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Benefits of handmade cards
If you're new to crafting and want to try something different, or if your aim is to reignite your passion for arts and crafts, this is something that will keep you busy when you're at home. It can also be a family activity to keep the kids entertained, while teaching them a new skill.
There are no limits to the type of cards you can make, once you master the basics. A huge perk is that you can keep on customising each one until you're happy with the truly unique design. It’s not easy to find the perfect card that a loved one can relate to, so making your own is the ideal solution.
Read on for some of the best card designs that you can try making yourself... are you ready for some fun?
Pom-pom wreath card
For an easy peasy lemon squeezy idea, simply glue a circle of pompoms on to a piece of carefully folded card. You can alternate the colours for added interest and then really snazz things up with a pretty bow.
Christmas present card
Sometimes the best designs are the simplest. For this little beaut, all you are going to need is a selection of Christmas gift tape, some gold twine, and a piece of card in the colour of your choice.
Again, start by carefully folding the card. Then, take 6 even lengths of gift tape, in various designs, and stick them to the card, evenly spaced one on top of the other, until you have something that looks like a present. Next, carefully arrange the gold twine to look like a gift bow and voila!
Stamped Christmas card
You can make your Christmas cards even more original by making your own stamp to create truly unique designs. You will need a foam sheet measuring 4 inches x 6 inches, a craft knife, a pencil, a sturdy piece of cardboard, glue, coloured card, paint and a paintbrush.
Draw your chosen pattern on the foam sheet. Try a simple design first, as you will have to cut out the shapes with the craft knife. Christmas stars are a good choice for beginners, although you could try a Christmas tree. Don't make the shapes too small.
Glue the piece of cardboard on the back of the foam to make your stamp more solid. Apply the paint using the brush, spreading it evenly all over. Then, press the stamp onto the paper, pushing down hard. Maybe have a few trial runs before you make your actual card!
As you become more confident, you can cut out more elaborate designs for your Christmas card stamps. Once you have made the initial tools, in the shape of the stamps, you can produce a run of cards more quickly, so if you have a lot of people on your Christmas card list, this could be ideal!
Rudolph card
Take half a small craft cork and use a black marker to draw the eyes. For Rudolph’s red nose, take a red pompom and glue to the cork, before sticking to the front of the card. Next, take a fine tip felt tip pen and draw him some antlers.
To make it look really special, take a piece of 1” wide gift ribbon and glue a border around the edge of the card.
Christmas tree card
This is, without doubt, one of the simplest Christmas cards you can make. You will need some white card, several different-coloured Christmas sticky-tapes, some glue, a pair of scissors, white or silver glitter and a star sticker.
Simply cut five strips of tape, each a little longer than the last, and stick them on to the card to "build" your tree, putting the longest piece of tape at the bottom. Leave a little space between each piece of tape. Tape in red or green, together with pictures of Santa or reindeer, works really well.
Craft tools
There are literally hundreds of designs you can make. All you need is imagination and a few very basics items such as the craft knife, scissors, paint and glue brushes, plus your card and materials to decorate the cards.
It isn't an expensive hobby, and you can use the tools year after year. Any materials you have leftover can be safely stored until next year, so nothing gets thrown away. You can put the different decoration items in individual clear plastic storage boxes, so you can easily see the contents when you go to make next year’s masterpieces.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, folks!