Ten Tips for Handmade Holiday Cards
1. Add dimension. Try cutting out elements from designed scrapbook paper to use as embellishments.
2. Focus on simplicity. It’s true – less is often more. I love this simple tree cut out design, using just 3 scraps of paper atop a card base.
3. Try new colors. I traded in traditional red and green for a calming, fresh winter color scheme with blues, purples, and grey tones.
4. Go Bright! Take one step further from the traditional colors and add some neon to your greetings.
5. Go round. I love stacking straight lined shapes one on top of another, but adding circles gave this card a softer feel. To create the rounded scalloped edge, I used a 1 inch circle punch to make several circles. Then I cut them in half, and butted them up against a straight edge
6. Prepare more than one at a time. For a time saver, I cut several strips of paper for these ribbon cards at one time. I made a handful of cards with the strips I cut in one sitting.
7. Go light on dark. I used a heat embossing method to create a raised, glittery polar bear and message. I love the snowy feel of this embossing powder!
8. Layer like crazy. I love the look of covering the entire card several layers of paper in the same color but different shades. By adding the lighter based paper directly behind the moose (which was stamped, embossed, and cut free hand), it creates a nice contrast to the darker background papers while keeping things tied together in the same color scheme. This contrast helps give a bit of a punch to the moose.
9. Stumped for an idea? Look around you. A stack of gifts near the tree was the inspiration for this design, featuring paper strip bows and ribbons atop several present boxes of various sizes
10. Mix patterns. This tree design is simple – I just took several different patterns and cut into strips of decreasing sizes to build the tree layout. The mix-match of patterns lends to the layout giving this card a little something extra.
I love the simple tree one. So pretty!
Great tips!
Blog is the New Black recently posted..“Pick Me Up”
I can’t wait to get a Christmas card from you!
about that….remember that time i asked you for your mailing address? perhaps you could email me with it AGAIN, as i seem to have misplaced it. oops. xo
I mean, REALLY? These are so, so awesome. I love the alternative wintry colors.
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