Around this time of 12 months, Rose Keiko Higa usually finds herself making holiday cards for household and buddies. An art historical past main at Oberlin College, in Ohio, she makes use of minimize and layered paper to craft Christmas cards, and paints conventional Japanese New Year’s cards on watercolour paper.
“Written phrases could be such a significant reward on their very own, it’s good to have the ability to create a vessel for them in the type of a home made card,” Higa says.
Not solely can handmade cards really feel extra particular than store-bought or digital ones (or none in any respect), however gathering to make them could be a social exercise for youths and grownups forward of the winter holidays.
“They’ve all the time been a factor however they’re positively having a second now, with extra folks wanting to maintain in contact in a lo-fi method,” says Leslie Corona, senior house editor at Real Simple.
Handmade cards additionally communicate to a time “when extra folks are considering of the way to reconnect with their internal crafter,” says Oma Blaise Ford, government editor of Better Homes & Gardens.
“It’s an awesome craft for individuals who simply wish to dip their toe in. You can simply make one or two cards. It doesn’t should contain a mass mailing,” suggests Ford.
And DIY cards “contact on problems with sustainability and never consuming as a lot over the vacations, ” she says.
Christopher Paul Stevens, an artist in the Atlanta space, makes distinctive holiday cards from old style trying block prints of winter scenes, and sells them on Etsy.com at 111 Restoration and Vintage Goods. Judy A. Steiner, an artist in Ada, Michigan, makes cards that includes elegant Christmas bushes shaped from watercolour brushstrokes in shades of inexperienced and blue.
“It’s type of neat for each purchaser and receiver” to know cards are handmade, says Steiner, who has been making cards for many years and sells them by Steiner Studio on Etsy.
While work are usually costly, she notes, handmade cards are a extra inexpensive type of art, a present unto themselves.
Tips for starting card-makers embody:
AIM FOR QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
Avoid getting too formidable, warns Corona. Don’t got down to make 300 cards by hand. Or when you do, make it quite simple. It’s a good suggestion to attempt making simply 5 or 10 stunning cards for closest household and buddies. Attempting something overly grand can turn into overwhelming and disturbing, she says.
“You wish to stroll away from it with a constructive reminiscence,” she says.
CONSIDER WHAT YOU HAVE AT HAND
Before heading to the craft retailer, take a look at what you’ve round you. For instance, spherical basket espresso filters or cupcake liners could make nice snowflakes: Fold a number of instances and minimize out designs alongside the perimeters and prime, then paste them onto card inventory, suggests Ford.
If you place a number of drops of meals coloring in some heat water, you possibly can fold, dip-dye, after which enable the filters to dry earlier than slicing the snowflakes. They’re much like tissue paper however way more sturdy, Ford says.
Other adorning instruments you may need embody colourful washi tape, designs you could possibly minimize out from previous holiday cards, paper doilies, ribbon, felt, markers, paint and stickers. Gold-leaf provides some bling.
Paper paint samples from the ironmongery shop could be minimize into triangles to make a Christmas tree, suggests Bridget Mallon, editorial director of the house web site The Spruce.
Free printable templates for designs could be discovered on-line, she provides.
MAKE IT A POSTCARD?
Are your cards being mailed? To lower your expenses on postage, take into account postcard-style cards with out an envelope. Just ensure you ship your cards as early as doable, and pay attention to any weight or measurement restrictions.
For bigger or multidimensional cards, it is best after all to hand-deliver or enclose them in a present field. You may connect somewhat spray of sturdy greenery or foil-wrapped chocolate cash.
MAKE IT AN EVENT
“Having a card-making occasion with buddies is a enjoyable strategy to get collectively throughout the season and knock one thing off your to-do record on the similar time,” says Ford.
Encourage youngsters to assist, says Mallon: “Their imperfect drawings and scribbles will carry a smile to your family members’ faces. And they will create cards for his or her buddies or classmates.” – AP
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