Back Away from the Clip-art: The Dos and Don'ts of Making Homemade Cards

Everyone loves receiving a handmade birthday or greeting card, because it shows that you put some time into something meant just for them, and that you truly care. Unfortunately, it's become all too easy to design ugly, tacky cards on the computer, print them out, fold them up, and hand them over. By following these tips, you can be proud of the cards you make in the future, and insure that they send the right message.

Stay away from 'Hallmark' quotes and sayings
While it may be fun to wax poetic and show your friends some of your greeting-card genius, it's not the best idea to concoct your own philosophical, funny, or poetic sayings on greeting cards. Quotes, parables, and poems may seem very deep and interesting when you write them, but they may come off as a little silly when read, and you may end up feeling embarrassed. It's a better idea to write something simple, meaningful, heartfelt, and original on the inside of your card. It doesn't have to be long, and it doesn't have to be a masterpiece, but the person reading the card will prefer reading your original, informal thoughts to your random stab at original greeting card genius, or the poetic meanderings of another person.

Tip: Try using one or two meaningful words on the front of the card, like 'Thank You,' 'Believe,' or, 'Happy Birthday.' It can be simple and still be wonderful. Then, simply write from your heart on the inside of the card, thanking, congratulating, or speaking to your friend in a natural, relaxed way.

Don't use clip art
Those funny images on your computer are tacky! Please don't make your friends open a card containing computer clip art! You won't be fooling anybody! Instead, try drawing a picture, gluing a photo, or using an artistic picture from the internet on your card. If you're not aesthetically inclined, try making your card out of paper with an exciting pattern, and leaving the front blank, or embellished with a few words. A card like this will look sophisticated, and won't tax your creative juices.

Does it have to be a card?
If you want to send a nice card to someone, but are put off by the expense and hassle of buying card-weight paper, don't worry! You can use computer paper, but you really don't have to fold it in fourths so that it looks like a greeting card. If you plan to work with computer paper, consider using your word processor to put a border around the page, and simply writing the recipient a nice letter - in big font if you have very little to say. It's a very thoughtful thing to do, will be very much appreciated, and is definitely a more sophisticated form of expression than a card that looks like it was made by a sixth-grader in computer lab.

Leave the stickers to the kids
When decorating a handmade card, it can be tempting to bombard it with cute stickers, stamps, and other simple forms of ornamentation. Unless you have one sticker or one stamp that you know the recipient will appreciate, and which you plan to use as a focal point on the card, I urge you to leave stickers out of your project. They can end up looking cheap, haphazard, and childish, and an adult recipient is unlikely to appreciate them the way you wish they would.