21 DIY Cards to Create Yourself for Birthday, Wedding, Christmas, Sympathy, Get Well and Thank you Notes

 

Sending cards is a thoughtful way to convey feelings, celebrate occasions, and acknowledge milestones.  Whether you are looking for whimsical, abstract, steampunk, or traditional cards, you can create your own look and feel for any occasion.  Find great inspiration, instructional videos and details on how to get started today!

Birthdays: Perhaps the most common occasion, celebrating another year of someone's life.  Make sure your celebration with balloons, cake, children and games have all the right people in attendance with invites. 

Christmas: Season's greetings festive cards are a huge tradition around the world to celebrate the holiday season. Whether they are covered with ornaments, Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, Nativity and Jesus or Snowflakes, sharing the blessing and message of Christmas can be joyful. 

Valentine’s Day: A day to express love and affection to partners, friends, and family members with a special message, not just roses and chocolates.  Make any kid's classroom valentine's day mailbox special by filling treats and custom cards.

Weddings: Save the date, engagement announcement, bridal shower invite or wedding invitations all have one's personal style.  Don't forget to congratulate the bridge and groom couple on their new journey together with elegant, formal or artistic card. 

Nature-Inspired Aesthetics: Draw inspiration from nature with botanical illustrations, earthy color palettes, and organic textures. Include floral patterns, leaf motifs, or animal silhouettes to infuse your custom cards with a sense of natural beauty and tranquility.

Anniversaries: Celebrating milestones in relationships, such as wedding anniversaries, start at 10 years, but don't forget 15, 20, 25 and even 50 years!
Thank You Notes: A way to express gratitude for a gift, a favor, or any act of kindness.  Don't doubt how much one will appreciate you taking the time to send a hand written note to share your thanks. 
Get Well Soon: Wishing someone a speedy recovery from illness, surgery or cancer treatment, you kind words can help brighten anyone's day.

Utilize aged textures, distressed backgrounds, and classic typography to give your custom cards a vintage or retro feel. Consider using sepia tones, faded colors, and ornate borders to evoke nostalgia or a sense of old-world charm.

Sympathy & Condolences: Expressing support and sympathy for someone who has lost a loved one.
Mother’s Day or Father’s Day: Celebrating parenthood and appreciating parents.

New Home: Congratulating someone on their new home or relocation.

Beyond these, people also send cards for graduations, new jobs, retirements, and just because they want to share a thoughtful moment. The trend of personalized and handmade cards has also grown, making card-giving an even more personal and special gesture.

 

Are you shopping the greeting card sections at Hallmark or American Greetings, yet can't find what you are looking for?  Start thinking about handmade custom designs for photo cards, party invitations, envelopes and any special occasion.

 

 

Personal Milestones: Celebrating life events like birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, new jobs, promotions, or retirements.
Seasonal Holidays: Sending wishes for Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and other significant holidays.

Special Achievements: Acknowledging someone's achievements or milestones, such as academic success, professional awards, or personal triumphs.
Expressions of Gratitude: Thanking someone for their kindness, support, gifts, or hospitality.

Sympathy and Support: Offering condolences for a loss or expressing support during challenging times like illness, surgery recovery, or personal hardships.
Celebrating Relationships: Marking relationship milestones, expressing love or appreciation to partners, friends, family members, or even pets.

Announcements: Sharing important life updates such as engagements, weddings, pregnancies, births, or moves.
Just Because: Sending a card without a specific occasion, simply to say hello, brighten someone's day, share a memory, or let someone know they're being thought of.
Invitations: Custom invitations for personal events like parties, showers, gatherings, or formal events.

Encouragement and Motivation: Sending uplifting messages to friends or loved ones facing exams, interviews, new ventures, or just daily challenges.

Custom cards add a personal touch that generic cards cannot match, allowing the sender to tailor the message, design, and overall sentiment to the recipient and the occasion.

Check out the Card Ideas Watercolor Birthday Card

 

Places online that make custom cards like Canva, Zazzle, Vistaprint, Shutterfly, Etsy and Picmonkey, allow you to use design tools, templates and digital printing to save time and give you ideas and tools to create a professional look

These websites typically offer tools that allow you to add personal photos, custom text, and other elements to create a card that’s uniquely yours. Whether you're looking for a sophisticated design, a playful theme, or a platform that allows for complete creative control, there's likely an online service that meets your needs.

 

The savings from creating cards yourself instead of ordering them online can vary widely depending on several factors, including the materials you use, the complexity of your design, and whether you already have some supplies on hand. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand the potential costs and savings:

Costs of Making Cards Yourself:

1. Materials: Basic supplies include cardstock, envelopes, pens, ink, and any decorations like stickers, stamps, or ribbons. The cost of materials can range from very minimal (using items you already have around the house) to quite expensive (purchasing high-quality or specialized crafting supplies).

2. Tools: If you don’t already own crafting tools like scissors, glue, paper trimmers, or die-cut machines, you’ll need to consider these as initial costs.

3. Time: Your time is valuable. Designing and making cards can be time-consuming, especially for intricate designs or large quantities.

Costs of Ordering Cards Online:

1. Per Card Cost: Online personalized cards can range from less than a dollar each to $5 or more, depending on the customization level, quality, and order quantity. Bulk orders often come at a discounted rate.

2. Shipping: Don’t forget to account for shipping costs, which can add up, especially if you’re ordering cards at the last minute and need expedited shipping.

3. Design Fees: Some sites may charge additional fees for using certain designs or for adding custom elements.

• Bulk Creation: If you're making a lot of cards (e.g., holiday greetings for a long list of recipients), the per-unit cost of DIY cards may be significantly lower.
• Using Existing Supplies: If you already engage in crafting, using supplies you already have can drastically reduce the cost.
• Simplicity: Simple designs that use fewer materials and take less time can also help keep costs down.

Clean lines, simple typography, and a limited color palette can create a minimalist aesthetic. Think of using white space effectively, incorporating subtle gradients, and focusing on essential information to create a sleek and modern look.

In general, if you’re making cards because you enjoy the process or wish to provide a personal touch, the savings can be meaningful, especially if you’re creating simple designs with materials you already own. However, if you need to purchase a lot of new supplies or tools, and your time is limited, the cost difference might be negligible or even more expensive than ordering online.

For a tangible example, a basic DIY card might cost anywhere from $0.50 to $2.00 to make, factoring in materials but not your time. In contrast, custom cards from online platforms can range widely but might average around $2 to $5 per card when including shipping. The real savings, though, often come in the form of the personal satisfaction and the unique, personal touch that DIY cards provide.

 

Check out Craft-e-Corner.com for the materials reference in videos.

Easy steps on how to create these yourself, with a Cricut Machine:

• Choose your material: Cards can be made from various paper material.
• Prepare your material: For paper choose a high-quality paper that can hold the ink or toner without smudging.
• Print your design: Use a printer suitable for your chosen material. Make sure to adjust the printer settings for the best print quality.
• Cut out the decal: If you're using paper, scissors or a paper cutter can be used, yet a professional look from your home can be produced with a Cricut Machine.
• Apply your design: Use a squeegee or a credit card to smooth out any air bubbles and ensure the decal sticks firmly to the surface.

What will your next customized card or invitation you give out?