If you are a beginner cardmaker, you might scroll through your social media looking at example cards for inspiration. And as a beginner, you might think, “I could never do all that. I just want to make simple cards.”
Well, believe it or not, these cards are about as simple as you can get!
Look closely…
Start with a 6″ x 8″ paper pack. I used the “Basic Paper Set #3” by Craft O’Clock. This is an excellent buy; the papers are gorgeous one-sided designs and can be used for cardmaking, scrapbooking and other papercrafts. And, if you are into making mini-albums, these “Basic Paper Sets” are the PERFECT size for pages.
I chose 7 pieces from the pack and folded them each in half.
Then, I chose a sheet of “Decorative Cards” also by Craft O’Clock.
Every Craft O’Clock paper collection offers coordinating “Decorative Cards” or “Project Life Cards”. There are lots of themes and varieties to choose from!
You might already have “decorative cards” in your paper stash! Check inside your paper packs and big stacks of paper; many manufacturers include their own version of “cut aparts” inside their paper packs.
Making cards is easy!
Because the card bases have such a lovely design and the decorative cards are so incredibly lovely, the work is done for you! Simply lay (don’t glue YET!) the cut-aparts on top of the card bases.
Most likely, you will have some small cut-aparts and some larger ones. You also are likely to have some vertical designs and some horizontal. Just go with it. Turn your card base to cater to the design on the decorative card.
For some of the smaller-sized cut-aparts, I chose to add an additional layer of coordinating patterned paper behind them. I just chose a few pieces from the “Wedding Dream” Paper Collection (6″ x 6″) and used my paper trimmer to cut a card panel 3-3/4″ x 5-3/4″. You could also use basic shape dies, if you have them.
Before you glue down your cards…
…add to your top layer. This is the detail step that makes the cards look like they took hours to make. Here are a few simple ideas:
Ink around the edges of the decorative cards;
Tie a ribbon around the decorative cards;
Add brads or other decorative elements that would require you to pierce through the paper to hold them in place;
Glue a piece of foam or scrap piece of cardboard to the back of the decorative card so when you adhere it to the card, it is raised up.
Now, use double-sided tape or liquid glue to adhere the decorative card to the card base.
My favorite go-to adhesives are Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive (liquid glue) and Scor-Tape (double-sided tape). But you can use whatever you like. When using liquid glue, try not to overdo it. And place a weighted object on top of your card while the glue dries. This will prevent warping. You can use a book or even your cell phone to rest on top of your cards as they dry.
Add a sentiment.
I used the “Special Occasions Quotes 5”, a wedding/anniversary themed quote sheet by Craft O’Clock. Since Craft O’Clock is a Polish company, the quotes read in English on one side and in Polish on the other side.
You could also use stickers or stamps for your sentiments. Don’t forget to look again through your paper pack… some manufacturers include a patterned paper that is full of just solid words. And you can cut this sheet apart, using the words as sentiments for your cards.
Finishing touches – flowers, leaves, and/or dots!
There’s nothing easier than gluing a few paper flowers or paper leaves to the front of a card. The trick to making this look amazing is to glue flowers and leaves close to the edge of something- the edge of the decorative card, the edge of one of the corners of the card, or the edge of the sentiment. If you try to “float” flowers and leaves around on the card, they don’t look natural.
You can also add “dots” (liquid dots, sticker dots, sequins, or metal charms). The trick to making this look amazing is to use odd numbers and to create a little “triangle” with the dots.
SO EASY!
A look at the finished cards…
If you enjoy learning detailed papercrafting techniques like these, please consider “buying a coffee” for Sandpaper Road to say “thank you”!
Thank you for looking! And don’t forget to follow the Sandpaper Road blog, so you never miss a dose of crafty inspiration!
Sandpaper Road is an affiliate partner with some of the companies linked above. When you make a purchase through some of these links, Sandpaper Road may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support!
