Email This
Sending out formal pregnancy announcements is not common or expected, but is certainly not unheard of either -- elegant pregnancy announcements are offered on several retail sites, at prices that may make your suddenly-very-budget-conscious eyes roll. Still, you have to tell your friends and family somehow. If you have a lot of family and friends spread out all over the map, some type of announcement after the first trimester is a good idea. You can always draft a nice e-mail with the news (a perfectly acceptable way to inform friends and extended family members, by the way), but if you like the idea of pregnancy announcements, but not the cost, you can make your own DIY announcements.
Since there is really no standard traditional pregnancy announcement, the way you design one is entirely up to you. You can put a photo of yourself and your partner, an ultrasound photo or just use text on a whimsical handmade card. For wording, you can choose a stock rhyme or verse, write your own, or keep it simple and formal with just the basic details and the month the baby is due (due date isn't necessary, but it will be the first thing recipients will want to know). Avoid things like references to all the "work" it took to get pregnant or to gifts -- counting off "shopping days" until the baby is born comes off as a gift grab that isn't funny or cute. Although "pregnant" is a word not traditionally used in formal announcements, it's perfectly fine in the 21st century; no need to use cutesy euphemisms unless that's what you prefer.
Some simply DIY announcement ideas that can easily be converted to announce pregnancy:
Ribbons and Paper
If you scrapbook as a hobby, you may already have what you need to make these announcements from Do-It-Yourself Invitations. Embellished with ribbon and paper-punched shapes, they can easily be made into pregnancy announcements by using a photo of the mom or couple in place of the baby picture. Look for paper punches with shapes like hearts, ducks or baby feet.
Seed Packets
Making a seed-packet announcement is a neat idea for a wedding or birth announcement that may be an even better one as a pregnancy announcement. Kodak offers step-by-step instructions on how to do it, including a template that can be customized in a photo editing program. Print, fold, glue and add a few wildflower or herb seeds.
Pop-Up
Scrapbooker Sandy Genovese of the web show "The Scrapbook Showgram" on DIY Craft Videos demonstrates how to make a simple 3D baby announcement that can be converted into a pregnancy announcement with a few simple changes--for example, the front photo could be of the couple, keeping the dangling baby booties on the inside.
eCards
Create fully customizable eCards on Buzzle, using your own images and text, which you can combine with their stock images, if you like. Simple to make and free!
Email This
Sending out formal pregnancy announcements is not common or expected, but is certainly not unheard of either -- elegant pregnancy announcements are offered on several retail sites, at prices that may make your suddenly-very-budget-conscious eyes roll. Still, you have to tell your friends and family somehow. If you have a lot of family and friends spread out all over the map, some type of announcement after the first trimester is a good idea. You can always draft a nice e-mail with the news (a perfectly acceptable way to inform friends and extended family members, by the way), but if you like the idea of pregnancy announcements, but not the cost, you can make your own DIY announcements.Since there is really no standard traditional pregnancy announcement, the way you design one is entirely up to you. You can put a photo of yourself and your partner, an ultrasound photo or just use text on a whimsical handmade card. For wording, you can choose a stock rhyme or verse, write your own, or keep it simple and formal with just the basic details and the month the baby is due (due date isn't necessary, but it will be the first thing recipients will want to know). Avoid things like references to all the "work" it took to get pregnant or to gifts -- counting off "shopping days" until the baby is born comes off as a gift grab that isn't funny or cute. Although "pregnant" is a word not traditionally used in formal announcements, it's perfectly fine in the 21st century; no need to use cutesy euphemisms unless that's what you prefer.
Some simply DIY announcement ideas that can easily be converted to announce pregnancy:
Ribbons and Paper
If you scrapbook as a hobby, you may already have what you need to make these announcements from Do-It-Yourself Invitations. Embellished with ribbon and paper-punched shapes, they can easily be made into pregnancy announcements by using a photo of the mom or couple in place of the baby picture. Look for paper punches with shapes like hearts, ducks or baby feet.
Seed Packets
Making a seed-packet announcement is a neat idea for a wedding or birth announcement that may be an even better one as a pregnancy announcement. Kodak offers step-by-step instructions on how to do it, including a template that can be customized in a photo editing program. Print, fold, glue and add a few wildflower or herb seeds.
Pop-Up
Scrapbooker Sandy Genovese of the web show "The Scrapbook Showgram" on DIY Craft Videos demonstrates how to make a simple 3D baby announcement that can be converted into a pregnancy announcement with a few simple changes--for example, the front photo could be of the couple, keeping the dangling baby booties on the inside.
eCards
Create fully customizable eCards on Buzzle, using your own images and text, which you can combine with their stock images, if you like. Simple to make and free!