Making decorative handmade greeting cards for your friends and loved ones is one of the easiest holiday project ideas. With simple items and a little creativity, you can make cards that are unique and memorable for any occasion. See Step 1 to get started with learning how to make a basic greeting card, adding embellishments to your pre-made greeting cards, as well as including messages that come from the heart, are funny, or aren't made up.
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Method 1 of 4: Adding Small Parts
Step 1. Think about adding pre-pressed flowers, shells, or other embellishments
The outside of the card is the part where you can do decorations. Choose a theme based on the season, the occasion, or the person you're addressing.
- Pressed flowers lightly glued to the card can make beautiful 3D decorations according to a spring theme, and dress the card with highlights of natural color. This is a great idea for people with a talent for growing crops.
- For a unique touch, you can also add shells to a card with a summer theme. This is especially suitable for local gifts or card types.
Step 2. For a simple touch, paste some pictures
You can get sources for making greeting cards by stocking up on old school books, children's books, magazines, and newspapers. If you don't have a big place to put them, head to a local thrift store for a pile of really cheap (or even free) magazines that you can reuse for your cards.
- Magazines are excellent sources of material, as well as magazines that feature a lot of advertising. High-contrast colors in magazine ads look great when cut for decoration on cards.
- As a shortcut, you can even save your old cards and cut shapes from them to reuse on new ones. You can always recycle your old Christmas cards by cutting out a manger or Christmas tree scene from the front and placing them front and center on your own card. No one will know the difference, and you will save money.
Step 3. If you can, include the original image in your card
You don't have to be a great artist to be a great card artist. Depending on the recipient of your card, a goofy comic character or a diagram of your feelings would make a cute gift on a holiday or other special occasion. But it would be better, if you can really draw well. Decorate the card with your own artwork for a personal touch that your friends and family will appreciate.
Step 4. Create an elegant and simple card
By adding custom embellishments, some of your cards generally look better than making something too crowded or too embellished. A simple white greeting card with flowers pressed on it will look impressive and elegant, and will convey a great message to someone.
Avoid making collages that are too crowded. A combination of two pictures taken from a magazine or book can be sad, adorable, or funny. Don't confuse your friend's birthday card with fifty pictures of your friend's favorite baseball player. Maybe give a card with a funny caption that fits the time. Make slight changes
Step 5. Don't be afraid to come up with something weird
Unique holiday greeting cards are usually more welcome than very serious ones. Small jokes, non-sequiters, or pictures of strange sea creatures should be welcomed and embraced in the card-making tradition.
- Your family never heard of Hannukah Squid? It's time to change your traditions. Cut out a beautiful holiday scene being attacked by a cloud squid with a Santa hat and HAPPYNESS written in capital letters inside. The more unreasonable, the better.
- Making something quirky doesn't mean you have to send a raw greeting card to your mother-in-law for her favorite holiday, or that you have to try and make a cute sympathy card, but you have to send something the recipient will appreciate. Get to know their sense of humor and make them laugh.
Method 2 of 4: Making the Card Base
Step 1. Buy some good quality card stock
Card stock, as the name suggests, is perfect for making your own greeting cards. These cards are basically made of thick, high-quality paper that you can buy at any craft store in a variety of colors and prints. Depending on the type of card you want to make, it's usually good to use a variety of different colors and layer them together for a cool and interesting effect.
For a professional looking card, it generally takes two different variations of a complementary color to make each card. After cutting the shape or size of the card stock (one small and one larger) differently, you can paste the smaller card into the center of the larger card to create a unique look. When you fold them over each other, this creates a nice surface on which to write messages. You can even use plain printer paper on the inside to avoid card stacking
Step 2. Assemble the other crafting materials
Depending on the type of card you are making, you may need:
- Glue or stick glue
- Pen with good quality tip
- Scissors
- Photographs or magazine clippings
- A ruler
- What decorations would you like to add
Step 3. Cut out the basic card shape
Once you've selected the outer color for the cardstock, cut it to size. A standard-sized greeting card is rectangular, about 5 x 7 when folded in half. Since you haven't folded it yet, use a ruler to measure a square of approximately 10 x 14 and cut it very carefully with your scissors. Keep the edges as straight as possible, so use a paper cutter if you have one.
- Also cut a piece or two from cardstock of a different color. This piece is an inch or two smaller than the card on each side and center on the outside. Glue it down with your glue and let it dry thoroughly before folding it in half.
- You can also do the same on the other side of the card, giving it a unique texture, both on the inside and outside. Experiment with these shapes and placements depending on the style, mood, and season.
- You can cut diamonds or other shapes from the interior for an extra finish. A snowflake would complement a card with a winter theme, or an image of a heart might work well for a Valentine's card.
Step 4. Carefully fold the cardstock in half
Make sharp, even folds, then overlap the card under a heavy book to ensure it stays sharp and flat. When you're done, you're ready to write your message on the inside of the card and decorate it!
Step 5. Consider not folding the cards when you are making postcards
Or, you skip folding and simply cut a piece of cardstock to the right size and decorate it on one side, leaving the other side for personal messages, addresses, and stamps. Of course this is not easier.
Method 3 of 4: Writing a Message
Step 1. Write a simple, short, and sincere message on your greeting card
You don't have to stress over coded cards or overcomplicate them to make them effective. On the inside of the card, write a few sentences for your message, sign it, and send it. If you've been struggling to come up with your own unique gift card, you don't need to include a wordy message. "Merry Christmas!" would be perfect for holiday cards.
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For birthday cards, it's a good idea to use your own sense of humor to wish a birthday: "Happy Day Old Man" might be funny to your dad or sibling, but not necessarily to your boss. Here are some examples for messages that seem simple but sincere:
- Lots of happiness back. Long live, pal.
- The most fun birthday ever! There will be lots of fun again.
- Analog Text: Happy birthday.
- It's an honor to know you. Happy birthday!
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For cards with a romantic feel, get as soft and as fast as possible without having to peak. Here are some simple but romantic messages:
- You mean a lot to me. I love you.
- Glad we could spend the day together. I love you.
- I'm crazy about you. For our future.
- I'm so glad you love me more than your dog does. Send warm regards.
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For sympathy cards, it is very important to keep it simple and sincere:
- Thinking of you always in this difficult time.
- Our thoughts are with you.
- Sorry for your loss.
Step 2. Use quotes if you feel stuck
It is very common and appropriate to use quotes attached to cards, especially for religious holidays. If you're stuck on what message you'd like to attach, of course you're free to quote something and let someone else suggest you, or use a very simple message: "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Birthday" or "I sympathize with you."."
Bible verses are very common for Christmas and Easter cards, although they may look a bit more preachy than other types of cards. Get to know the recipient of your card and send the right type of message
Step 3. Don't be afraid to be weird
Messages that can especially pop up when you let your weird flag fly high and are pretty funny, if your friends or loved ones appreciate it. Here are some possibilities:
- "Your birthday is no excuse for drinking depressed and alone just because you're so old. Like really old. That's why we're going out tonight."
- "Happy Non-denominational Winter Celebration. ALL PRAISE TO SQUIDS FROM THE TURNING POINT."
- "I drew a mustache on Captain Kirk for your birthday because I know you like to waste time. Happy birthday."
Step 4. Instead of writing a greeting card with a long message, write a letter
If you have a lot to talk about and want to talk to someone you've seen for a long time, include a separate letter on your card, and a short message on the card. A good greeting card of course without a long letter in it. If you want to write a few paragraphs, updates on the life and adventures of your family or friends, write a letter.
Method 4 of 4: Making Cards for Specific Occasions
Step 1. Send a greeting card for the holidays
During the Christmas-New Years-winter Hannukah holidays, it is very common to create personalized greeting cards and send them in letters to friends and family as a way to stay in touch. It's typical to include a recent photo of yourself or your family, especially for your extended family that you may rarely see. The end of the year is a good time to communicate and let everyone know what you've been up to and let them know you're thinking of them too.
- Include a recent picture of your family, along with a brief note about this year's achievements and activities. To make it easier for yourself, make several copies of the basic greeting cards, then write a short message on each card with your own hand and also include a long note form that you send to everyone.
- If you choose to write review notes throughout the year, think about the right style. Avoid bragging about the destination of your European tour when you write to a classmate in Tulsa. Instead, say, "We're lucky to be able to make some trips this year." Likewise, a vacation letter isn't the right letter to stress all of your family members with a list of everything that went wrong for you this year. Keep optimistic. This is a vacation.
Step 2. Send a greeting card for the birth of a child
If you have just given birth to a new child, you are probably busy. But if you want to make your own custom card, including something nice like baby footprints, or a recent photo it would be welcome and make a great gift for your friends and loved ones.
Step 3. Submit a season-appropriate card
Everyone sends greeting cards during winter. How about greeting cards in spring time? Dog day greeting card in summer? Get out of the house and send greeting cards to your friends just because you're thinking of them, or every time you come over with the excuse of wanting to make something.
Look at obvious holidays like Eid Day or Vesak Day or Christmas Day and use that as an excuse to send a greeting card
Step 4. Send greeting cards to people who may need them
Think of someone you know, or don't even know very well, anyone who has been feeling down lately. Sending a greeting card out can make a person feel better than an expensive gift or a sign of affection. Making a card for someone in need is always a good idea.
Tips
- Giving the card in person makes it much more personal and shows that you care about the recipient. (This is understandable if you don't give the card in person if the recipient is very far away.)
- Make colorful cards! You definitely want your greeting card to be something they keep!
- It's a fun craft when you make it with your kids or while you're babysitting.
