The word "stork" comes from the Greek word storge, meaning 'strong, natural affection'. Because storks live for up to 70 years and are monogamous, they have a highly developed sense of devotion to their family members.
Scandinavian biologists and naturalists noticed that tight-knit families of storks would return to the same nesting sites, year after year, to raise their young. These nests were either on or near chimneys, and often the stork's arrival into a town also coincided with a distinct jump in the birth rate of the human population. This ignited human imagination and the Scandinavian story of childbirth by stork was born.
The Norse tale tells of a stork delivering a baby via the chimney of an expectant mother's home, then leaving her baby and biting her on the ankle before its exit. Since this story was told to curious children, the ankle bite gave parents a ready excuse for the children's mother's need to rest after the arrival of the newborn.
Storks have held deep symbolic meaning for many cultures throughout history. Early references to storks in the Bible considered these birds to be uniquely beautiful, and high praise for the time would have been to have your beauty compared to that of a stork! The ancient Chinese, influenced by the Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, saw the stork as a messenger of God and believed storks to have the ability to ascend to the heavens, taking people with them. The symbol of the stork throughout recorded time has been one of innocence, beauty, protection, and a direct link to a higher power.
So how much does a stork birth announcement cost?
Birth announcements using the stork theme are some of the largest commercial sellers and are widely available. Mass-produced announcements by major greeting card companies are generally inexpensive, yet lacking in personalization and creative flair. The cost for these announcements can be under $20, including postage.
For a personalized stork birth announcement, consider local and online printing services. These services will personalize your birth announcements with images and text; however, the charges for personalization can add up quickly. Prices will vary, but it is not uncommon for 50 personalized birth announcements to cost $200 through a commercial printing service.
A fun alternative to buying stork birth announcements is making them yourself! Even if you think you have no artistic abilities at all, you can make exceptional, personalized birth announcement for a fraction of what you'd end up paying someone else to do it. The costs are in the items you use to make them and can be easily adjusted to fit any budget.
Items you will need to make your own stork birth announcements include:
- Paper: card stock and specialty papers are available at office supply and craft stores.
- Stork clipart and borders: to fit the theme and add interest!
- Computer and printer: to transfer the clipart, borders, and digital photos to the announcements or papers used in their construction.
- Glue stick or spray adhesive
- Scissors: regular and (optional) craft edge scissors to add interesting edge effects to photos or the announcement edges.
- Craft embellishments: ribbons, stickers, rubber stamps, etc.
- Baby's information: full name, date of birth, time of birth, length, and weight.
- Envelopes and stamps: make sure your creation has a properly-fitting envelope and enough postage to make it to its destination.
Constructing your announcements will be a fun project for you and your family. As your stork birth announcements come together, you'll have the satisfaction of incorporating a benevolent symbol of a newborn's arrival into your project during this joyous time.