hand-made: December 2010

Things You'll Need:

Card stock
Paper cutter
Decorative papers
Mat board pieces, 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches
Images with birthday themes
Embellishments
Markers
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
One-sided tape
Double-sided tape
A-7 envelopes (to fit 5-by-7-inch cards)

1
Cut card stock on the paper cutter lengthwise to 10 by 7 inches. Cut as many sheets as desired for this project. Fold each piece lengthwise and make a crease, creating a blank card 5 by 7 inches.
2
Cut decorative papers on the paper cutter to 5 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches. Apply strips of double-sided tape on the back of each and press onto the front of the blank cards.
3
Wrap a 3 1/2-by-3 1/2-inch mat board piece with decorative paper (contrasting to paper attached to the card); secure on the back with one-sided tape. Flip over and tie a ribbon as if for a regular gift box and secure to the front of the card with hot glue.
4
On another card, hot glue embellishments such as ribbon pieces, bows, birthday images and buttons. Apply dimensional paint in a random fashion like confetti or streamers. Let dry before handling.
5
With markers, write "Happy Birthday" or "On Your Special Day" or another birthday sentiment. Inside the card, write a personal note. Insert cards in envelopes.

Just because we have the skill and creativity to create show-stopping, handmade, personalized cards for any occasion, doesn't mean we always have the time. Sometimes we just have to suck up our crafter pride and buy a box of cards. This doesn't have to be the end of it, though! There are many ways to spruce up those cards we settled for in the store by both adding and taking away elements and putting our own spin on them. Read on for some ideas.

Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need:

Purchased cards
Scissors
Foam Tape and other adhesives
Stickers
Die cuts
Charms and other notions
Glitter glues and paints
Card stock and patterned papers

1

Before and After Embellishment
Cut out sections from duplicate cards and elevate them with foam tape using paper tole techniques. Bringing the layers forward gives your card front more movement. Brushing the edges of each cut layer with black or brown ink will make the natural shadows more impressive.
2

Dress up a simple, plain card with stickers and die cuts. This is a great way to get the most mileage from your card investment by purchasing elegant cards that work in a variety of situations and adding a few embellishments from your crafts folder. It's also a great way to use up leftover stickers.
3

Use charms and notions to bring out printed elements on the card. Busy scenes can be dressed up; they just need a finer hand. Choose embellishments that match the color scheme and tone and use a matching paint or glitter glue to bring out certain small details.
4

Remove the card front and place it on a spare piece of card stock. Sometimes you have a great card and a not-so-great message inside or out; take what you like from the card and use that for a quickly homemade one. This also works great for recycling cards you've received in previous years. Matting the image with contrasting papers will dress it up in just a few seconds.
5

Brushing the glitter paint down creates a shadow effect for the hills.
Rearrange the elements of a card into another design on a blank card and embellish at will. Some cards have such malleable parts that you can play with them almost like a jigsaw puzzle and create all sorts of variations on a theme.
6

Line your envelopes with some coordinating patterned paper (leftover wrapping paper will work too) to spice up the card as soon as they get it in the mail. Stamping and pen doodles on the front of the envelope are a nice touch; just don't obscure the address if you're going to be mailing it.
7

The brads really help pull the edges together.
Shorten the outside edge of the card and add a strip of card stock or patterned paper for contrast. Instead of a straight cut, experiment with torn edges or cut with decorative scissors for a different look.