How Can I Make Cards From Odds & Ends?…

One way or another it is always a pleasure to receive cards. So I got around to thinking of all the types of cards there actually are. Why not try doing cards for different occasions? Particularly when we often have items lying around at home we could use for this!

To give you an example, fancy paper, tissue, string, ribbons, stones, sequins, scraps of materials, why not incorporate them.

For example, you could make your own cards for wedding guests or a big party and put the menu inside, or for a 60th Birthday bash, in fact, special dates. So, for a menu you will need some thin card and there are some nice textured papers around now. In size about 21 x 24 cm and then I would fold it in half.

You need to make a light score line, with a craft knife, before you fold it. Now we need to attach a line across the card, quite near to the bottom and the top of the card. In this instance, I think that ribbon would be a good choice, which would have to be 12 x 2 cm. With an appropriate glue, stick this to your card.

You could, if you wanted too, then add a thin line of gold or silver paint along the outside edge, below your line. Your top and bottom line do not neccessarily have to be the same colours, they can be toning or at least one of them could have a small pattern on it.

If, for example, it was a 60th wedding anniversary, you could put things below the bottom line that signify the items, denoting each 10 years of marriage. Whilst the centre piece could hold a happy photo of the pair downsided photocopy with a red border around it.

This would then leave you with some room available at the top of your card for any wording. However, say this was a young couples wedding, this need not be all that different. You could still use a picture of the two of them, cut to a heart shape. This could go in the centre, with a red border round in paint, ribbon, glitter or whatever you like. Then you could stick some confetti here and there, around it. Tiny plastic hearts could be dotted along the bottom of the card.

You will need your menu now on a thin piece of paper. This can be hand written with a gel pen or printed, you have the choice. This needs attaching to the card, or, you could just write on the inside of the card.

Cards always seem expensive, so how about making place cards. Very similar to do. You need 8cm of card, score it with the craft knife and fold it down the middle.

Use ribbon to go across your card, about 1 cm from the top. A narrow ribbon will do, but let this go well over the sides. Once it has been glued, simply cut the exta ribbon off.

Your ribbon needs a bit of decoration now, so what I suggest you do, is to go and buy some little rosebud heads from a haberdashers and apply these to the centre. If you cannot get these, they could be made from tissue and a bead added to the centre, or a small sequin. All that is needed to finalise this, is the guests name written on it.