Of all of the gifts you can give a pair of newlyweds, something you make for them can be among the most appreciated. Here are three ideas for using a wedding invitation to create a beloved and lasting gift for the happy couple.

The most popular way to turn a wedding invitation into a treasured gift is to mat and frame it. A nice twist, if you have access to an engagement photo and a wedding photo, is to frame the invitation in a three-photo frame with the invitation as the middle panel. A second idea, involving a four-panel photo frame, is to beg the couple's family members for baby pictures. A baby picture of each, a wedding photo and an invitation can become a lovely gift. Of course, if you include a wedding photo, you must give the gift after the wedding.

Wedding receptions are great places to gather goods for the next type of gift, the shadow box. Gather mementos of the wedding and the invitation and arrange them, using craft glue, inside a shadow box as a way of remembering the special day. Ideas for a shadow box can be as creative as the bride and groom. Table decorations generally taken home or discarded, decorative rice packages usually thrown at the bride and groom, bubble containers, flowers (dried before being added to the shadow box), ribbons and such are all great ideas for inclusion in a shadow box gift.

One of the best gifts featuring a wedding invitation can be given to a couple on their first, fifth, 10th or even 25th wedding anniversary. Make the couple a small picnic basket they can use to celebrate their anniversary. If available, include such things in the basket as napkins from the reception, newly prepared foods that are reminiscent of their reception choices, and a bottle of wine on which you have affixed their wedding invitation. Either craft glue or spray adhesive will suffice to attach the invitation to the wine bottle. When giving a picnic basket, don't forget to include glasses and a corkscrew!

There are a lot of wonderful ideas for using wedding invitations to create long-lasting and memorable gifts that your friends or loved ones will cherish for a lifetime. Use these three, or create your own. The sky is the limit, and nearly anything you choose will be regarded as precious. People forget who gave them the crock pot, but no one ever forgets the person who makes creative use of the elements of their dream wedding. Happy gift giving!