Using some scrap pieces to decorate handmade cards.
I had some scrap pieces from past card projects I decided to use to make a couple more handmade greeting cards.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Making the Card Bases
I used a sheet of brown cardstock paper to make an A2 sized greeting card base. I cut it down to 8-1/2 inches by 5-1/2 inches and scored down the center at 4-1/4 inch. This gave me two card bases to work with.
For one card, I cut a white sheet of cardstock paper down to 5-1/4 inches by 4 inches. This piece went on the inside as a bright space for writing a personal message. I decided not to include a white sheet in the other card since the card base was light enough to write on directly.
Scrap Card #1
To keep things easy for myself, I collected scrap pieces with similar colors and cut them into thin strips. Of course, this was the easiest part of the card making process.
It took me a moment to come up with a design. I rearranged the pieces until I was satisfied with how things looked. Do I know what I am doing? Heck no! But I did my best to arrange a decent looking design.
While I worked on the card front, I also kept the inside of the card in mind. I always struggled to design the inside in a way that looked good and left enough space for writing a message.
For this card, I decided to replicate the design of the card front on the inside. After rearranging the strips several times, I settled on a design that had the strips laid out vertically along the left end of a white background. I achieved consistency, but the card front looked bare.
I stamped a sentiment onto a strip of scrap paper for the card front. I cut the ends to give the appearance of a ribbon's end. Just this addition seemed to make a visually positive difference to the card front.
I experimented with using twine to make the sentiment stand out more. Unfortunately, I did not like the way it looked in the end. I kept it as is because the recipient of the card may think otherwise.
I used foam tape to elevate the stamped sentiment. It was necessary since the twine added bulk would have prevented the strip from lying flat on the card front.
Scrap Card #2
I used a couple larger scrap pieces for the second card. The pieces were similar in color and looked good together.
Since the pieces were previously cut into triangular shapes, I adhered the two pieces together and trimmed the sides to make a rectangular shape that fit within the borders of the card front.
Instead of adhering the scrap pieces flat onto the card front, I decided to adhere it with foam tape. I like creating depth with this type of tape.
Since part of the scrap had script writing on it, I chose a stamped sentiment with a script font to add to the card front. It was a large stamp, but small enough to not cover the entire scrap pieces I had for its background. I again used foam tape to elevate the stamped sentiment.
I kept the inside simplistic, but only because I did not know a better way to decorate it. I also did not have a lot of the trimmed pieces of the scraps used for the card front leftover to work with.
Since I had little to work with, I cut some small pieces to adhere to two corners of the inside. I would have adhered more pieces to the other corners if I had more to work with.
My Thoughts
The most challenging part, if I had to call anything I did with these cards "challenging," was deciding on how to arrange the scrap pieces. All I had to do was rearrange the pieces to see what looked good to me.
Once I was satisfied with an arrangement of scrap pieces, it only took me minutes to assemble everything. A lot of my decisions past this point like what tape to use was done on a whim. For example, I imagine the cards would have looked good without the use of foam tape to elevate parts of it. Personally, I like using foam tape to create a sense of depth.
I saved some of the scraps from these cards for future card projects. However, the smaller pieces I cannot imagine using was recycled.
What's Next?
Have scrap paper? Go ahead and make a few quick and simple handmade greeting cards! Having extra greeting cards would come in handy if you decide to give a card to someone on short notice.
Comment below to share what you do with scrap papers.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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