Confetti Invitations + Template

I made this prototype for a couple who needed save-the-dates for a wedding. We ended up doing something else but these turned out so cute I thought I would do a tutorial on how to make them. These little tubes shoot a little burst of confetti when you twist them. The problem is they are usually ugly and the confetti inside them is usually poor quality (like five little sad strands.) So what we did here is strip the label, disassemble the spring mechanism. Then put it back together with our own confetti plus an invitation inside. Then the recipient twists the canister for an exciting little moment to get their invitations. Fun right?

We were going to do these as save-the-dates but they would work great as party invitations for any event.





Materials
Cheap Party Poppers (you can find these at most party supply stores) 12 for $10
Confetti (buy this or make your own--get out your hole punches!)
Invitations We did ours as a confetti on a string but you could easily just do a small square piece of paper and just fold it up.
Label Paper Then download the template for free right here or you can design your own.



Step 1 Disassemble the confetti shooter. Twist it so the confetti shoots out, then take off the label. Then take apart all the pieces



Step 2 Reassemble the canister and reset the spring so it is spring loaded. It is very easy to do and takes 10 seconds. It's pretty straight forward but here are a few pictures.



Step 3 Fill the loaded canister with confetti and the invitation. Take the circle piece from the top of the canister, trace it on white paper and cut it out. Then place it on top like a lid.



Step 4 Take your new label and remove the backing. Starting at one side adhere the label, smoothing it as you go. When you are done add a piece of tape on the seam to keep it secure. Then press down the overlap on the top with your finger until it is sticking to the white "lid." I experimented with different versions and I think this works best. You don't want to tape the lid down because the confetti had a hard time launching. The label paper is the perfect amount of stickiness to keep it secure but still allow the confetti and invitation to launch.



Voila! A super fun party invitation. I would mail them in a simple box with fun bright paper packing material but I wouldn't include a card. Just make it mysterious so they have to "twist it" to find out who it's from.

69 comments:

  1. these are GREAT!

    i don't know where to get confetti shooters around here, but if i find some, i will try this.

    thanks so much for sharing!

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  2. What a wonderful idea!!! Thanks for sharing! My kids would get the biggest kick out of this!

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  3. Party City has the poppers or you can get them online via the link I posted.

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  4. you are a genius!!

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  5. Whenever you come up with another rad project, the song "Wind Beneath My Wings" starts playing in my head.

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  6. Wow! This is one of your best ideas yet!

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  7. SHUT UP! These are the cutest and happiest inviations ever! I want to plan a party just so I have an excuse to make them. Thank so much for your endless creativity. :-)

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  8. I LOVE THESE!!! So cute and clever. Thank you for the step-by-step directions; I'm going to use this to ask my friends to be bridesmaids :)

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  9. WOW, i need to try this!!! you are awesome!!!

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  10. This is such a cute idea! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Anonymous7:02 PM

    These look great!
    I know that it is the 'simplest' part of your tutorial but I really love the simple banner invites, I've love to hang that on my fridge to remind me when the wedding is :)

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  12. Anonymous7:03 PM

    This is ADORABLE and thank you for the great DIY guide. Spreading the love!

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  13. This is just so crazy creative! I love it!

    - Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

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  14. Impressive as always. What a way to set the mood with the invite!

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  15. Such a fun idea. A friend's upcoming 35th is the perfect opportunity to use this idea, I think!

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  16. Wow! I can't wait to try this. So many confetti possibilities on the inside. Thanks for sharing this fun idea!

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  17. absolutely perfect. you're a crafty genius!

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  18. Jordan!!! These are amazing and just what I need for my son's birthday this summer. Thanks for being so awesome!

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  19. like many cute things...annoying too ! :D

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  20. seriously adorable!!! what a great idea!

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  21. love this idea, its so creative! love how its bursting with fun colored confetti!

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  22. How do you come up with these things?! Genius.

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  23. so cool! how would you mail those?

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  24. what an awesome invite!!!! such a creative idea.

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  25. These are so neat, Jordan! Love it!

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  26. Jordan, this is fantastic! I will use this for my birthday party. Thanks!

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  27. Thanks for another super-creative idea! Just have to share this on our Bellenza FB page today!

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  28. awesome idea!!

    thanks for sharing x

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  29. You are too good Jordan - love these!

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  30. AMAZING. I seriously need to throw a party just to use these.

    xo.

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  31. Are you kidding me?! These are Glorious! You really out-did yourself this time Gal.

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  32. So seriously I have "Ebay-confetti canon" on my list to do because, just last week I popped one of these things hoping for some cool pastel paper confetti, and yes, lame-o silver strips came out. - Here's to cool confetti!
    You couldn't have better timing!!

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  33. What a fantastic idea! I would love to do this for my next party! Thanks for the tutorial!

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  34. Hmmm...I'm thinking these would make SUPER cute "mystery" birthday greetings too! Thanks for the idea!!

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  35. Brilliant! I want to make these for our youth group cookout this summer. Thanks!

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  36. You are brilliant, genius, every good adjective.

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  37. This is an AMAZING idea. I am obsessed with the cute little colored-circles-on-a-string garland invitation that listed the date and the event. Despite how easy you say it is though, I fear I would not be able to do this as I am directionally challenged. Meaning I am bad at following directions especially if they have to do with arts and crafts : ( Sadly. I know I would somehow mess these up so that the spring wasn't loaded and the guests would twist their little canister and it would be totally anticlimactic and nothing would happen and they would have to pull out the garland by hand to see what's inside. I just know it! Haha but I'll give it a worthy try. Thanks for the idea as always.

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  38. LOVE LOVE LOVE this-would be a cute card idea too!

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  39. Janice7:06 PM

    So you send this to someone and it pops open leaving a mess of confetti for them to clean up?

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  40. This is sooo cool. I have neat freak friends that would kill me for sending it to them - but their kids would LOVE it!

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  41. Guys it takes like 30 seconds to clean it up. If you invite someone to a party and spend the time to make something special for them and they get mad they have to clean it up--maybe you should reconsider your friendship with them. None of my friends would act that way. ;)

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  42. Anonymous1:38 AM

    I hope I live my life so there's lots of confetti to clean up!

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  43. i would love to get one of these and so would my rad carpet sweeper!

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  44. These are brilliant Jordan! What a fun idea.

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  45. You never cease to amaze me.

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  46. Hi Jordan,

    I was so excited about this I went out and purchased some twist poppers just like these, but mine don't come apart. I twist and twist (after popped), and I can't seem to get it apart. Am I doing something wrong? Are there different kinds of twist poppers?

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  47. WOW. genius. this is why we like you so much.

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  48. Simply unbelievable. Going out on our blog love post tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing. Very inspiring. Although also prompting a strong desire to quit designing invites. You're the master!

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  49. Simply unbelievable. Going out on our blog love post tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing. Very inspiring. Although also prompting a strong desire to quit designing invites. You're the master!

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  50. my sister linked me to this post via twitter.
    this rocks! i believe i'll be making some of these thanks to you!
    amazing. wonderful. thanks!

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  51. Love, love, love. I think you have saved me.

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  52. I got so excited to make these for my nieces and nephews for their birthdays this year-- filled with confetti and some wadded up cash.

    But my poppers won't disassemble. So sad...

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  53. Fabulous! Amazing work. I've been obsessed with confetti for days. I'm working on a vibrant confetti watercolor design now. Loved seeing this today! Thanks for sharing. xo

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  54. Clever, but *seriously* I would make a warning about where to open them! I tend to open mail just wherever, while walking around the neighborhood, in my friends' cars, in line at the grocery if I've just shoved it all in my purse... and have had a few issues where people thought it would be nice to fill an envelope with glitter or confetti. Not bad when all you have to do is sweep your own hardwood floor, but a pain when it's picking glitter out of carpet or apologizing to your boss for dumping confetti all over her car. But, with a warning to open with care, a very cool idea!

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  55. one of the most wonderful & original save the date ideas i've seen in a long time!! how FUN!!

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  56. Anonymous11:59 PM

    Jordan, I just made 40(!) of these for my wedding save the dates! We decided to only send them to our peers & close friends and then the older family members will just get normal save the date cards so they won't have to clean up. I could not believe how easy they were to make! Thank you SO much for sharing this wonderful idea!!! I cannot wait until everybody gets to "pop" theirs!!!

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  57. I just made these for my daughter's birthday party, My husband was in charge of the resetting them and found that if you just peel off the top and dump out the contents you don't have to reset the spring. I think I also had the one's that don't disassemble. Found them at Walmart for $.50 a popper!!! I was so excited!!!

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  58. I made this! I had a heck of a time getting the tube apart, because it was hard to tell WHERE it would separate. The trick is the push down with your thumbs on the bottom (turny part) like popping a cork or a bottle cap.

    Anyway it came out great!

    http://extremecards.blogspot.com/2011/05/birthday-popper.html

    Carol

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  59. Anonymous5:52 PM

    My son's 40th birthday is approaching--this will make perfect "card" for the occasion.

    Thanks so much for the great idea!

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  60. I made these for a baby shower and they were a HUGE hit!

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  61. Anonymous5:30 PM

    This is great! What a fresh and fun idea!

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  62. LOVE THIS IDEA!!! Having a grand birthday party for my 40th birthday! Theme is...wait for it...CONFETTI!! This idea is perfect for my party!!

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