DIY Craft: Make Quilted Cards

Making your own greeting cards can greatly cut down on your gift-giving budget. Stop paying outrageous prices for a purchased card that will probably be thrown out soon after the party or the special day has ended. Present the guest of honor with a homemade quilted card made from leftover fabric scraps from other projects, or create sets of thank you notes and invitations to have on hand when unexpected events pop up. The recipients of your handmade cards will not want to dispose of them.

Ruler
Scissors
Fabric scraps
Lightweight fusible web, small amount
Iron
2 sheets card stock
Sewing machine
Bone folder
Double-sided sticky tape

Step 1
Measure and cut 1-inch squares from two coordinating fabrics. Cut 12 squares from each fabric.

Step 2
Cut a 4-inch by 6-inch rectangle from lightweight fusible web. Do not substitute thicker fusible web. Standard or heavyweight fusible web will cause glue build-up on your sewing machine needle, resulting in skipped stitches. Place the fusible web on your ironing surface with the glue side up. Arrange the squares in a checkerboard design on the fusible web, with the right sides up. Evenly align the edges together. Iron the squares to the fusible web to adhere.

Step 3
Cut a 4-inch by 6-inch rectangle from card stock. Peel off the paper backing from the fused squares. Lay the fused squares on the card stock with the glue side down. Iron the squares to the card stock to adhere. If this design is not to your liking, you can create a variety of quilt block designs by experimenting with different shapes of fabric.

Step 4
Quilt the card using a zigzag stitch over the seam of each square. Zigzag stitch around all four edges of the card. Fancy decorative stitches can be used instead of a zigzag stitch if your sewing machine has them.

Step 5
Cut a 6-inch by 8-inch rectangle from card stock. Fold the card stock in half, matching the 6-inch ends. Press the fold using a bone folder to produce a nice, sharp crease. The back edge of a butter knife can be used as a substitute for a bone folder. You now have a folded card measuring 4 inches by 6 inches.

Step 6
Apply double-sided sticky tape to the back of the quilted fabric card. Place the quilted card with the tape side down on the front of the folded card. The quilted cards will fit into # 6 invitation envelopes. You can also recycle leftover "unused" greeting cards, by making a quilted front to cover the old design.