Making cards go hand-in-hand
with scrapbooking for they help
you use up lots of scrap papers
leftover from your layouts.
Plus, it makes you feel less
guilty about not using supplies
that you paid so much for! I
keep an accordion file folder
for all my scraps categorized by
colour families, patterned paper
and other specialty papers such
as vellum or mulberry. This
keeps my scraps organized and
ready to go when I want to make
a quick card. Here some tips to
help get you started.
Select
Your Paper
 You’ll need to choose 8 1/2”
x 11” paper for your background
colour. This will be shown on
the inside as the main colour. I
generally pick white or a cream
cardstock. You might also ask
why 8 1/2” x 11”?
Generally, cards are made from
this size are cut into two
pieces (each 8 1/2” x 5 ½”) and
folded so that the finished
front of the card is now 4 ¼” x
5 1/2”. Certainly there are many
other sizes that you can create,
however this one quarter letter
size is called in invitation
size and you can find pre-made
envelopes at any business supply
store.
Create your message
If you wish, add a saying,
quote, or personalized message
inside the card. You can use a
pre-made stamp for special
holidays, birthdays or an
anniversary; however, you can
also print or hand journal on
your background paper to create
a personalized message. Remember
that the card will be 4 ½” by 5
½” so you will need to ensure
that your words fit in that
space with lots of room to sign
your name.
Decorate your card,
Pick some scrap papers and
embellishments you want to use
for your card. This is a great
opportunity to use up some of up
some of your old supplies. For
instance, you may have a large
stash of stickers that you don’t
want to use anymore. You might
find that some stickers may look
great on a card but do not to go
with some of your pictures.
 All small items look great on
cards (i.e. charms, tags, clips,
eyelets, etc.) and you’re not as
limited in thickness on cards as
you would be with your scrapbook
pages. So go ahead and use those
thick buttons that you mother
has been saving forever! The
other thing to remember is that
cards do not have to be
acid-free since there are no
pictures nearby so you can use
anything that you see in your
house, such as old sewing
supplies, yarns, tissue paper,
other old cards that people sent
you. Try using mod-podge, your
kid’s old toys, things from your
recycle box and other general
finds. The list goes on and on.
There are so many possibilities
with cards and a great way to
use all your scraps. Hope you
have fun creating your cards and
remember that others will love
receiving your handmade
creations - even if they were
only the scraps! |
