Card making is fun year round, but right now during the Christmas season that card making fever reaches a whole new level! There are Christmas cards to make, gift tags to make, Thank you cards and even sets of cards to be given as gifts!
I have created a host of cards over the years but thought I would scan a few I had lying around into the computer to keep for ideas for later and to share with you all. All of my cards are made with the most basic of supplies and skills. Feel free to copy the ideas for your own cards, (if you blog about one you copied from here just be sure to add a link back here with the appropriate credit, and please do not steal the image with out linking back here for the tutorial:). I will walk you through them one at a time starting with the top left corner working left to right.
Full tutorial following photo
First of all let me say that I sometimes use the dollar card sets from Michael's that include envelopes and 8-12 cards. I simply cover the cheap or boring looking front with patterned paper as a back ground and create from there. It makes a very cheap and perfect base for your card making. I also find my paper trimmer to be indispensable in making straight lines. It really makes the difference between that "too homemade" look and the "hand crafted" look. They are very inexpensive and can be found at any Walmart or craft store.
Card # 1- Moose punch out on green
The first card calls for a base card and envelope, green patterned paper, two colors of brown card stock and a moose punch. I simply cut a piece of the green patterned paper to fit the card front and then tore a the bottom edge to add texture. After adhering that to my card I cut the brown pieces to include a strip across the front, a lighter colored larger square, and a slightly smaller inside square from the darker brown. The smallest square I punched with the moose punch. I then layered them on the card gluing one piece on at a time. I even used a plain old kids glue stick to put it together. For a Christmasy touch you can use a silver or gold pen to write "Merry" on the left side of the moose medalion and "Christmoose"
Card # 2- Simple Merry Christmas card
This is the probably the easiest card on here but it makes a cheerful addition to any Christmas card collection.. You need a base card and envelope, patterned Christmas paper scrap, two coordinating colored scraps and one Christmas greeting stamp and ink or rub on. I first stamped my lightest of the two colored paper scrap and then trimmed it with my paper trimmer. I then trimmed the darker colored paper scrap to slightly larger than the stamped piece to create a frame. I glued those two together using my handy dandy glue stick. Next I cut the patterned Christmas paper to a larger size that left a nice border of white on the card. I attached the patterned paper to the card and then added the framed stamped paper on top of that. It is that simple and easy! Your kids could help you whip out several dozen of these bad boys for your Christmas card list in no time!
Card # 3- Merry Christmoose!
This one is by far my favorite! All you need is a white card and matching envelope, small tag, double sided foam square sticker to add dimension, and 4 coordinating papers as well as a small piece of thin matching ribbon. You will need one of those to be a patterned "Merry Christmas" paper the size of the card minus a nice white border, and 3 small coordinating scraps for the center of the card. First you take a dark card stock or colored paper and punch three moose out in a straight line. The last moose is just a place keeper so you know where to cut it and have it still fit the tag with the moose correctly. Cut that piece to fit the center of your card keeping in mind it will have a framing paper behind it. Cut a small cream colored piece of paper to exactly the same dimensions so that the moose that were punched out now display the cream colored paper. Glue those together and then cut a larger piece of patterned or colored paper to frame the moose piece. Attach the large piece of "Merry Christmas" patterned paper to the card front. Now glue on the colored paper that frames the moose piece. Then attach the moose piece directly in the center of that. Attach the white small tag on top of the third moose at an angle with your double sided dimensional foam sticker. Now punch out a dark moose using brown card stock or stiffer paper and adhere that to the tag in line with the other two moose punch outs in front of it. All that is left is to cut a small piece of ribbon and tie it on the tag for added texture and color. Now put a simple hand written "Merry Christmoose" greeting inside and you're done!
Card # 4- Thank you card
This card is actually a take off of the previous card but I used a different punch and set of papers. It is amazing how different a card can look using the same elements of design if you switch up the theme and tools. You need a card and envelope as well as one dark patterned paper, a lighter coordinating patterned paper, Cream and plum colored card stock, a small hole punch and a short piece of coordinating ribbon as well as colored pencils and a thank you stamp like the tag shaped one I used from stamping up and ink, and a small flower punch. First cut and adhere the darker patterned paper to the card leaving a nice white border from the card front. Now stamp your image on the cream colored card stock and cut it out in a tag shape by hand or with a tag shaped punch if you have one. Use your colored pencils to color any details in. Cut the plum colored card stock to frame it and attach the two pieces together using ..that's right your glue stick again! Use a hole punch to punch out the hole for ribbon in the top of your framed tag. Find a matching piece of thin ribbon and tie it on. Now cut your lighter patterned paper in a rectangle to fit your card front and cut the plum card stock to frame it. Adhere these together and use your flower shaped punch to punch out a flower shape in the left hand bottom corner. Punch two small flowers from the cream and one small flower from the plumb card stock. Now use your small hole punch to punch out the center of the cream flowers, and save one of the small cream colored dots that is punched out. Adhere the 3 flower punches in the top left of the center rectangle of lighter patterned paper with the plumb one on top. Now adhere the small cream dot you saved from the hole punch to the center of the plumb flower on top. Use your glue stick or a dimensional foam double sided sticker square to the back side of the framed tag. Not place it on the card at the desired angle and call it good! These are really handy to have on hand as you are always in need of thank you cards. You can also make a set with the same or coordinating papers and give as a gift.
Card # 5 - Alaska Moose card
I lived in Alaska when I made this card, and just liked it so much I kept it as an idea piece. Now that I have scanned it and imprinted it forever into the blogosphere I suppose I can let it go. To create this one you need a white card and envelope, card stock scraps in white, tan, light brown, green and dark brown, a nice big scrolly background stamp and ink, 2 small brass brads, a corner rounder punch, The word "blessing" or other sentiment rub on, sticker or velum word cut out and a moose punch. You can change up the sentiment to "Merry Christmoose" typed, printed and cut out or hand written in place of the "blessings" if you want to use it as a Christmas card. Start by stamping the background of the card front with the large background stamp in black or other colored ink. Brown ink would be particularly nice here. Follow that with cutting a thin strip of tan card stock to the length of the card front. Use your small hole punch in the card stock strip and vellum "blessings" strip to attach the two together with the brads on the left hand side of the strip of tan card stock. It is a little hard to put into words but if you just look at the card you will know what I mean. Now attach this to the card about 2/3 of the way up. Now punch out two moose one in light brown and one in dark brown. Cut a square out of the white card stock large enough to hold two moose punches slightly overlapping as shown inside it and use the corner rounder punch to round the edges. Cut a larger square to frame it out of the green card stock Use the corner rounder punch on the green card stock and attach it to the smaller rounded white square. Using your glue stick attach the framed rounded square to the right hand side of the tan strip of card stock Adhere the moose onto the white square slightly overlapping. If you want to add another word like I did below the moose be sure to leave a little room at the bottom and just hand print your word. That's it!
Card # 6- Olive branch card set
I love these simple cards for their beautiful stamped detail and natural color pallet These would make a great set of note cards to give away. A nice personal gift for someone who has everything or for that person you have no idea what to get! They are also easy and inexpensive . All you need for these cards are some starter cards and envelopes in cream or tan, dark brown card stock. and a nice patterned paper in fall colors, as well as a piece of cream or tan card stock to stamp your image on and a detailed lengthwise stamp like the olive branch pictured from stampin up, along with brown ink.
Start by stamping your image onto your cream or tan cardstock and trimming it with your paper trimmer to form a rectangle. Now cut your patterned paper to frame it and attach it with your glue stick. Place it (don't glue it yet) on your card and check the placement off to the right. With this in mind, tear a taller than wide piece of brown card stock to offset it nicely for the left hand side of the card. Play around with the placement of the elements and when it feels just right glue it all in place. It is that easy. Now repeat or do it in assembly line fashion till your gift set is created. Viola, you are done! One beautifully hand crafted gift ready to go.
Well I hope that tutorial was helpful and inspirational. Let me know in the comments ( I LOVE COMMENTS!) your thoughts or how you package your hand crafted card sets as I am sure we would all like new inspiration for that as well.
