Get Started Making Cards With Just a Few Supplies
Have you ever thought about making handmade cards? Maybe you’ve thought that it was too difficult to make a beautiful card. Maybe you’ve decided that you couldn’t do it.
Don’t give up so easily. The basic techniques for creating a handmade card are fairly simple. Once you get the basics down, you can quickly add to your skills to create stunning cards.
You may also want to read Why you should make handmade cards post.
I love creating handmade cards! And in this article I am going to explain what the basic materials are so you can start making your own cards.
Each card is a small piece of art. You can craft a beautiful card with simple materials and supplies. No special cutting machine needed.
Basic Materials:
For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links which means I may make a commission, but it won’t cost you any more.
- Cardstock (65 lb or heavier) – white, other colors as desired (affiliate link)
- Scissors or rotary blade (paper or photo cutter would also work) (affiliate links)
- Ruler
- Embellishments, stamps, or notions
- Adhesive
Let’s look at each of these materials separately.
Want a tutorial for making a handmade, stamped card? It’s in my Maker Library. Everything in my Maker Library is free!
Cardstock Is A Handmade Card Staple
Those of you of a certain age may remember when computers and printers made ‘handmade’ cards something that everyone was doing. It required a choosing clip art and typing in a sentiment, then printing on regular copy paper.
To give heft to the card, the clip art and text fit on a quarter of the page so the paper could be folded into fourths.
We can do better.
Cardstock To The Rescue
And that’s why the base of the card needs to be made of cardstock. The cardstock should be at least 65 lbs. Michael’s carries good cardstock for handmade cards. You can also find it at Wal-mart and office supply stores.
Cardstock is not as difficult to find as it once was. When I first started making cards, I found it difficult to locate colored cardstock at a store. I typically ordered cardstock in a variety of colors, though I bought my white cardstock at Walmart.
Today, I buy my cardstock from Michael’s or sometimes order from Amazon or other suppliers.
If you decide you like making handmade cards and other papercrafts, remember that not all cardstock is created equal. Some brands of cardstock are not solid core.
- White core – the color is only on the sides of the cardstock. If you cut the sheet in half, you would see white on the cut edge.
- Solid core – the color goes all the way through the cardstock. If you cut the sheet in half, you would see the color on the cut edge.
When would this matter? Often, it does not matter at all, but there are some projects – like rolled flowers – where it might matter.
Personally, I prefer solid core. I think it lends a more professional touch to a project. But I have both types of cardstock in my stash. Stampin’ Up carries great solid core cardstock.
For beginners, I would suggest that you stick with white cardstock for the base of your handmade card. As you get more comfortable with putting different colors and elements together, you could begin using other colors as the base.
Cutters and Rulers
As a crafter, it is important to have good cutting implements. I have scissors and a rotary blade cutter that I use only for paper. I have different sets for fabric. Don’t cut paper with your fabric blades or vice versa. Unless you want dull blades every time you begin a new project.
If you use a rotary blade, you must have a ruler or straight edge to make sure that you cut straight lines. I use my quilting rulers for this purpose.
I like quilting or sewing rulers because they are clear acrylic. It is important sometimes to be able to see the paper underneath the ruler.
When I first started making cards, one of the first pieces of equipment I bought was a paper cutter. Basically, it is a plastic board with measurements and a rotary blade fixed on an arm. With this paper cutter, you can quickly cut straight lines every time.
I still use that paper cutter that I bought all those years ago. I have changed the blades several times, but it serves me well when I make handmade cards.
These paper cutters are fairly inexpensive, but not necessary for making handmade cards. Since I am not great at cutting super straight lines with scissors, I prefer this paper cutter.
A Word About Cutting Machines
Some of you might be wondering about using an electric cutting machine, like a Cricut. Yes, you can use the Cricut to cut and score cards, but I think you can do it more quickly with scissors or a traditional paper cutter.
Doing it by hand also means that I make the best use of my cardstock. I can get two cards from one sheet of cardstock with no wasted paper.
If I want two cards from one sheet of cardstock, with my Cricut I usually have smaller cards and some wasted paper. I prefer to use the Cricut when I want to have cut-outs on my base or when I want specific embellishments.
If you would like a tutorial on how to create a basic card, check out my tutorial in the Maker Library!
Embellishments, Stamps, Notions
This is the fun part of creating handmade cards!
Stamps and Handmade Cards
I began making handmade cards with stamping many years ago, and I loved how quick and easy it was. I am not an artist, but with a stamp, I get a professional-looking image.
If you use stamps, you will also need ink pads (start with black and add other colors as you need them) or markers.
Box stores, like Walmart, and craft stores, like Michael’s, have stamps. But you can find a much larger variety of stamps online.
My preference is Stampin’ Up. These are the first stamps that I ever used. I’ve bought many over the years, and I prefer them to this day.
Embellishments
So what is an embellishment? Basically, it is anything that you can glue to a card. Sometimes these are called die-cuts. An example would be cut-outs of balloons, birthday cake, sunglasses, flip flops, bride and groom. Virtually anything can be an embellishment.
Many scrapbookers use embellishments to accentuate the pages of their scrapbooks.
You can create a handmade card using these same scrapbook embellishments. These are easy to use and can make creating a card a quick project.
Notions
What if you don’t have any stamps or embellishments, but want to make a quick card? You just might already have what you need, especially if you have sewing or gift wrapping supplies handy.
Many beautiful cards are made with lace, ribbon, and buttons.
Adhesives
My favorite way to combine all the elements of a handmade card is with double-sided tape. It is not the most economical adhesive, but it is the easiest to use. Double-sided tape isn’t messy, unlike glue. It doesn’t move and I don’t have to wait on it to dry.
Gluesticks are also helpful. Sometimes a glue stick works better than double-sided tape. I use glue sticks when I am making lots of cards – e.g., Christmas cards – or when the embellishment I am using is too small for double-sided tape.
Some adhesives are raised like glue dots or foam dots or squares. I keep these on hand because sometimes an element looks better raised off the card. It creates dimension to the card.
Gather Your Supplies
You only need a few basic supplies – cardstock, a cutter/ruler, design element, and adhesive – to get started making your own handmade cards.
That’s it. With these few materials, you can create mini works of art to give to friends and family.
I have created a step-by-step tutorial on making a basic card with stamps. It is in my Maker Library. You can also find a quick reference guide for all the supplies you need. If you want the tutorial and quick reference guide, just sign up (it’s free) below. I will send you the password, and you can download the instructions!
