Card making projects can be a great and very rewarding hobby. You can make all the greeting cards by hand that you would normally send throughout the year. When you add up the number of cards you send each year, it really can add up to a pretty big number, for example there are all the birthdays, baptisms, engagements, babies and weddings of your friends and family. Don’t forget all the Christmas cards you would normally send as well and maybe send Easter cards too. If you add up the cost of each of these store-bought cards, it can really add up to a pretty substantial sum.
Making your own cards could save you a fortune. If you look at the accounts of card makers like Clinton or Hallmark cards, you can see the hefty profits they make, that’s due to the massive increase in the price of store-bought greeting cards. They really aren’t expensive to make, and you get the added bonus of adding your creativity to the greeting card, which will make it even more special for the recipient.
All you need to do to start your card making project is decide which cards you are starting with, for example making birthday cards. Next, you need to gather your tools; the basics would include:
• card of a variety of colors,
• paper with various colors and textures,
• a variety of decorations for making cards,
• something to stick the decorations with, for example, glue,
• or a hot glue applicator,
• a good pen to write with.
When you have your tools ready, you’re ready to get started on your card making projects. You’ll soon find that this is quite an all-consuming hobby, and you’ll usually get a lot of feedback from friends and family who receive the cards. The cards are really appreciated as people will know the time and effort that has gone into creating each one.
Don’t worry if you think you are not very artistic, it is very easy to create greeting cards and inspiration is all around you. There are even websites dedicated to giving you ideas on how to create your cards. They will even provide you with ready-to-use layouts and sketches if you prefer. Design inspiration is all around you – all you need to do is go and look outside your home. Go for a walk and pick up leaves, grass, feathers, anything you see lying around and try to incorporate them into your design. The idea juices will soon be flowing and you’ll have to start writing down your ideas because you won’t be able to create the cards fast enough.
The other way to find inspiration is to look around you, whether you’re in the country or in the city, and try to imagine how you can translate that scene into a card design. Remember that there is no right or wrong as it is entirely your design. Many people who start card making projects find an artistic side to themselves that they didn’t even know existed.