Handmade Cards Vs Ready-made Cards

Card making is becoming more and more popular these days. Many people have realized how fun and therapeutic the hobby is, and most of them are also making money out of it. But have you ever wondered what the difference really is between a handmade and a store-bought card? Well, other than the fact that the former is made by hand and the latter by machine, there are some other subtle details that create a distinction between the two.

Handmade cards are individual

When you head to any supermarket or gift shop in Nairobi, you are bound to find similar cards on the shelves. This is especially true during seasons such as valentines and Christmas when the demand for cards goes up. If you went through primary or high school in Kenya, you probably even received a card that was exactly the same as a classmate’s right before you sat for your KCPE or KCSE. With handmade cards however, the production is done by hand which subsequently limits the number of units available. With this therefore, it is possible to get a card that is unique – one that you will never see anywhere else in the world!

You can add your own message in a handmade card

Ready-made cards often come with printed messages. Because of this, you will at most times be forced to find something with words that are close to (but not exactly) what you want to say. When you make a card or get someone to make you one though; you can also include the message you desire, or write it down yourself. This means you can borrow nice quotes from books, magazines, websites or other cards, and then modify them to come up with your own beautiful message.

Handmade cards can double up as gifts

From sequins and ribbon to glitter and beads; card makers use all sorts of embellishments to make their creations exclusive. The personalized messages added through stamping and calligraphy other than just printing also go a long way into making the cards extra special. Thus, when the final product is presented to the receiver, it doesn’t have to be accompanied by a gift because the fact that it is a step above mass produced products makes it just as unique as anything else that can be offered as a gift.

Some people think that handmade cards are cheap and tacky; but this isn’t true. Crafters put a lot of effort into producing their cards to ensure that whatever they come up with is creative and good quality. So, if you wish to get a handmade card for whichever occasion, you just need to locate a card maker who can do it for you wholeheartedly, and whoever you give it to will truly be grateful for it.

Handmade Card Making:Awesome Ways to Make Your Cards Stand Out

Making simple cards is a good thing because most people like it that way anyway. Still, there are a few methods you can adopt to give life to your handmade cards; here are the ones I use in just about every card I make.

Add something three dimensional

One of the techniques I trust most is incorporating three dimensional objects .

Based on the effect you want to achieve, there’s no restriction as to what you can add; so you should let your imagination drive you. Some of the things I love to use for this purpose include buttons, beads, ribbon and flowers. Embossing is also a perfect way to make an otherwise flat piece of paper more appealing. 

Other than adding dimension, these items will give your cards some nice texture. If you don’t have access to these or don't want to incorporate them though, you can use flat elements such as punched-out shapes and then hold them in place using double side foam tape which will raise them off the base. If you prefer not to use anything lumpy, you can opt for a rubber stamp, or patterned paper.

For the handmade card below, I used red textured paper for the card base and then added white paper and  flower decoration to incorporate a three dimensional element.

Be careful how you incorporate your decorations

Adding embellishments is a good way to put a sparkle on handmade cards. A ribbon here, a sticker there, or an old button can make a huge difference in the final result. There are many shops that sell readymade embellishments, but you can make your own, or pick some from recycled items as well.I always look through old bags and clothing as most times, these will have decorations that look great when added onto handmade cards.

Regardless of the embellishments you go for though, you should be careful not to use too many as these will give your handmade card a cluttered appearance and ruin your design.  Also, the embellishments should match the size and weight of the card. If you put something very heavy, the card base may not be able to support it. This may also lead to problems with postage if you intend to mail your card.

Use the right adhesives

When I was starting on card making, I made a card for my younger sister and it had all sorts of embellishments including beads and gemstones. However I had unfortunately used glue that didn’t adhere well and it’s only when my sister was showing it off to her friends that I realized this as some of the beads fell off.It was quite embarrassing considering the amount of time I had put into making the card. The good part however is that it was a lesson for me and from that experience, I can tell you that even if you have the most perfect design,your efforts will be totally wasted if you don't use the right glue.

Put several papers together

One of the habits I adopted right from the time I started making cards is combining cardstock in different colours. While using only one type of paper is okay, there are instances where two or more will give you a better result. How you put them together is all up to you: you can stitch them, tie them with a ribbon or simply use glue.

 Here’s a piece I made with four different types of paper

Coordinate your material

For many of us, putting the right combinations of paper and decoration together can be quite a challenge and unfortunately , if your theme is inharmonious, it doesn’t matter how high quality the material you use is, things will just not work.Colours that go together will take your design a notch higher even if the card is basic.

Most times, before I glue any decorative elements on paper, I play around with them on the card base and try out different combinations to see which one works best. This helps me keep things coordinated and keeps me from cluttering the design at the same time.

Another good way to ensure that you only put the right colours together is to use a colour wheel as your reference, and work with the complementary colours. For instance, you can put orange and blue together, or merge red and green. However, you have to be careful about the shades of the colours as they can at times be too intense and this may not give you a good result.

Using monochromatic colours can also be a good alternative. I find this approach easier as all you need to do is to pick one colour, and then incorporate several tones of it. In the card below for example, I chose brown as my main colour and as you can see, there’s three variations of it on the piece.

I hope these tips will be useful to you as you make your handmade cards. If you have any other tip you would like to share, please add it in the comments box below.