Handmade Christmas Cards

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At ilovegorgeous, we love anything handmade, and this Christmas, we’ll definitely be having a go at making our own Christmas cards.  It’s a really fun project to get stuck into with your little ones, especially on a wintery wet day! Card-making isn’t as difficult or as time-consuming as you may think – we’ve put together our top tips for making your own this Christmas:

Be selective with your card

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Good quality card is key; you can pick up some gorgeous festive coloured or patterned card from plenty of places - try JohnLewis, Paperchase or your local craft shop.  Try using rich colours such as navy, purple, maroon or even pink and turquoise rather than traditional green and red.  White card can also look very effective when combined with white and gold glitter, and brown card adds a lovely vintage feel.

Stick to squares or rectangles

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Keep the shape of your card as simple as possible; a square or rectangle will leave plenty of space for pretty decorations on the front, and will be easier to stand up.  Once you have decided and cut out your shape, score a line along your card where you would like to fold (with the edge of scissors or a blunt knife) to ensure you get a neat edge.  If you want to save time, try buying some ready made square cards – these usually come in packs with envelopes, all ready for posting!

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Keep your design simple

Don’t be afraid to leave space on your card, and keep your design minimal  - a simple glitter star or heart can look really pretty at the top of a card, or try using odd numbers, or a line of the same shape at the top of your card.  Remember to keep your designs in the same place; either in the center or at the top of your card works best.

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Decorations

Try your local craft shop or haberdashery departments in Liberty or John Lewis for glitter, sequins, gems and ribbons. If you don’t have time, buy some ready made embellishments such as glittery stickers. Try using old buttons, brown string and pieces of ribbon – these can look very pretty when layered on top of a glitter shape or simple label on your card. 

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Alternatively, old sheet music and vintage wrapping paper can look gorgeous; try folding or cutting a shape and sticking onto your card. Old scraps of material or shiny paper can look gorgeous when made into mini festive bunting across a card.

You will need some glue for your decorative bits and pieces -  we’d suggest using a small tube so you can reach into the corners. Alternatively, use a spray mount adhesive spray for a smoother finish. (Just remember to use in a well-ventilated room as they can give off nasty vapours.)

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Festive words

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At ilovegorgeous we’re big fans of stamps! A simple message printed on to nice card is a great idea for gift tags, and looks great for Christmas cards as well.  You can buy a stamper with separate letters, or try getting some wooden stamps, which come in plenty of different shapes, sizes and messages.  Paperchase have a lovely range.  

You could try picking some fun glitter letters – these often come with self adhesive backs, so they can simply be stuck on to your card. You can either leave the inside of your card blank or try stamping a festive message for the recipient.

Buy your own

Alternatively, if making your own cards seems too much this year, the lovely people at bespoke stationers Honeytree Publishing are giving ilovegorgeous customers an exclusive discount of 12% off all orders before the 20^th December!

HoneyTree make beautiful bespoke stationery, and offer traditional or illustrated personalized stationery from a vast collection of gorgeous hand drawn artworks.  Their Christmas range is available as individual cards or come in sets, with personalised messages add a very special touch. Simply add the code GorgeousHoneyTree at the checkoutbefore the 20th December to claim your discount.

Will you be making anything with your little ones this Christmas? We’d love to see your own designs; post your designs onto our Facebook wall and let us know how you get on!