There are thousands of ways of making Christmas cards, but finding time to make them can be challenging. Holidays are already hectic and trying to put together elaborate personalized Christmas cards is almost impossible to finish before Christmas Eve. By incorporating a few hobbies together such as: painting, scrap booking, and making handmade Christmas cards, they can be made simply and quickly with time to spare.
Handmade Christmas Card Ideas
A common mistake people make when deciding they want to give handmade Christmas cards is to make each card individually one at a time. This is both inefficient and time consuming. Start with writing down all the names of people that Christmas cards will be sent to. Will regular paper be used or will card stock be needed?
Divide up the list into columns so that family members will receive a different style or colored card making each one feel special. Also, make sure that co-workers are in different columns to receive different style cards. The best way to save time is to do one step at a time on each of the cards in the stack before moving onto the next step. This will cut the card making time down drastically.
Now, decide on a design for each stack of Christmas cards. How many different styles will be needed? This is easy to decide by the number of columns that are on the list. Let's say there are two columns, so two different styles of Christmas cards will be needed. Next, the supplies will need to be gathered. Below is a list of items for making Christmas cards.
- scrap booking paper in light blue and black 8.5” x 11”
- long white mailing envelops
- glue sticks or double-sided tape
- bottle of glue
- ink pad in white, light blue, red, and black
- rubber stamps such as: a snowman, snowflakes (different sizes), and a 'Happy Holidays' or 'Merry Christmas'
- decorative paper punches such as: snowflakes, ice skates, snowmen, and Christmas trees
- glitter in white and iridescent
- green and yellow paint pen
If a more elaborate card paper is desired, purchase card stock or card kits.
Unique Christmas Cards
Lay out two different stacks of the colored paper onto the table. Fold the paper into a tri-fold design to fit into the mailing envelopes. Be sure to cover the work area to avoid staining. The two stacks can be mixed with both colors of paper. The first stack of cards will be the snowman cards and the second stack will be the Christmas scene cards.
It is always nice to tie two or more hobbies together with each card. For instance, the first stack of cards will be stamped with a white snowman in the center of the card. Use items from scrap booking to add magical touches to the card. Finish it off by painting an orange carrot nose and stick arms on the snowman. Also, a ribbon can be glued onto the snowman as a scarf and a piece of black felt can make a hat.
Cut out dozens of snowflakes using snowflake paper punches in various sizes. Add these around the snowman and inside the card along with ice skates and Christmas trees. Do not fold the card tightly until glue has had time to dry. Under the snowman, add a thin layer of glue to make a snowy ground and sprinkle with white glitter. Let dry. Use a holiday greeting stamp to add the final touches to the inside and/or outside of the card and sign your name using a paint pen.
Making Christmas Cards
The second stack of cards will be more of a scene. Begin by painting a snowy hill on the bottom of the card. Draw a Bethlehem star in the top middle of the card with the yellow paint pen. Add small snowflakes that have been punched out around the night sky.
Outline the star with glue using a tooth pick dipped into the glue. Do not try to squirt the glue around the star it will become thick and messy. Using this same technique, add rolling hills of glue on the snowy ground. Sprinkle with iridescent glitter. Let dry.
On the inside of the card, stamp the holiday greeting and sign your name largely with a paint pen. Go over the name with a toothpick dipped in glue and add glitter. Add punched out snowflakes, ice skates, and trees to the inside of the card.
Christmas Greetings on the Envelop
The envelop needs some holiday 'magic' too. Stamp a holiday greeting on the back of the envelop. Add a few decorative snowflakes that have been punched out of the light blue paper. Paint a small Christmas tree on the back and sprinkle with glitter. Use the toothpick and glue technique as above. Use the green paint pen to add the address to the front of the envelop. Next to the return address, add another small snowflake.
Don't try to stick to these guidelines perfectly. Use some creativeness and add special touches that come to mind during the process of making these Christmas cards. The hobby of making handmade Christmas cards could turn into a small business that could be used throughout the year. Think of ways to make birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day cards. The possibilities are endless. If making cards to sell it may be worthwhile to purchase card stock.
TLE101
Annette Phillips - Annette Phillips is the Topic Editor for Natural Disasters. Phillips is also the author of Willow's Ride and a licensed Cosmetologist.
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