Cards as gifts.

Once you start card making it is kind of addictive! I have posted plenty on card making before. It is a huge money saver, great fun and easy.

I have a simple tutorial to get you started if you are not already making your own cards... here.

My personal favourite cards are pretty ones with layers of additions lile lace, flowers, butterflies etc.

And ruffles! Learning to make simple ruffles is good as they are so cheap to do. Paper is so inexpensive and makes the most lovely things!

Later I made angel wings for Christmas with ruffles. I would happily ruffle everything!

Once you start you see potential card making components everywhere and you wonder why you ever threw these things out... you will see!

It is quite easy to make all your cards for the year plus spares. I tend to use cards to write letters as well as for occasions like Birthdays. Also thank you cards and "I'm thinking of you" type cards.
But I can't seem to stop at "enough" and often I find a whole book of gorgeous roses or something like that and it is easy to end up with fifty more cards!

One of my favourite things in the world is boxed stationary. I have even found some vintage boxes complete with a pale satin ribbon and scented pink paper! ooh!
This made me realize that stationary, cards, tags all make lovely gifts. Everyone uses and needs cards. They are expensive. This adds up over a year. These are a welcome and lovely gift.
Now I just keep making cards and make up sets of six or a dozen and present them in a box or in cellophane tied up with ribbon.

For gifts I tend to make cards that could be used for several things ie for a letter, birthday, thank you or whatever by keeping them message free. Then they cover a lot of occasions. I usually wrap each one and use cellophane bags for this. It makes them look like the ones in a store. (well, MORE like ones in a store!)

I try and give cards in a theme or colour I know someone likes. And sometimes I will add something to go with them such as a small address book, stickers, stamps, a pen etc.

For my Aunt I make either garden or cooking themed cards. I always end up making lots of flower themed or rose themed, shabby chic, bird... all my favorite things!

My friend Ethel used to make a wonderful gift. It was one of the best ideas! She would buy a folder filled with clear plastic pockets. Inside she would put twelve cardboard dividing pages then mark them with the months of the year. Behind each month of the year was a plastic pocket.
So on January's page she would write that persons family and friends birthdays and the dates. And in the plastic pockets she included a card for  each occasion.
Appropriately she added Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas and the plastic pocket behind those had cards as well for those celebrations.
Ethel made these at first for her older relatives and it helped them with organisation and the costs of all the cards for the year. But friends saw them and loved the idea and handed over their birthday lists so she wold make one for them as well!
It was such a good gift! A whole years worth of cards!

This is a gift you can really personalise. There are so many possibilities.

So apart from saving you from buying cards all year you have a series of gifts to give.
I also make gift tags. These can also be made into little packs as they are so handy. Or you could do a combination pack and include some of each.
This is really good fun. Once you get going they are quick and easy to make and you wonder why you ever bought them!

When I see how much lovely cards are from the news agent I know that my six card packs are worth around $50. It seems amazing to me but that is what they cost to buy. Last week I made myself a fresh supply and five packs for gifts. One was a boxed set, the others cellophane and ribbon. I am really pleased with them. Into my present cupboard they go!

I would like to collect more boxes as I think a boxed set is extra special. Also I watch out for stickers and little accessories to add in.

Between making my cards, tags and gifts I must save a huge amount of money. It is a pleasure to do and sometimes working on a craft project is so enjoyable.
You do not have to be artistic or talented to make cards. Find something you like and copy the idea.

Have a wonderful new week!