Sometimes, you want your guests to know that your Halloween party is also a birthday party, but it's hard to find commercial invitations for both.

Here are a few terrific ideas for Halloween party invitations!

Monster Party Cards

These Halloween birthday party invitations are fun, attractive and easy, and they're a great way to recycle!

1. Start with some blank gift cards, or use sturdy paper or thin cardboard from old cereal or cracker boxes, cut and folded into the shape of a card.

2. Collect several types of handmade paper, decorative paper and gift-wrap in orange, black, gray and gold. Glue the decorative paper to both the insides and outsides of your invitations. Don't use just one type of paper on each card – be creative!

3. Photocopy some pictures of scary Halloween monsters. Frankenstein's monster, the Wolfman and Dracula make great images, and you can also use pictures of gargoyles, skeletons, skulls and ghosts. Glue these photocopied images to the front of your Halloween birthday party invitations.

4. Collect some old birthday cards, invitations, gift-wrap and decorations. Cut out the colorful birthday images: party hats, noisemakers, birthday cakes, bunches of balloons, brightly decorated presents and birthday banners make great birthday cut-outs.

5. Glue your birthday cutouts to appropriate places in your scary monster pictures. Make Frankenstein's monster wear a party hat, or have the Wolfman hold a present or a bunch of balloons. You get the picture!

6. Write your party information on the inside of each invitation. Be sure to include the date, time and place of your party!

Simple Stamped Scroll Invitations

These are great Halloween birthday party invitations that you can hand-deliver to your guests!

1. Use sheets of good quality, legal sized paper in off-white or cream for your invitation scroll. You will also need craft foam (available at most craft and dollar stores), glue, thick cardboard, scissors, tempera paints, paintbrushes, twine or colored ribbon.

2. Draw simple designs on the foam and cut them out. You want a combination of a few Halloween designs and a few birthday designs. Try bats, pumpkins, crescent moons or ghosts for Halloween designs, and birthday cakes, balloons, presents, party hats or noisemakers for birthday designs. Glue each piece of foam to a piece of thick cardboard. These are your stamps!

3. Stamp festive borders around your Halloween birthday party invitations. Use a paintbrush to apply thin layers of paint to the stamps, and press them onto the outside edges of your invitations, alternating between the birthday and Halloween themed stamps. Use orange and black paint for Halloween stamps, and two bright primary colors for birthday stamps. For classy adult invitations, use silver and gold paints instead.

4. Once the paint dries, write out your invitations. In keeping with the scroll theme, write your invitation using old-time or official language. Start with something like "We, the inhabitants of 555 Elm Street do hereby invite you…" or something in a similar vein. Be sure to include the date, time and address of your party.

5. Once your invitations are written, roll them up like scrolls and secure them with pieces of twine – or use ribbons of the same colors as your stamped borders. They're ready to deliver!

Have fun in making your own Halloween birthday party invitations!