• 1. Consider adding an R.S.V.P. card that includes a line that says, “My child has special dietary needs. They are…” This way, you can be sure the party doesn’t get cut short by a trip to the emergency room because you served peanut butter cookies and a child with a severe allergy went into anaphylactic shock while walking by the dessert table.
• 2. Think about including plans for bad weather in the invitations, such as postponing the party until the next day or having everyone meet at the local game center.
• 3. Remind parents of special concerns you have. For example, you may want to add a note that says, “Thank you for celebrating our son’s special day with us. Please make sure you walk your child to the door, as we are located on a busy street.”

“Mail for me?” Little Johnny is so excited to finally get his very own piece of mail. However, the excitement doesn’t last long. When he tears open the envelope to see a boring white card with some words on in it, he tosses his mail aside. Obviously, the sender didn’t realize that birthday invitations for a child’s party should be fun and colorful. Luckily, VistaPrint knows all about colour. To create custom invitations the guests will love to receive, you should:

• 1. Choose an invitation that reflects the birthday party theme. Children will enjoy looking at the bright images and will be able to see what type of party they are being invited to.
• 2. Make sure you don’t fall for cute images that will embarrass your too cool, too grown up little boy or girl. Children as young as three or four are horrified by things that seem babyish to them.
• 3. Include a small gift in the invitation envelope. A temporary pirate tattoo is easy to include in an invitation to a pirate themed party and is very inexpensive.
• 4. If you have additional information to pass on to the parents, include a smaller envelope with the parents’ names on it in the invitation envelope to hold this unexciting but important part of the party news.

As Jane Doe opens yet another little cream invitation envelope, she stifles a yawn. It seems like every single one of her friends is graduating, getting married, or having a baby this year and every one of them is sending party invitations in the same understatedly elegant envelopes. What happened to the wild gang of fun loving rebels she used to have so much fun with? If only Jane had a friend who was willing to push the envelope, or even get rid of it entirely. To help Jane overcome her invitation ennui, you should:

• 1.  Add some colour and fun to the envelopes. Rubber stamped designs, sketches, or silly doodles can transform a staid, drab envelope into an exciting piece of art.
• 2.  Shake things up with stamps. You can look for interesting stamps at your local post office or you can look into personalised postage stamps.
• 3.  Use a completely different container, such as an Easter egg. Simply fold the invitation and stick it inside. Tape the egg shut and adhere a mailing label. The post office may think you’ve lost it, but they’ll mail those eggs. People have successfully mailed everything from old shoes to rubber duckies through the post office.