Handmade greeting cards - the choice of style and type, step by step master classes and beautiful photo ideas

The best gift for your loved ones is something that is made with your own hands. Especially nice would be a themed postcard. In this article, we will detail the topic of creating postcards.

What is cardmaking?

Making a postcard with your own hands is called cardmaking. The point of this activity is to create a unique and one-of-a-kind product.

Masters of cardmaking do not allow themselves to copy others' work. Inspired by a beautiful idea, they create their own compositions and subjects, ready to surprise others. To take as a basis and do it in their own way - the main principle of a specialist in the manufacture of handmade cards.

This direction is very popular due to the fact that the postcard is made for a particular person. When they receive such a gift, the beneficiary understands how much time and sincere warmth is in this postcard. This is why it is so precious to him.

Styles of cardmaking

This handicraft has its own styles and techniques.

Classical style

It is recognizable by the harmony and integrity of the created plot. All decorative elements of the style must be properly combined in color and structure of materials. It is also called the American style.

European style

Like Old Europe - austere, reserved conservative. Comparable with minimalism - on the card no more than three colors, moderation in the number and size of decorative elements. Its face is simplicity and clarity of lines: materials, decorations, text for greetings should be maintained in the same tone.

Vintage style

It is also called the "antique" style. You can tell the style by the aged decorative elements. Vintage postcards are used to make vintage and old postcards, magazines, newspapers.

Grunge Style

An ambiguous style and the attitude to it is ambiguous. The main message of grunge style is deliberate slovenliness, epatage, melancholy and apathy. Definitions that characterize the style: shabby, rough, dirty, ragged.

The colors of the style are gray, black, brown, red, orange, and blue, which either contrast with each other or flow into each other to form an incomprehensible messy palette.

Mixed style.

This is a combination of the other two styles. One style is taken as the basis, and the elements can be from another style. Or separate inclusions of another style. The main rule is not to overdo it.

Needlework techniques used in cardmaking.

Embroidery

Used as a whole embroidered canvas, designed as a postcard, as an insert on a postcard, as an embroidery of individual elements. Especially popular for this type of needlework is embroidery with glass beads, sequins.

Scrapbooking .

This technique is invented for creating beautiful photo albums. Rich in a variety of templates that are used to work - silhouettes of people and houses, hearts, rings, flowers, ribbons.

This technique is involved in all styles of card making, from classic to grunge. It uses a variety of embossing, scuffs, craquelure, ripped edge.

Decoupage .

The technique uses paper napkins, rice paper, decoupage cards. The pattern is torn from the napkin and glued to the chosen place to create a postcard using PVA glue.

Today there are napkins with ornaments, flowers, houses, Christmas themes that can be used to create a postcard in the European and classic style.

Quilling

Creation of patterns using thin strips of paper, of which the method of twisting to create flowers, leaves, patterns. In stores today sell special sets of these strips-serpentines. One must have patience and perseverance in the preparation of decorative elements of the narrow strips.

Iris Folding

A technique of cutting out pictures and adding flat pieces to each other to create volume and texture.

Pop-up

This technique, which includes all the rules of creating a folded card when you open it, which appears three-dimensional pictures. The most difficult and time-consuming technique.

Materials for postcards

For making postcards you can use any handy materials. A needlewoman who is seriously engaged in cardmaking always has the necessary tools and materials:

• Sets of paper and cardboard in different colors and textures;
• paper scissors plus scissors with shaped blades;
• a glue gun:
• ruler;
• double-sided tape;
• glue stick, PVA, Moment;
• sharp utility knife;
• A punch for details.

For decorations, anything is possible:

• satin and decorative ribbons;
• decorative cords;
• beads, rhinestones, half pearls, buttons;
• various shaped trinkets;
• lace;
• artificial flowers;
• bright scraps of fabric - anything that can add uniqueness to your work.

Folding cards

Postcard for lovers, made in the technique of pop-up.

For the work you will need:

• A sheet of good quality red cardboard in A4 format;
• A sheet of white paper (A4) with a density of not less than 150 mg;
• shaped scissors;
• glue-pencil;
• office knife;
• eraser;
• pencil;
• ruler.

Workflow:

1. Cut a sheet of cardboard along the edge with shaped scissors. Fold in half horizontally.
2. Cut the white sheet to 1 cm. on four sides. Also fold the sheet in half horizontally.
3. Place the inscription template on the white sheet so that the solid horizontal line on the template coincides with the fold line on the sheet.
4. Download the template, print and cut out the outline.
5. Fold the pattern and the white workpiece so that the pattern is exactly centered on the sheet, and the solid horizontal line on the pattern exactly coincides with the fold line on the workpiece.
6. Carefully transfer the lines of the template to the sheet with a simple pencil, so that the finished product does not have any blots. Even better to work with the template on the wrong side.
7. Placing a couple of sheets of paper on the table to protect the tabletop, use a stationery knife to cut through the solid lines. Where there are dotted lines, bend, guided by the finished card.
8. Carefully glue the inside blank to the cardboard base. Do not use glue on the place where the folding elements are placed, which are trimmed. This part should not be glued to the base. Allow the product to dry well. You can fold the card and give it to a loved one.

Another postcard in the technique of pop-up "Rainbow umbrella"

For the work you will need:

• A thick white A4 sheet of paper;
• 6 strips of colored paper in soft pastel colors 20 x 3 cm;
• A felt-tip pen;
• Glue-pencil.

Workflow:

1. Glue the strips together on the long side with a glue stick, blotting the edges by 3-4 mm. Observe the laws of color matching, choosing which strip to glue next. The rainbow spectrum works well for orientation.
2. Allow the resulting blank to dry.
3. Fold the sheet accordion, making the fold along the lines of the connection of colors.
4. The resulting accordion fold in half crosswise, pressing the fold line on both sides with two fingers to form a fan.
5. So that the fan in the center does not diverge, glue both sides together.
6. Fold the base sheet in half horizontally.
7. Put glue on the outer sides of the fan and glue to the base, fitting into the fold line and 4-5 cm from the top edge of the card.
8. Draw the handle of the umbrella with a felt-tip pen.

The bright cheerful card is ready to cheer up anyone to whom it is presented.

One-sided cards

The peculiarity of these cards is that they are made on cardboard, and have only the front side. And the "face" of the product can be made in any style and technique.

Postcard "New Year's Ball".

For work you will need:

• a sheet of cardboard of blue color;
• a half-pearl;
• silver cord;
• glue "Moment";
• white paint;
• glue gun;
• white ribbon.

Workflow:

1. In the center of the sheet, draw a circle with a diameter of 8-9 cm.
2. Paint the circle carefully with white acrylic paint. If you don't have paint, you can cut a piece of white paper of the same diameter and glue it in place of the circle. This is done to create a white background for the pearls, which will be glued in the next step.
3. Allow the circle to dry, and use Moment glue to glue the half pearls tightly together. Apply glue to the base dot by dot, carefully, so that it is enough only under the base of the pearl. If you use pearls of different sizes, you can achieve a very dense filling the space of the future ball.
4. After drying, use a glue gun to glue a white satin ribbon bow at the top of the balloon. Just above the ribbon knot, glue a silver cord with small round bells tied with a bow. If there are no bells, you can do without them.

New Year's Eve ball can be made by filling the circle area with red rhinestones. In this case, the circle is either painted red or cut out of a red sheet and glued. All other steps are exactly the same as when making a postcard with half pearls.

The same principle can be used to make a card with hearts. Glue three hearts cut out of velvet paper with lurex onto a beautiful piece of cardboard. Pull the decorative threads from the hearts down to the bottom edge of the card, tie them in a bow and attach them to the base with a glue gun.

Photos of handmade cards