Tuesday, October 12, 2010

74 Days and Counting! (How to Make Handmade Christmas Cards)

My Nanny with her handmade card and supplies.

My Grandmother (formally known as Nanny) has a knack for making the most beautiful handmade greeting cards. This has been her hobby for years now and we all anticipate a celebration where we will be the recipient of one of her special keepsakes. Really, they are so beautiful that they are frame-worthy!

Two weekends ago, I was the recipient of a stack of handmade Christmas Cards! What a JOY to receive such a bundle of creativity! So, naturally, I said "Nan, I have to blog about how you made these cards!"

Well, here I am and I am going to give you the secret ingredients to making them! This time of year, Michael's and A.C. Moore have plain seasonal cards on sale in their dollar racks. In there you can also find packs of stickers for approximately $1 and up, depending on what you are looking for. If you are "one of those" people who keep old greeting cards from years past, then dig them on out for this project!


Some of the supplies used in making the cards.

A sample of a finished card.

With new greeting cards from the dollar bin as your canvas, embellishments such as stickers, sticky rhinestones, small glittered flowers or whatever strikes your fancy, you can go to town creating your very own handmade treasures. Find use in the Christmas cards from seasons past and repurpose their sayings by cutting them out and gluing them onto your new creations.

Not only is this a favorable idea for handmade Christmas Cards but you can also make beautiful personalized place cards for a table setting. Add your guest's name with a sharpie marker, print out their name with a funky font from your computer or stamp on letters. What a fun keepsake!

As you hand out these cards, everyone will want to be on your NICE list!

BE INSPIRED!

3 comments:

Nic913 said...

Your Nanny definitely does create BEAUTIFUL cards!! I saved the one she made for us when my first son was born since I thought it was so impressively put together and thoughtful! Homemade items, whether decor or cards, may be more time consuming to prepare and display, but are so much more pleasing to the eye and heartfelt in my opinion. My 2 boys are both very interested in making their own cards and sharing artwork with others so I though of somehow incorprating some of their pieces in our holiday cards this year...still playing around with some ideas, but I think they'll manage to inspire the decision on the final product as the time approaches!

Valerie said...

Nicole, having your boys put their artistic touch on your holiday cards is such a great idea! I hope you will send me one! Or at least send me a picture so I can post it to the blog! There is something very special and homespun about receiving a handmade card, especially in this day of technology.

And...yes, Nanny makes the most gorgeous cards! Can't wait to get my next one...it will probably be Charlie's Christmas card!

P.S.
Thank you for posting! I love reading what you have to say!

Valerie said...

Shari writes:
Dear Clare, I love, love the idea of handmade/homemade gifts. My mother has made handmade gifts/ornaments for me and my three siblings and sometimes for all the grandchildren, all 11 of them, for the past several years now. It is very special! I'm not sure if Josh realizes just how special it is, however, I know in time he will. One year my mom made an angel ornament for each of us (me, my sister and two brothers). What made it extra special was each angel's dress was made out of one of our grandfather's old ties. So, it was a double blessing ~ handmade ornament from my mom, made from one of our grandfather's old ties! Wow! I was so excited! I love passing on family heirloom's. It means a lot to me.
Only 24 days and counting. :)

Love,
Shari
PS - I love the idea of recycled cards. I will definitely have to try the idea. Thanks.

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