Theme: Decide on a theme for the party. It's best to theme the invitation with the party. For this example, we chose a Disney Princess theme for a child's birthday party.

Pictures: Download pictures from the web to use in the invitation. Download more than you are going to use so that you have plenty of options as it goes together. Start with one big graphic to use as a backdrop for the invitation. Search engines are a great resource. Most have an option to search for pictures. Clip art is a good tool also. For this example, we found a background on Disney.com that worked well.

Back Drop: Start with the backdrop. Edit out any unwanted text. This can be challenging, so use a graphic that requires minimal modification. Notice we removed the name, "Jasmine" as well as the Disney logo and we extended the canvas to allow for text.

Create it: Before you start adding, resize the backdrop to the size you want the finished product (reference step 5). Now, add in all the details for the party (time, date, place, etc.). Finally, cut out the other images you are using and past them into the picture. You can use dissolve or blending functions to soften the edges and make them look like they are all the same picture. (See the top of the page for the finished product)

Invite: If you are printing the invites, it's best to print on gloss or mat finish paper. Don not print at less then 300 DPI. Even though less looks good on the screen, it will not on paper. If you are e-mailing, keep the file size low. 72 DPI and 800x600 pixels will work best to view on most computers. Compile your list of addresses and mail them out.