I have been making my own Christmas cards since I can remember, and over the past three years have been selling them.

Handmade cards take more time than buying ready-made ones, and often cost more, but the end result is worth it. You can personalize the card to suit the person who is receiving it, and make it really special by adding little touches of your own.

Over the years I have build up a little stock of bits and pieces to put on my cards, but it is quite easy to find things for Christmas cards. Some of the things I use are:

- old Christmas cards
- silver and gold foil
- adhesive sequins
- red ribbon
- gold and silver thread
- peel-off stickers with Happy Christmas etc on them
- tiny Christmas ornaments
- glitter confetti
- gold and silver stars
- paper I have printed with Merry Christmas etc printed over and over in a small font
- gold and silver netting
- gold and silver pens
- tiny pieces of tinsel

All these things are quite easily obtainable. You will have a lot of them in your house at this time of year anyway. I don't use any special equipment - just good old fashioned glue and scissors. You Can buy lots of special kits in shops, but I don't think you need them.

To make my cards, I first decide on a color scheme. I usually stick to blue/silver or gold/red/green. I use dark colors for Christmas cards, not pastels.

I then gather around me lots of things in the right colors and start laying them out on the cards. I have two systems a) put things on in a row of three or b) layer up a 'pad' of gradually larger and larger layers with a special embellishment on top.

Some particular ideas I have used:-

1. Wind gold or silver thread around the front of the card and secure at the back with a sticky label. Add some stars in a matching color. This is very simply but effective.

2. Instead of folding your card in the middle, fold the sides to the middle so that your card opens in the front. Punch a hole either side and tie with string. Decorate each side as in 1.

3. Make a gift tag from a contrasting color and add lots of layers, alternating the colors. Use about three or four. Add some sparkly twine to the tag and glue it at a jaunty angle to the front of the card.

4. Draw out a snowman and glue tiny scrunched up bits of tissue paper all over. This works well with sheep, too.

5. Use a card with a cut-out circle on the front. Suspend a tiny tree decoration over the hole and secure at the back with a sticky label.

6. Cut a bit off the front cover with wavy scissors and add a strip of colored ribbon on the inside to show through. Add three matching embellishments to the front.

7. Cut out a green Christmas tree for the front of your card and add sequin baubles.

8. Add a picture of you and your friend from last year. Type out friends 'forever' on the computer and print it onto colored card.

9. Cut out nine equal sized rectangles from wrapping paper, old cards etc and glue them on the front in a regular mosaic pattern.

10. Cut out some green hills, a tiny stable and a yellow star. Glue them to the front of the card and splatter the whole lot with white paint using a toothbrush.

Add Merry Christmas to all your cards with a peel-off sticker or using gold or silver pen.

Turn the card over and write 'hand made by Mary' on the back.

Have fun!

Learn more about this author, Susan Hibberd.
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