Making Your Own Greeting Cards

There are many ways we can celebrate special days with those that we care for. Simple acts of kindness can brighten the day of anyone. However, one of my favorite ways to make a day special for my friends and family is to give them handmade greeting cards. Personal cards like this show that you have put some extra thought into their creation.

Card making is becoming more and more popular. Anyone can walk into a shop and buy a greeting card. It is even easier to find an online card and simply email it. However, it takes time and effort to make a card yourself, so it demonstrates to the receiver that they are indeed special. Handmade cards aren’t restricted to any particular occasion. They can be made for birthdays, anniversaries, valentines or simply to say ‘I care’.

Over time it is useful to collect various card making supplies, such as fabric and buttons, which you can incorporate into the cards. It is also useful to collect card-making ideas and store these in a special folder which you can refer to when needed. You don’t have to be an artistic person. An easy way to be creative is to use simple shapes and to trace patterns such as a cat or a fish. Another easy way to create fabric shapes is to use cookie cutters as a template. Using the patterns you can trace them on to fabric and cut out the appropriate shapes. Then you can use fabric paint to outline the shape on the card. Fabric paint is raised so it gives texture. The paints come in a wide range of colors and may include glitter for extra sparkle. The card can take on an even more 3d appearance by using wire, buttons or other materials.

If you are interested in calligraphy you can make the text look special. However, if you aren’t good at this there are many computer programs which can print out text in great looking fonts. Nevertheless, it is your personalized message that will mean the most, so take some time to express just the right words.

The final product can have your own acknowledgment by using a rubber stamp with "Handcrafted by (YOUR NAME)” on the back. Another nice feature is that no two handmade cards are ever exactly alike. Making greeting cards is not only a wonderful hobby, but is also a way to let your family and friends know just how much you care.

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Author: Mandy Branch
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