As we head into wedding season, mailboxes will be full of invitations decorated with everything from bows to pearls to even confetti. Brides-to-be can draw upon the Four Treasures of China to create an elegant, unique (and even an eco-friendly) wedding invitation. Sumi-e (similar to calligraphy) involves a series of brush strokes both light and dark depending on the significance of the character. The goal of Sumi-e is not to simply reproduce an image but to capture its soul. Sumi-e makes the first glimpse into your wedding a meaningful and beautiful one.
Here’s what you need to make your Bamboo Wedding Invitations:
- Bamboo paper scroll (if you can’t find one locally, try BlankWallScrolls or OrientalOutpost)
- Sumi-e set
- Water dish
- Distilled water
- Pencil
Here’s how to create your Bamboo Wedding Invitations:
- Lay the bamboo scroll out flat (and we mean flat!) in front of you.
- Prepare the sumi-e set by adding distilled water to the water dish.
- Place the ink stone (from the sumi-e set) on its tray.
- Begin writing your invitations: Make sure to press very lightly with the pencil. This creates a light base to trace with the sumi-e set.
- Dip the tip of a sumi-e brush into the water dish. Sweep it across the top of the ink stone to saturate it with color.
- With the brush, go over the written words of the invitation. Do this lightly, pressing the bristles of the brush into the bamboo.
- Let the scroll dry for 30 minutes.
- Once dry, roll the scroll up. Tie with decorative ribbon for an added embellishment.
Let the first step in your journey to the altar be a beautiful one. For more bamboo-inspired craft ideas, visit Green Earth News Bamboo Crafts section. If you are more inclined to purchase eco friendly wedding invitations visit best-little-wedding-shop.com to see a great selection of affordable wedding invitations and save the dates.
