Greeting cards remain very popular today for the same
reasons they were in the 19th century.  Making your own
BY HAND is as a wonderful way to bring friends and family
closer together and strengthen relationships.

Cards are certainly more affordable and meaningful if
you make them using your own creativity. Cards can be
made using a wide variety of crafting methods, here are
just a few ideas to get you started.

How To Make Your Own

Handmade Greeting Cards

Written by Rachel Webb
© 2001, All Rights Reserved For The Creators

Holiday greeting cards were thought to have originated with
the Egyptians who exchanged messages to celebrate their new year.

.

EMBROIDERING CARDS

Using a piece of Aida fabric hand cross stitch or machine embroider your favorite holiday pattern. Press the finished piece on the wrong side with a warm iron. Using a three section white note card cut a square, circle or oval frame out of the middle section on the card. For a perfect cut, trace your framing hole with a crafting template. This will frame the cross-stitch.

Using a low temp glue gun, hot glue carefully around the edges of the cutout, and center the embroidery in the window.

Next, Open the card and cover the left flap with a layer of glue.  Fold the left hand flap to meet the embroidery piece to finish off the rough edge.

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PATCHWORK CARDS

These cards use left over fabric scraps and rubber stamping to create a one-of-a-kind look for cards.

Using the same 3 folded kind of note-card as we mentioned above, cut a shape out of the middle of the card.

Your imagination is your only limit on what you could make, but cutting a triangle makes an adorable Christmas tree.

Next choose a small fabric scrap that will adequately cover the triangle and using small pieces of double stick tape cover the wrong side of the card so that the right side of the fabric fills the triangle.

Set your sewing machine on a zig zag stitch and working on the top, stitch all the way around the triangle on the card. Don't forget to backstitch!

Follow the instructions above for gluing the flap closed to nicely finish the raw fabric side. the rest of the card can easily be decorated using rubber stamping supplies to add stars on the side of the tree -- or holiday greetings are also available on rubber mounted stamps for creating the inside of the card as well.

DIMENSIONAL CARDS

This kind of card uses embellished die cuts that are mounted on springs to add movement and whimsy to your card. You will need a regular folded note card, 5 inch long florist binding wire as well as acid free tape and glue for mounting.

You will also need several die-cuts of acid free paper.

Any scrapbook store and most craft stores will carry a wide variety of cut outs for you to choose from.

Layout your holiday design the way you want it to look. Go ahead and glue on any background pieces. Set aside a couple of main subjects in your layout to mount on springs.

To make a spring, wind a piece of wire tightly around a pencil and carefully slide it off the top leaving the wire coiled.

Attach one spring to the center of the subject on the wrong side and the other end to the card using acid free tape.

POP-UP CARD

You will need:
2 - 8/1/2 x 11" pieces of cardstock
Scissors
Acid Free Glue
Embellishments

Step 1
Fold the papers in half and place the paper so the folded edge is on your left.

Step 2
Mark a large triangle on the bottom left hand corner. Starting from the folded edge to the triangle line, draw and cut a curved line.

Step 3
Fold along the triangle line between the cut and the point of the triangle. Fold the other direction along the same crease.

Step 4
Open the card and pull out the cut middle pop out piece towards you. Firmly crease the fold lines so that the pop-ip piece points towards you.

Step 5
Glue the inside and outside of the card together and decorate it.
This triangle pop up can be turned upside down and used as a vase filled with die-cut flowers or real dried flowers or turned into an angel. Maybe it will become a nose with the saying "Everybody Nose - I Love You!"

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Be creative and try other pop-up shapes for a unique handmade greeting card.

Think creatively
and enjoy giving handmade cards all year.

the end

Rachel Webb lives in Utah.

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Crafts do make wonderful gifts. Now I don't pretend that ANY crafty gift is precious. A star made from popsicle sticks glued together might bring yards of happiness when given from a four-year old, but look rather tacky if you are forty. The gifts you choose to make for others should spring from a craft you do exceedingly well. A good craft gift might be defined as anything you do with your hands that makes your heart sing while you are making it. When the one receiving the gift hears that singing and joins in then you will have given a gift which is priceless. Not all of us knows what a rabbet is, but all of us will have talents which give us an affinity to at least one of the crafty ideas inside this package. I invite you to check out the book marks and dig in. Don't be afraid to try any of these ideas. Each one was chosen for the author's skill in explaining the steps to take. You will probably be pleasantly surprised and how easily you acquire the skills needed for any craft idea that you like. There is a link in each craft article so that you can easily reach the author for similar material.
http://www.BrowzerBooks.com/freebo///craftygifts.pdf is the download site.
This book will make a swell gift for all your craft loving friends. Pass it on, then take a look at what all else we have in store for you..

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