Make Your Own Christmas Cards
Edited by Emmanuel M. Lardizabal, Eng, Robbi, Olivia and 7 others
Christmas is a season where people everyone share their blessings and show their love and affection to their neighbors, friends and family. It is also the season of giving without wanting something in return. This is seen in exchange of gifts and greetings during the Holiday season.
Various Greeting Card Ideas
One of the most inexpensive ways of celebrating the spirit of Christmas is by giving home baked cookies and other goodies, along with a greeting card, to people you love and share a mutual affection with. This is especially true when you live too far away to visit over the holidays. It's a kind and genuine way to show people you are thinking of them over the holidays. To give a greeting card and sign your name is something so simple, but the timely traditional sends the message that you care.
With the advent of electronic mail, it is so much more thoughtful, and sentimental, to receive a card that was personally picked and hand-written. But best of all - is to receive a card that was handmade especially for you. It's funny, but sometimes the things people write in cards to those who are far away, and those who are close - are the most truthful and emotional things they ever say to those people. Perhaps it's easier to express your affection for the people you love in writing...so get out that pen!
Purchase and Personalize
There are various kinds of cards you can purchase. Find the one that suits you the best. Make sure you read the greeting inside, as it should reflect your sentiments.
- 1A great picture on the front, and exactly the right words on the inside. You read the card in the store, and the sentiment is exactly what you feel, and what you would have said had you been a better poet.Everything.
- 2These have a wonderful picture on the front, but the inside is blank, allowing you to create your own message. Order blank cards from a store and print your own message on your computer. The message might be the same in all the cards, or different for each person.Blank Cards.
- Order blank cards, and take them to a printer and have them print them up professionally - with a beautiful font.
- Order blank cards online, from a site like Vistaprint, and have them personalize cards for you.
- 3What fun to take a picture of your family by the fireplace, and make personalized greeting cards from the picture. There are many ways you can do this.Photo Cards.
- Design and print them yourself using photo paper and your computer.
- Many printers have templates for this. Check their websites first.
- Ordering them from a site like Vistaprint is really easy. Go to their website, and they walk you through the steps. Make sure you look for a coupon, and save yourself some money.
- Use a great photo of your family.
- A photo of you and your husband and the dog, if you don't have children.
- Look through your old photos, and perhaps for your family, you can use a photo of a family Christmas from your childhood.
- If you're a bit camera shy, you might want to put a big red bow on your dog or cat, and use that photo.
- Share your vacation. Perhaps over the past year, you've taken a vacation in an exotic place, a local landmark, or a country overseas. You may not want to include a family photo, instead, you might want to include a photo on your card from your holiday. Go through the photos and choose a picture you're particularly fond of, or better yes, choose several photos and give different cards to different people, or a different card for every person you plan on sending cards to.
Personalized and Homemade
When someone sends you a personalized, homemade greeting card, it warms your heart and makes you feel special and very loved. Maybe you should take the time to make your own greeting cards, so you can make your loved ones feel that as well. The card may include:
- A few photos of happy moments you and the recipient have had together, bringing back beautiful memories.
- A few photos catching your family and friends up with what's been going on in your life over the past year. Pictures of your kids, pets, vacations and accomplishments are all appropriate to include with your card.
- A letter you've printed on your computer that you include with every card. This is a detailed summary of all the wonderful things you've experienced in the past year. You can include photos and fun pictures in the letter.
How to Make Your Own Christmas Cards
Whatever you plan to do with your homemade greeting cards, it's wise to assemble all the things you need before you sit down to create your magical greeting cards.
Materials
- 1Folder.You can use an old folder or buy card stock (very heavy paper). It's the basic part of the personalized homemade Christmas card. It will serve as the card itself. It will be the canvas to your masterpiece.
- 2Colored Paper.This will be used to cover the front and back of the folder. You can also use it to cover only one side of the folder. You may also get some Christmas patterns, trace them onto the paper and cut them accordingly.
- 3You could cover the folder with wrapping paper, and then glue a photo, or other design onto it.
- 4Coloring materials.Whatever your imagination can stir - be creative.
- Paints.
- Crayons.
- Colored pencils.
- Markers.
- Metallic markers. (gold, silver, bronze)
- Pastels.
- 5Pencil and Ruler.Use a pencil and ruler to draw the Christmas decorations on your card first - it's more efficient.
- 6Glue.jpg|left|177px]] This is the best way to stick wonderful things to your cards.Glue, glue gun, and paste.
- 7Glitter, Christmas ornaments, accessories and symbols.Collect an assortment of things you'd like to decorate the card with. Some suggestions:
- Glitter to add sparkle.
- Photos for sentimental reasons.
- Christmas pictures from magazines to make it pretty.
- Leafs to make a natural scene.
- Small battery-operated LED lights to bring more fun to the card.
- Beads. You can also put these tiny LED lights in the holes of beads to make your card more unique.
- Ribbons and Lace will make your card romantic.
- 8Scissors.You will need this for cutting the traced shapes and outlines of Christmas symbols from the colored paper, cutting ribbons and ornaments.
Creating Your Christmas Cards
Whatever you do, try to make the card as special as the person you are giving it to.
- 1
Measure the desired size of your Christmas greeting card. Mark it with your pencil and cut accordingly. Attach the colored paper of your choice in the folder using the glue or paste.Get the folder and colored paper.
Maximizing Your Scrapbooking Supplies
Don't throw away those old scrapbooking supplies. For several DIY enthusiasts, these supplies are perfect materials for making Christmas cards.
- 1Cut out stamped letters, to form the word MERRY. Then, paste the letters on red paper (depending on your preferred type of paper), which is on top of a green paper. To finish this card, cut out another set of stamped letters to form the word Christmas. You can embellish the card with a couple of grass green brads and velvet rick rack.Merry Christmas Card.
- 2Why not use a rose and celery color palette? Gold and cranberry? Purple and red? Add some ribbon, or buttons - whatever you think will make your card personal and unique.Who says pink is not appropriate during Christmas season?
- 3Use Christmas inspired stickers, jewels, fabric, rhinestones, ribbon, - the only thing limiting you is your imagination.
- 4You should choose a paper that will go well with these embellishments.An excellent idea is to use bright ruby rhinestones, white ribbon, and winter-white embossing powder.
Gift Tags
While you have all those craft materials out, why not make some personalized gift tags?
Extra Supplies
What you'll need aside from everything you already have out:
- Coloured or white card stock or construction paper cut into approximately 2" shapes. (Christmas tree, bulb, circle, diamond, square, etc.)
- Different coloured foiled wrapping paper.
- Regular wrapping paper.
- Thin ribbon.
- Pinking sheers.
Some Ideas
Use your imagination.
- 1Using the pinking sheers, cut a shape of the foil paper, a bit smaller than the 2" square.
- Glue it onto the 2" square.
- Add a sticker
- Write your message on the back
- Cut a small hole in one corner of the square, or at the top.
- Pull an 8" length of ribbon through the hole.
- Tie into a bow and tape onto the present.
- 2By cutting different colours of paper, created a picture.
- 3Using white paper, make a small snow flake, and glue it to the tag.
- Take a 2" Circle of white paper.
- Fold it in half, and then again and then once more.
- Now you should have a narrow triangle.
- Cut tiny nicks into the folded edges of the triangle.
- Open carefully and glue the snowflake to the tag.
- Add some glitter for an even more festive look.
Dos And Don'ts When Making Your Own Christmas Cards
- 1Sometimes simple and elegant is best.Don't over decorate your Christmas card.
- 2There are certain colors that just work well together.Use the traditional colors of Christmas - red, green, gold, silver, blue.
- 3Make sure they're attached to the card securely. They're heavier will fall off the card quite easily.Use beads on your Christmas card sparingly.
- 4Make sure that sharp objects are not within their reach, should you work alongside toddlers and infants.Work in a safe area, away from little hands - unless you're making cards you're your kids, which could be lots of fun..
- 5Most melted glue sticks dry faster. It is important that your materials are ready when using a glue gun paste. If not, the melted glue will harden long before you have attached an ornament or two. Be careful, because it's really easy to burn yourself while using them.Read the instructions on the use of glue gun and glue stick.
Questions and Answers
How to make melted wax Christmas cards?
Making homemade Christmas cards from melted wax is actually pretty easy. It can get a little messy, but if you're careful, it'll be worth your time and energy. Be sure you have the pattern you want to use. For this, you need thicker cardboard. If you're working with kids, make sure they are safe. Melting wax can end up in some burns. Here's how you can do it:
- You need a mold tray - so you can create a design, and pour the wax into.
- Like a cookie sheet - oil the mold so your design lifts out easily.
- Some arts and craft shops have ready-made molds.
- Melt some chunks of crayons (your color preferences).
- Before it cools down, pour the melted wax onto your pattern.
- You can pour the wax over an overturned spoon, and aim it onto the design.
- Do not touch it while it's cooling, or you'll mess it up.
- Just pour enough wax so it's not too heavy. If the wax is too thick, it'll break easily.
- If you want to carve a message into the wax, do so before it dries.
Making Christmas Cards Using Metallic Card?
Creativity is very important when you decide to make homemade cards. Just make cut outs of the designs you'd like to put on your card. It could be a poinsettia, holly, a Christmas stocking or letters. Make use of strong glue when you pasting your cutouts on the card.
Here are the ways to make a Christmas card using a metallic card:
- Trace circles to create Christmas balls by tracing different sized circles onto metallic and cutting them out. You can also use a punch or trace an object to create same sized Christmas balls. When you have the Christmas balls made from metallic card, you can paste them on the Christmas tree on the card.
- You can also make a Christmas tree by tracing the tree shape on metallic card and cutting it out. Paste it to the front of the card and decorate as you wish.
- You can also create a saying, or write a message by tracing the letters on the metallic card and cutting each letter out. Now you just arrange them on your card and paste.
- You can also draw or trace any Christmas symbol you want onto the metal card and paste it onto the card.
- Just use your imagination and creativity to create a unique Christmas card.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
