by Sophie Playle

Created on: September 05, 2008

Making your own holiday gift cards is fun and inexpensive. A home made card adds that personal touch to any occasion, and it also means the big card companies don't get their paws on your hard-earned cash. Here I will tell you a few tips for making your own gift cards, helping you present them as beautifully crafted objects.

You probably already have all the tools you need around the house. You need some thin card to make the base of your card from, but if you like you can pick up some blank cards in bulk quite cheaply from any craft shop. You will also need some pretty papers, a glue stick and some scissors. Other things you might like to collect are: ribbons, stickers, buttons, paper flowers, foils... You might like to invest in buying a few embellishments from a craft shop. You can pick up a set of embellishments from as little as 80p (from Wilkinson's for example). Embellishments are not totally necessary, but they help create a focus to your card and add a touch of professionalism.

Start by choosing the papers you are going to use. Play around and see which colours work best together. Don't use too many patterned papers in one design. Usually one pattern is enough. Experiment with colour combinations to achieve the look you want. If you want to use clashing colours for a bolder look (for example, pink and green), make sure one colour is dominating about two thirds of the space to make it easier on the eye. Think about the colours used for different holidays and seasons: purple, orange and black for Halloween; red and green for Christmas; pink, white and red for Valentines... and so on. If making a birthday card, you could choose the favourite colours of the person you are making it for.
Once you've chosen your papers, decide which one you want as the main background. Trace around the edge of your base card (a folded piece of card or a pre-bought one) and cut out your colour. Stick this down with glue on the front.

If you are using an embellishment, try mounting it onto two different colours of paper, then sticking it to your card, slightly towards the top right corner. Adding a piece of ribbon to the left hand side of the card, running from top to bottom, will create extra detail.
Alternatively, you can write your seasonal message onto a piece of coloured paper. For example, write "Happy Birthday" in bold letters, large enough to cover most of the card. Cut this out and again, mount on some different coloured papers before fixing to the front of your card.

Gluing a line of three buttons to an area of your card adds some nice extra detail. You can also create a small bow with some ribbon to fix onto the front. These are some simple ways to improve the look of your card with some easy to find products.
Experiment with tearing paper instead of cutting it to create some more textured looks.
You can also draw on your own patterns or boarders with a coloured pen. Always test your pen on a scrap piece of the same paper you are going to write on, before you write on it, as some pens tend to bleed on some papers.

Never stick anything down on your card until you are completely happy with your layout. Move things around to see how they look in different positions.

Keep your eye out for things which might be useful to your card making. You can even use old badges, or necklace pendants you don't want anymore, or pictures in magazines, or old wrapping paper. A great way to get hold of some lovely papers for free is to ask in DIY shops for some wallpaper samples.

So there you have it. Card making can be uncomplicated, and you probably have most of the tools you need at home. Just remember to experiment, and you'll gradually gain confidence. And most of all, enjoy!

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