INVITATIONS: I took regular computer paper and dipped it into cold tea to give it an old look. After it dried I typed the info for the party on it. Then I burned the edges. A friend brought over empty beer bottles and I soaked them to get the labels off. Then I had found some assorted size shells at the Dollar store and dropped about 15 small shells in the bottom of each bottle. I then rolled up the invite and tied with a thin piece of gold string, and slipped it into the bottle. Then I made up pirate names for each of the invitees. I cut index cards in half and burned the edges, then wrote the pirate names on it. My son and I then hand-delivered these. We called ahead to make sure they would be home because where we live we get a lot of raccoons and wild life and I didn't want to leave these on the porch incase an animal knocked them down and they broke.