With the cost of some holiday cards clocking up to $5 each, that’s a huge cost to you – and the environment. Sure, there are other options available, but e-cards can be impersonal and you’d be hard pressed finding cheap cards from the two dollar shop that don’t feature tacky Santas and Frosty The Snowmen.
This year, show your love and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with these wonderfully-simple cards that you can make with last year’s cast offs and materials you can find around the house!
When it comes to making cards, you’re limited only by your imagination and what’s lying around in your craft cupboard. Even if you’re a non-crafter, you can still produce fantastic results with some basic components.
Use a combination of different coloured card, old calendars, stamps (courtesy of our old friend the potato) lace, buttons, fabric or paper doilies, even food-colouring dripped onto white card can produce beautiful and imaginative results.
You can even get your little ones involved – home made Christmas cards are a great activity to keep hands busy, and even consider using little fingers and feet for some fun finger-painting activities – a great idea for personalised cards that will really make someone's day. For a great tutorial on a “hand-print Santa” check out familyfun.go.com.
Wax seals are also making a big comeback in craft circles. You can order a variety of letters and symbols, along with the wax itself, online or in craft shops. These are a great idea to really personalize the card. Finish off with a ribbon – and if you want your message to stay secret squirrel, then seal it up!
If you have a drawer filled with used greeting cards, here is a great simple way to recycle them. Simply cut off the front of the card, stick it onto a folded piece of card, then decorate with ribbon, sequins and glitter to personalize it.
Today’s Christmas and gift cards are tomorrow’s landfill, so this year, make a difference by crafting your own beautifully hand-made recyclable cards – once they’ve been enjoyed, they can be passed onto the next person instead of stuffed into a drawer.
Here’s how - after you’ve made your card, cut off around four to eight pieces of tissue paper that will fit inside the card. Then, carefully attach each piece to the inside of the card, using some double sided tape. Then, once you’ve written your message and it’s been enjoyed, the next person can tear off your note, and use the next piece of tissue underneath for their message, and the cycle continues!
Have you got a great idea for Crafty Christmas cards? Let us know by commenting below…
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I agree, be fantastic
you should have a craft section on this site