How to Create a DIY Greeting Card for Any Occasion

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Make personalized cards to show how much you care
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People always enjoy receiving a handmade greeting card for any occasion. So, why go out to the store and pay up to $10 for a card that won't make the person receiving it as happy as they would be if the card was homemade? You can make a greeting card from scratch or on the computer easily enough, and you might have some fun doing it.

DIY Greeting Card Tutorial

Fold a piece of paper in half (or use a blank greeting card) and decorate the card with markers, glitter, scrapbooking materials, or whatever crafting supplies you like. Add a heartfelt but concise message to the inside to make your greeting card meaningful and personal.

Section 1 of 4:

Making a Basic Greeting Card

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  1. It's always helpful to have all your supplies laid out in front of your before you begin your project. This way you can stay focused without the interruptions that would otherwise occur as you had to search for new materials.
    • Depending on what kind of greeting card you plan to make, you'll need glue, scissors or a paper cutter, paper or blank cards, envelopes, small decorations to put on the card, and a pen or pencil.
    • Buy some materials at the store to start off with when making cards. You can also recycle things around the house. Items such as buttons, ribbon, and old belts, all look great when properly attached to cards.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    If you decide to use a piece of paper you have plenty of options. You can cut the paper down to a smaller size using a paper cutter, or even cut it into different shapes. Consider using construction paper if you want a tougher material or something more colorful. [1]
    • If you plan on cutting your paper with a paper cutter, use a ruler to define the lines before you start cutting. This will make it easier to keep everything straight and even.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Add decorations to your card . [2] You can have a lot of fun here. You can draw something running throughout the card, like a sea monster or a landscape. You could draw a scene in the daytime on one side, and another scene in the nighttime on the other side. If you know the person you're giving the card to, try to make something that would appeal to them. If you're just trying to make a general card, try to decorate the card in such a way that would match the theme of the greeting.
    • For example, if you're making a birthday card maybe you should include cakes and balloons.
    • Another option for decorating is to use scrap book materials [3] or other craft items. You can cut out pictures from magazines and glue these into your greeting card.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Most greeting cards have generalized text before you get into the personal greeting. You can skip this part if you want, but if you're trying to emulate a greeting card that you would find at a store, you might want to include some sort of greeting. Write something that matches the occasion. For example, you could write “Congratulations on your wedding and your many happy years ahead” for a newly married couple.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Take letters from newspapers or magazines of varying sizes and fonts and paste them around your card in a mix-matched manner. You could even choose to take your greeting from a line of text in a newspaper story.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Buy some patterned paper and cut a piece about the size of your card. Now tear it in half diagonally so that you can see the tear running across the paper. Paste this torn piece of patterned paper on top of your greeting card to give it a unique distressed or vintage look.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    [4] The best part about a card is that it includes personalized writing. Generally this text wishes the person well and includes more detail. If you're making a greeting card to give to someone else so that they can write in it and give it as a gift, skip this step. Consider putting your signature on the back of the card so that the person it is being given to knows who made it.
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Place the card in an envelope that fits the size of the card. If you're planning on giving the card away or writing in it immediately, you'll need the envelope eventually.
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Section 2 of 4:

Making a Window Greeting Card

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    You can get double sided paper at any craft store. Don't use regular paper, it won't be strong enough to make this kind of greeting card.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    You can make an opening in your paper rectangle by folding the paper in half lengthwise. Now make another fold two inches from the top. Once you've done that, you need to draw a one-inch line from the corner of this fold at a 45 degree angle inward. Cut along that inch line. [5]
    • When you unfold the paper, you should be left with an 'X' cut in your original paper. The cut that you make will be going through multiple layers because of your folds to form this 'X'.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    You should also erase the pencil mark at this time. You want to smooth the fold lines so that the card doesn't look bunched up and unprofessional.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Place the paper on its front side and take each triangle of the 'X' cut and fold it back toward you. There should be four triangle folds that leave you with a square window once you fold them back. [6]
    • Once you have folded the flaps back, glue them down.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    You can now design an image to put inside the window, put a stamp in there, or anything else. Draw patterns or other elements on the face of the card for added personality.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    If you want it to be a greeting card, you need to write something on the card that indicates what the event is. Make the theme of the card appropriate for this event. Birthdays, anniversaries, and marriages are all appropriate events for a greeting card.
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Section 3 of 4:

Gluing Beads and Accessories

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  1. These shaker-like cards are slightly more difficult to make than other cards because you'll have to invest in a die cutting machine. You could also try to cut the shapes out manually but it is much more difficult to make them all exactly the same shape and size.
    • Other materials include card stock, a paper cutter, a glue pen, craft glue, acetate, and filler material such as beads and sequins. All of these items can be purchased at a craft store.
  2. Your shapes should have an empty space on the inside. For example, if you draw a circle, make the center hollow. Use your die cutting machine to cut the border shapes from the cardstock. Make sure they are all exactly the same size – you'll be placing some of the shapes on top of each other.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    For example, if you made circles you should put glue on the backside of one circle and then glue another circle to it. Continue to glue pairs of circles together until you have paired all your shapes.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    The front of your card can be as large or small as you'd like, but a standard size is 3.75” width x 5” height. Remember to cut a hole in the card that fits your border shapes – the window should have the same diameter as your border shapes. Place glue around the edges of this window.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    The glue will hold down the clear acetate but you should make sure you cut it in the same shape as your border shapes too. The border shapes will sit on top of the acetate while your beads and other accessories will be glued directly on top of it.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    Use the craft glue to glue your border shapes over the acetate. They should cover up the edges of the clear acetate but leave the middle of the shape see through.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Greeting Card
    The window is the opening in your border shapes. Use your craft glue to add your beads and sequins to the acetate as you see fit. It will look like they are floating in thin air. Once you've finished the design aspect of the card you can begin to write a greeting.
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Section 4 of 4:

Making Your Greeting Card on the Computer

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  1. To make a greeting card on a computer, you'll need design software. The one you choose all depends on your skill level. There are some online card-making sites available that you can use, but most of them are of lower quality than downloadable software.
    • Here, we're using Canva. Other software options include PageMaker or InDesign. If you're new to making greeting cards, try user-friendly programs like Art Explosion Greeting Card Factory or Hallmark Card Studio.
    • Software like Microsoft Word usually has greeting card templates, which can be helpful. [7] To make a greeting card on a Mac, use Pages.
    • If you are wondering how to make a greeting card on an iPhone, try downloading an app like Cardstore Greeting Cards or Ink Cards. [8]
  2. If you’re using greeting card software, head to the layout menu to pick the one that you want. Pick one that matches the theme and style you’re going for so that you don’t have to change it too much. [9]
    • Most greeting card templates have a set color palette, but you can usually mess around with that by going into the settings.
    • If you’re designing your greeting card from scratch, set it up so you can print it on one sheet of paper and then fold it in half. The size and the shape is up to you!
  3. The great thing about making a greeting card on a computer is that you can include all sorts of graphics! Try searching through clip art on the computer or scrolling through your camera roll to personalize your card. Then, insert the photo and resize it to fit the area you want it to be. [10]
    • For instance, you might add balloons to a birthday card, flowers to a card you’re sending in the spring, or snowflakes for a card you’re sending in the winter.
    • If you want the picture to take up the whole card, make it the background.
  4. Most computer and phone programs have tons of different fonts to choose from. You could try bubble font to be fun and whimsical, cursive font to be a little more fancy, or plain, easy-to-read font for something simple.Use a large, easy-to-read font for the primary message and a smaller, complementary font for anything else you want to say inside the card. [11]
    • Your font can say a lot about your message—for instance, you probably don’t want to use a super formal font to send a greeting card to a young child.
  5. You can use printer paper if that’s all you have, or you can load your printer with cardstock to make your greeting card a little thicker. Print it out using a color printer so your photos and your text show up together. Fold the card in half, then write your message on the inside before sending it out! [12]
    • White paper is the easiest paper to use for your greeting card, but you could also mix it up by using some fun colors.
    • If you don’t have a printer at home, visit a print shop to print out your card for a small fee.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I make a greeting card with audio?
    Community Answer
    I would search the internet for specific instructions as there will be some small parts you will have to purchase.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 18 Helpful 19
  • Question
    What kind of plastic should I use if I don't have acetate?
    Undertale4141
    Top Answerer
    You could use a sheet protector. Cut out the shape from a sheet protector that will replace the acetate and make sure you glue it so that it’s taut. This won’t be as strong as acetate but it will look the same.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0
  • Question
    Will I need glue for the card?
    Undertale4141
    Top Answerer
    Not necessarily. You can use tape instead of glue, or you can decorate it in ways that don’t need glue (like adding stickers or drawing on it).
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqYR5F5koTQ
      2. ↑ https://www.americangreetings.com/ecards
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqYR5F5koTQ
      4. ↑ https://www.making-greeting-cards.com/
      5. ↑ https://www.auntannie.com/greetingcards/WindowCards/#sthash.eX5Vmgxe.dpuf
      6. ↑ https://www.auntannie.com/greetingcards/WindowCards/
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5foJ0vTk3c&t=2s
      8. ↑ https://appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-sending-ecards
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5foJ0vTk3c&t=11s
      1. ↑ https://www.online-tech-tips.com/ms-office-tips/how-to-create-a-greeting-card-with-ms-word/
      2. ↑ https://www.online-tech-tips.com/ms-office-tips/how-to-create-a-greeting-card-with-ms-word/
      3. ↑ https://www.online-tech-tips.com/ms-office-tips/how-to-create-a-greeting-card-with-ms-word/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To make a basic greeting card, start with a blank card or fold a piece of sturdy paper in half. Construction paper or colorful cardstock are good options. Get creative and add decorations, such as stickers, hand-drawn designs, stencils, washing tape, or glitter, to the outside of the card. You can also make a collage with paper cutouts, or glue on items like sequins or buttons. Write your message on the inside of the card with colorful ink, or use a metallic marker or glitter pen for extra flare. You can even use letter decals or cutouts from a magazine for a collage look. When you’re done, put your card inside an envelope. If you want to learn how to cut a window on the front of your card, keep reading the article!

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