Did you know that greeting cards were handmade up until the middle of the nineteenth century? That was when advances in printing made it possible to reproduce a design relatively cheaply.
I can’t help but think sometimes that technology and the ability to mass-produce cheaply has turned many of us into mass consumers rather than creators. Well, I say “NO” this year to a cheap, mass-produced Father’s Day card and “hello” to creating my own handmade greeting. I also decided to make it mostly from materials destined for the bin.
When we get book inserts at work, they come wrapped in shrink wrap on these cardboard pieces to keep them from getting damaged in shipping. Since my office building doesn’t recycle, I have been trying to find ways to reuse them. Usually, I stick them in large envelopes to keep documents from getting bent in the mail but I have found they are also great for craft projects like making cards and journals.
All of the materials used in this card, except for the gold ribbon, the lettering, the white inner paper, the gold washi tape and the Velcro dot on the inner envelope, were saved from getting dumped in the bin at work. (If you need orange envelopes…call me.)
The white heart was punched from a name tent from a past class. The circle behind it is punched from a Thank you card someone was kind enough to give me.
While it may not be perfect in the way that a commercial card is, making your own gives you an excellent opportunity to add fun embellishments or personalize your greeting to the recipient.
I added this envelope in the back, so I could include a letter from my parents’ dog, Lucy. (They receive correspondence from Lucy whenever they go on long trips. Perhaps, not surprisingly, this began when I found myself with an over-abundance of orange paper and envelopes.)
Tell me, do you ever make your own cards? Is it something you would consider?
Wishing all you fathers (of humans and furry kids) a very happy Father’s Day!
Many Blessings,
Cynthia
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What a great keepsake
Thank you Karin!
I used to make my own cards occasionally. It’s really satisfying and creative. Love yours, it’s so nice to give and received something so personalized. I have a friend who makes beautiful little cards and she sends me one each Christmas – it is my favorite card each year and I save them & hang even the old ones. Great idea.
One of my mom’s friends makes her own holiday cards too every year. I have always been so impressed by that. I love that you save them and make them part of your Christmas decorating. You are honoring the love and effort that went into the greeting. That’s wonderful!
Pretty cool Cynthia!!! You would enjoy scrapbooking since you enjoyed making this card for your dad!!!
Very creative!!!
Thanks Jen! I think I would. I am trying to use used materials as much as possible with my paper crafting. I could probably build a scrapbook from recycled materials.