To Begin

Would you like to make greeting cards but your not sure where to begin? That is what this post will answer for you. Making cards is fun and also a good way to save money. So what do you need to start making cards? You will need a heavy white cardstock if you plan to make your own card bases, fronts, and envelopes. You will want to use cardstock in the 80-110 pound range. There are also many choices of premade cards, fronts, and envelopes available at Hobby Lobby. Whether you decide to make your own cards fronts and envelopes or buy them premade is up to you.

Tools

Should you decide to make your own cards, fronts, and envelopes, you will need a scoreboard which is a tool to assist you with scoring and folding straight lines. You can get a large-sized scoreboard for about $20.00 or less. You can also choose a small one for even less money, it all just depends on what you want to do with your cards and envelopes in the future. The advantage to making your own card fronts, bases, and envelopes is that you can make them any size you wish, whereas if you buy them premade they are just the size you bought.

The next tool we will talk about is a cutting tool. You have three basic types to choose from. First, we have the large guillotine-type cutting tools that are not usually precise enough, so that leaves two types. The sliding blade and rotary blade types. I prefer the rotary blade as the sliding blade types can get dull quickly and tear your paper rather than cut it. I actually have all three types but you really only need one. As you go forward in your crafting you will probably want a few different types. The small guillotine types are useful to trim card fronts while doing a card project.

Die-Cutting

The next thing we need to think about is the decorations you will use to make your cards. I highly recommend a die-cutting machine. These come in manual or electric. They also vary in price significantly. Currently, I have a sizzix big shot brand manual die-cutting and embossing machine. I started with the Little Sister brand on Amazon which was affordable for me as a beginner. This tool is in my opinion a necessary item when you want to make cards. You can cut out shapes and such using a Cricut but the manual machine gives a better looking cut out. You are also not able to emboss using a Cricut in the same way the manual die cutting machine does.

There are a large variety of die-cut shapes and embossing folders you can buy for the manual machine. There are bundles you can buy with the machine to get some basic supplies. I prefer the look of a die-cut to decorate my cards. These die-cut images can really go a long way in making your homemade cards look more professional. These items can be found online at a site I use called Kokarosa for a few dollars each. Some of the big-name die cuts and embossing folders are priced ridiculously high. I would recommend getting layer dies in either A2 or A7 size if you are just starting out. I got mine from Scrapbook.com. since they were not available through Kokarosa. These dies will cut perfectly sized layers to give your cards dimension.

Adhesives

The next topic we will talk about is glue. You will need a good all-purpose liquid adhesive such as Art Glitter glue. You will also find it useful to have double-sided tape and dimensional foam adhesive. When making your cards you will find that certain adhesives work best in certain situations. I use the dollar store double-sided tape and dimensional foam adhesives. They work just fine and cost very little. Sometimes you will want to attach a die-cut or layer using dimensional adhesive to give more interest to a card and to add, well, dimension.

Other suggested items

You will probably want to also get some of these items to make card layers and focal points on your cards. Colored and or patterned cardstock is necessary, You may want to use stamps to stamp and color images which can then be cut out and used on the card. I personally love using stamps and ink for the inside sentiment. I will sometimes use a focal point of stamped and colored images, other times I use die cuts or both. A great basic ink pad is Momento in tuxedo black. I would get some sentiment stamps to start off and maybe a stamp featuring a flower arrangement or something that strikes your fancy. Card-making supplies are available at most local craft stores and at Scrapbook.com which I buy from regularly. Ideas for cards to make are endless and available everywhere. Surf around Pinterest and you will see what I mean!

Conclusion

By now you should have figured out what you might need to start making cards on a regular basis. I find it very rewarding to make my loved ones individualized cards for their special occasions. Don’t forget to get a stamp or write out that it is handmade by you on the back of your handmade cards. Be sure to check back here for new card and craft tutorials, and sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date! I would love to hear from you!