Why You Should Create Handmade Cards
When you need a greeting card, do you search for the perfect one at the store? Do you finally settle on one that is ‘okay’ because you can’t find one you like?
I don’t know about you, but this is typically my experience when I try to buy a card at the store.
If I like the artwork, then the sentiment doesn’t work. If the sentiment is fine, then the front is usually blah.
This is one of the reasons why I am a paper crafter!
It is so much better to create handmade cards. Over the years, I have made many, many cards. Too many to count.
Want to know what supplies you need to get started with a basic card? I’ve got you covered with What Supplies Do I Need to Create A Basic Handmade Card?
So I wanted to share with you three reasons why it is better to create a handmade card rather than buy one.
Handmade Cards – a Better Fit
When I shop for a card for a particular person, I can never find a card that matches the personality of the person. Have you had this experience?
Find the perfect sentiment
If I’m looking for a friend, I might want a light-hearted sentiment. Invariably, the humor is too stupid or ribald to be a good match for my friend. Sometimes I might find the sentiment humorous, but I am embarrassed to share that side of my personality!
The commercial cards with heavier sentiments also don’t work for me either. For example, I want a ‘love’ card for my husband or mom, but so often the sentiment is just too heavy.
Even worse, the metaphors the writer used fit a different type of personality or life experiences from my intended recipient altogether!
But when I create a card, then I can choose just the right sentiment to include. Has it been a tough year? I can totally acknowledge that in my expression. Just received some wonderful news? I can acknowledge that, too.
Find the perfect artwork
If my mom loves flowers but isn’t as keen on rabbits, then I can craft a spring card with lots of flowers, but no bunnies.
If it’s spring, I might need a fishing theme for my husband, but if it’s autumn, then a deer theme might work better.
Maybe the sentiment works and the graphic fits, but the colors are all wrong. You don’t want to give your friend who dislikes purple a card that features it prominently, right?
When you create handmade cards, you can customize them to the nth degree.
Handmade Cards Are Mini Works of Art
Another reason that you should consider making handmade cards is that it allows you to craft a work of art. I know what you are thinking. ‘Really, Bev? You know everyone throws away the cards they receive!’
Well, I guess you are right….to a point. I think people tend to hang on to handmade cards a bit longer than the commercial cards they receive. Or at least I do.
But even if they don’t keep them in a shadowbox on prominent display in their living room, I think the opportunity to express my creativity is worth it.
I want to create something beautiful and unique. The process of doing so is good for my creative soul, and it might make the recipient smile. So worth it.
But seriously, handmade cards can be extremely simple or extraordinarily sophisticated. Papercrafters have developed many techniques to take a basic card to frame a frame-worthy piece of art.
We can use calligraphy or hand lettering techniques. We can use watercolor techniques, ink distressing, or resist-methods. We can layer papers or quill them. So many techniques!
The handmade card is a small canvas. The thought of creating art the size of a greeting card is not scary to me.
Imagine facing a huge blank canvas. That’s scary. But with a handmade card, the canvas is small and safe. If it is a disaster, then I haven’t invested much of my time or money into it.
Creating is a Stress Reducer
Perhaps the best reason to make handmade cards is that it is good for the maker!
When I begin a card, I easily slip into a happy place that allows me to forget the worries and stresses of my day-to-day.
I’m not thinking of the report I need to finish and submit at work, I’m not preparing for the next board meeting or presentation. I’m not worried about the green beans that need to be picked from the garden or the laundry that needs to be done.
Instead, I am lost in the feel and smell of the paper. The pleasure of a perfect cut. The beauty of the colors. And the happiness of a finished project.
It is a perfect way to de-stress and to better handle the stress when you aren’t crafting. WebMD discusses how hobbies and passion projects can help us to handle stress better.
If you are experiencing high levels of stress, try making a handmade card. It might do wonders for your mood!
Make Time Now
So what are you waiting for? Creating handmade cards have many benefits, but the three biggest pluses are
- The ability to customize the card to fit the recipient
- The opportunity to create a mini work of art
- The stress-reducing benefits
Want to know what materials you need for a handmade card project? See this post.
Need a step-by-step tutorial for making stamped cards? I have it in my Maker Library (#02). It’s free – sign up below. Browse my other resources while there, too!
