cut quality, readability, and assembly
Time how long one invitation takes
Get feedback from partner or friend
Make design adjustments if needed

Bulk production:

Order full materials (plus 10–15% extra)
Replace blade if needed
Batch all cuts by layer
Set up assembly line
Quality check each finished invitation

Before mailing:

Address all envelopes
Weigh one complete invitation for postage
Add postage (hand-cancel at post office for safety)
Mail 6–8 weeks before wedding

The Bottom Line

Making wedding invitations with a Cricut is absolutely doable, and for the right person, it's a rewarding project that results in beautiful, personalized stationery. But it's not a casual weekend project, and it's not for everyone.

If you have the time, enjoy crafting, and want creative control, go for it. Start early, test everything, and build in more buffer time than you think you need.

If you're already overwhelmed, short on time, or only doing this to save money, consider the tradeoff carefully. Budget print services have gotten really good, and your sanity has value too.

Whatever you decide, your invitations are just the beginning of guest communication, not the end. Make sure you have a plan for everything that comes after.