by Cherie Hayes

Created on: January 20, 2009

Making your own greeting cards is a satisfying creative outlet. Think of it as a small scale art piece that you can share with your friends and family. The basic supplies you need are minimal. A source of inspiration is key to jump start the process. Always have an open mind when you come across greeting cards in the grocery store or specialty shops. Certain features of those cards may be the inspiration you need to get started.

Many people have the creative desire to make a greeting card, but may be overwhelmed by the endless possibilities and choices of themes and materials. As a small scale art piece, a greeting card can be testing ground for learning new techniques and discovering your style. A few supplies needed to get started include blank cards with envelopes, which are sold at craft stores, stamps and ink pads, fancy or casual stickers, paper in a variety of colors and textures, glue runner adhesive. A tip for finding stamps and stickers: try going to thrift stores and searching for potential materials for your cards. Many times you'll find grab bags of stamps, stickers, or papers for $1.00 or less. If you already know your style, or the style of the person for whom you are making the card, then you can narrow down your choices of stamps and stickers perhaps. You may like nature motifs. Then you would naturally look for stamps and stickers of leaves, trees, flowers, ladybugs, dragonflies, or bees. The occasion of the card will also influence your choices of materials. A Happy Birthday stamp will be a good investment, since there always seems to be another birthday to celebrate just around the corner. After the birthday party, you might collect some of the gift wrap for your paper collection. There are many opportunities to re-use and re-purpose ordinary objects for your card making or other craft projects.

Just as the choices of subjects and materials for card making are endless, so are the techniques used to assemble greeting cards. For some, stamping is their technique of choice. Adding embellishments, such as ribbon, to the stamped design will accent the card. Layering papers in complementing colors can create a nice sophisticated look. Try tearing paper before layering for a more casual weathered design. Using glue runner adhesive is the easiest way to attach paper to your card since there is no drying time or wrinkling that you would have with traditional glue. In the process of trying different techniques, you will discover your strengths and style. With time and practice, making and sending homemade greeting cards will be a rewarding way to share your feelings with your friends and family.

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