Handmade Greeting Cards

There are many things that we can do to make special days celebrations for those that we care about. My favorite thing to do is to try to make an ordinary day special by doing some random act of kindness for someone.

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.~John W. Whitehead
Author: John W. Whitehead

This makes me feel good as well as brightening the day of the person that I gift with kindness.

One of my favorite ways of making days special is giving people handmade greeting cards. Cards that are made especially for a person shows that you have put extra thought into the creation and that you are also giving a small piece of yourself. I like to collect a wide variety of things to include in my handmade greeting cards. I pick up special colors of ink when I see them. I also save scraps of fabric lace and buttons that I can incorporate into the cards.

I am not a very artistic person, but I do like to put colors together. I use different colored card stock and glue shapes of fabric, beads, buttons and tissue papers on the cards.

Delight in the little things that are all your own.
Author: unknown

I have taken simple to trace patterns such as a fish or cat, and cut out the shapes from fabric and then outline them around the card with fabric paint. The fabric paint is raised so it gives the card additional texture as well as bright color. The fabric paints are available in a wide range of colors. Some of the colors have glitter added for an extra sparkle. Cookie cutters are another easy shape to cut out and paste on. Using buttons and sequins are another way to decorate the handmade greeting cards. You can even use scrapes from a favorite shirt to create a special card.

I do not know how to do calligraphy so I simply write a personal note inside of the card. I have received some beautiful calligraphy cards with inspirational sayings and poems. This is a skill that greatly adds to the look of the finished greeting cards. Greeting cards that have been made by hand are a great way to give someone a special feeling. Anyone can walk into a store and purchase a greeting card, or go on-line and email one, but it takes extra thought and caring to create your own cards. The time effort that goes into each card is a nice way of letting those close to you know that you feel they are worth your time and effort.

Children think not of what is past, nor what is to come, but enjoy the present time, which few of us do.
Author: Jean DeLa Bruyere