| Are you tired of sending the same old Christmas | | | | a slightly raised effect, allowing them to stand out from |
| cards depicting boring baubles and dreary bells year in | | | | card slightly. They are excellent for giving more |
| and year out? Have you ever thought that you could | | | | prominence to centerpieces. |
| design better Christmas cards yourself? Why not | | | | You could also buy other materials like handmade or |
| have a go this year? | | | | mulberry paper but these are not necessary if you |
| The best time to begin collecting material for making | | | | have amassed a lot of your own Christmas material. |
| Christmas cards is during the previous year's yuletide | | | | Alternatively, if you do not have any materials for |
| season. Collect as many seasonal clippings, ribbons, | | | | making the cards, you could buy a Christmas card |
| bows and small decorations as possible from | | | | making kit. This will include several card blanks as well |
| magazines, wrapping paper, gift tags, Christmas cards, | | | | as many bits and pieces that you can use to design |
| advent calendars...the list is endless - you won't have to | | | | and make cards. It may even have suggested designs |
| look far for inspiration during the Christmas period. | | | | and instructions, which are great if you lack a little |
| Once you have amassed all of your material, store it in | | | | inspiration. |
| a special craft chest. You may wish to divide your | | | | As far as tools are concerned, the only essential tools |
| material into different themes and put it into individual | | | | are a pair of scissors, a ruler and some glue. A glue |
| drawers in your craft chest. | | | | pen is very useful as it allows you to apply glue very |
| You can then decide when to begin making cards for | | | | finely to small decorations. |
| next Christmas. This will depend on how much time | | | | Now the fun begins...just sit down and let you |
| you have throughout the year and how many cards | | | | imagination run wild. Try out different designs on the |
| you wish to make - do you want to make a card for | | | | cards without sticking them down. If one design doesn't |
| everyone on your Christmas card list or just a few for | | | | work, discard it and begin again but don't be too |
| close friends and family? | | | | judgmental - the idea is to have fun. Some designs will |
| Before starting to make the cards, you will need to | | | | be better than others but you won't develop your own |
| buy either some card for cutting, folding and making | | | | style if you don't give your creativity full rein. |
| your own card blanks or some ready-made card | | | | As a finishing touch, you could add a little sticker on the |
| blanks with envelopes - this is the quickest and easiest | | | | back saying 'handmade by...' These stickers are |
| way. Look in the crafts-paper crafts-card making | | | | available to buy or you could print them yourself from |
| section of eBay for good value packs of card blanks | | | | your computer. If people like your cards, you could |
| and matching envelopes or try your local craft store. | | | | have orders coming in for next year's cards and |
| White or cream is a good background color as it | | | | before you know it, you will have set up your own |
| enables you to use a variety of colors on top but you | | | | card making business. You could even sell your surplus |
| don't have to restrict yourself to this color, you can be | | | | cards to friends, at local groups and fairs or even on |
| as creative as you like. Red and green also make | | | | the Internet. eBay is a good place to start selling |
| good background colors for Christmas cards. | | | | hand-crafted items online. |
| You may also wish to buy peel-offs, which are | | | | If you do begin selling your cards, bear in mind that you |
| stickers with such greetings as 'Happy Christmas,' | | | | can only sell your original designs. If you have copied |
| 'Season's Greetings,' etc. They are useful for giving | | | | someone else's design either from a book, magazine, |
| your cards the finishing touch but are not essential, as | | | | website or another source, you cannot sell it as it |
| you could write a greeting using a silver gel pen, for | | | | would be a violation of copyright, unless it is explicitly |
| example, or not include a greeting on the front of the | | | | stated that it is a copyright-free design. |
| card at all. | | | | So, sit down, relax and enjoy a creative pursuit in the |
| Sticky pads are another useful addition to your | | | | run-up to Christmas. The rewards could be greater |
| Christmas card craft making kit. These small foam | | | | than you expect. |
| pads with adhesive on both sides give certain images | | | | |