While it is very easy to just head down to the high street and purchase a bulk of Christmas cards to send out to all your friends and family, you are losing out on a quick-fire way to get into the festive spirit.
Creating your own Christmas cards will not take much time – you can create a huge pile in the space of an afternoon – and is a fun activity for kids and adults alike.
So free up some time when the whole family is available and follow this guide to create cards that recipients will surely be proud to display on their mantelpiece.
1. Work out your Christmas card design
Before you rush out to buy all your craft supplies, you will be wise to take a few moments to envision what your perfect Christmas card would look like.
Grab a piece of paper and get sketching, remembering to use a pencil so you can rub out any mistakes and go back to the drawing board, quite literally.
Also, don’t forget to look at the Christmas cards available on the high street for inspiration – just because you are not purchasing them, doesn’t mean you can’t get a few ideas from the specialists.
2. Purchase your supplies
Once you have your ideal design sketched out, it’s time to stock up on your materials. Viking is a great place to begin, as they stock card in a whole variety of wonderful colours, on top of snazzy decorations including glitter, festive shapes and fluorescent art pots within their comprehensive art and craft supplies range.
3. Insert your festive message
Before you begin to cover your cards in glitter or sketch a Christmas-themed image on the front, start by getting the message onto the card.
This is because it will be the words that your write on a Christmas card that friends and family will take the most heart from. Be sure to make each card personal by writing every message especially for the recipient in question.
Hoping for the message inside the card to really stand out without it looking like a scribble as well? The English Stamp Company can help, as you just need to tell them your message and they will provide it to you in the form of a stylish rubber stamp.
4. Add a unique finishing touch
Now that the important message is out of the way, make your Christmas card exciting by hand-drawing a picture onto it – how about a snowman but with the head left blank so you can put a picture of the recipient inside? That way, you can demonstrate you have taken time to ensure every single card is unique.
Many contemporary greetings cards have a large message without extra fuss for a modern look, and you could choose to emulate this design or add decoration.
The possibilities are almost endless – if you’re artistic, you could hand-draw a picture or create a collage. Beginners might add card toppers or even stick a photograph of themself and the recipient for a personal touch.
