Need advice with DIY greeting cards

[QuarterMillionMan]

Whenever I shop at the .99 cents store I stock up on greeting cards by getting about $30 worth of greeting cards at a time and I use them all up by the 2nd or 3rd trip back to the .99 cents store. So it dawned on me to buy card stock and make my own greeting cards and maybe putting stickers with Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas or printing the words myself on my computer. I have the A9 greeting card plain envelopes (5.75" x 8.75", 100 count envelopes) so I figure that I'm half way there. I watched some youtube videos and they are too elaborate and painstakingly fancy. I'm just looking to do some simple wording or stickers and be done with it. Anyone make their own greeting cards?

[disneysteve]

We've made our own cards for years, ever since we had a home computer and printer. It's so easy and you can customize and personalize them for the individual. We rarely buy cards, especially at card stores where $3.99 is a "cheap" card.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I'm impressed with myself, I used Bing clipart and pasted this to regular paper and it looks good. Now all I need is card stock and I'll be making my own greeting cards from this point forward. Hmm, I wish I had thought of this a long time ago (lol).

[phantom]

In the 90s, almost all of the cards my family gave out were made on the computer with Print Shop Deluxe. Giving someone something custom seemed to make up for the lower quality we got out of the home printer. But, some combination of me going away to college and upgrading to Windows XP (so the software we used no longer worked) killed that practice.

Nowadays, if I have a really good reason to make a custom card, I'll do it in Gimp, and it will look just as good, if not better than something you can buy in the store. But, without greeting card software to get me started with a template, I consider coming up with something I'm happy with to be far too much work.

[QuarterMillionMan]

My shipment of card stock arrived so I started printing my own greeting cards. Card stock was .06 cents per page (250 for $15 and free shipping on eBay). My first print (the plumeria flowers) was a little off center but I got the hang of it now. I'm thinking of putting the recipient's picture or something related to the recipient on future cards to individualize the greeting card even more.

[disneysteve]

My first print (the plumeria flowers) was a little off center

You'll find a paper cutter to be a worthwhile investment if you do this regularly. Trimming a little here or there can fix a world of spacing errors. It's also very useful if you want to print anything smaller than a full sheet of paper size, like thank you cards or invitations, for example.

[scfr]

For the past 8 years I've organized a holiday card-making party for a group I volunteer with.

I make the card blanks with card stock (8-1/2 x 11, cut each piece in half cross-wise, and then fold in half). I use a paper cutter (got it for free from a neighbor who was decluttering).

We decorate with marker pens, crayons, regular stickers, and foam stickers. We have an assortment of stencils that people can use to trace on basic shapes and then add on from there. The stencils are really useful for people like me who aren't artists. They create a good, accurate base to start from. The results of "mixed media" creations (crayon and stickers for example) can be pretty cute. And very inexpensive.

Keep your eye out at garage sales and thrift stores. You'll probably find things you can use to decorate your cards super cheap.

[creditcardfree]

We have a stash of card stock and scrapbook paper from when my girls were younger and into crafting things. I made the base of the card out of card stock then added strips of pretty scrapbook paper. I just write the nice sentiment in the card and put it in an envelope (4.5 x 6.5 size)

[disneysteve]

If I ever get some free time, I'll see if I can scan in some things I've made over the years. We've done everything from birth announcements to our holiday cards to my daughter's Bat Mitzvah invitations.

[Gailete]

At the Goodwill a couple of weeks ago I found a big bag with envelopes and folded cards. for $2-3. Can't remember which. I grabbed them as I have been wanting to make my own cards. I think they were leftovers from homemade wedding invites. I 've been working through a pile of 'free' ones that I have picked up at yard sales, but usually the envelopes and cards don't fit. I got a Brother Scan N Cut last year through the Amazon Vine program. It cuts both fabric and paper. I've been wanting to try it on paper as well and I have picked up some good supplies like stamps, paper, etc. at the thrift store. I've also found some books and magazines on card making as well for if I want to be 'elaborate'. Of course, I already have an abundance of lace, trims and ribbons. Now I just have to start in doing it. A friends husband died about a month ago of brain cancer and I'm sure she got plenty of cards then, but I thought one coming a while after the fact would be appreciated so she would know people are still thinking of her and her loss. Now I just have to think up a nice design. I don't want to make something that looks 'cheap'. I have the technology and supplies, just have to figure it out. This thread was a nudge I needed to get started! Thanks guys/gals

[Gailete]

Thanks for the push guys. Into my sewing room I went and made up a card.I have been able to get so many supplies for so cheap, that I knew I could probably make anything I thought I was capable of making. I made her a card that was fairly simple, but my first chance to try sewing on paper and with the machine speed turned way down, it came out fine.

@phantom - My very first piece of independent software (not included in my machine) was Print Shop and then got Print Shop Deluxe. I made cards using that over the years, but never had proper card stock.

@quartermillionman - Where did you get the card stock from? I have been running an idea through my head about making cards to sell, but I haven't started searching for supplies of the card stock and envelopes yet. I at least, have a some to start out with and to see how it goes. I even have a paper cutter like I remember seeing at schools and in offices and I haven't a clue when or why I got it!

[disneysteve]

@quartermillionman - Where did you get the card stock from?

I'd recommend either Amazon or ebay for the best price (as is true with pretty much anything).

[QuarterMillionMan]

I got my card stock from eBay, plain white 8.5 x 11, 250 sheets for $15 included free shipping. I wish I had gotten this assorted Astrobrights for $2 more, nice and colorful.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neenah-Paper-Astrobrights-Colored-Card-Stock-65-lb-8-1-2-x-11-Assorted-250-/172267773612?epid=1200152995&hash=item281bf59eac:g:UG0AAOSwNuxXaj6H

[disneysteve]

I wish I had gotten this assorted Astrobrights for $2 more, nice and colorful.

The problem with getting colored paper is that it makes it tough to put any sort of graphics or photos on your card because the color of the paper distorts the colors of the graphics. It's much better to buy white cardstock and add a colored background yourself.

For example, here is a birthday party invitation I made for our daughter years ago. The paper is white. I added the blue background.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Impressive! Now you got me motivated to try something fancy like that too.