DIY: Make Your Own Retro Christmas Cards

Christmas is often a time of intense nostalgia for begone eras. We all remember when we were children and the magic of Christmas. Often those memories include the styles and tastes of the era. People are naturally and emotionally drawn to what was in style during their childhoods.

Here are two idea's for crafting your own Retro DIY Christmas cards. These card idea's are simple to make. I have chosen to focus on the 1950's with these cards but you can tailor make them to fit whatever era appeals to you.

During the 1950's most Christmas cards either featured simple classic drawings of Santa, Rudolph, Snow, or they were geometric designs that offered a three dimensional appearance with brads, beads, and cut paper attachments. Here are two craft designs that breath fresh life into an old idea. These idea's can be utilized by children with the help of their parents or you can simply craft them yourself for a more professional appearance.

1) A Christmas Card Design Utilizing Old Clippings, Vintage Stickers, And Vintage Cuts.

Here is a list of the supplies that you will need.

a. A supply of old Christmas cards, old magazines, or old children's Christmas books or simple Vintage Cuts that you can purchase at any craft store or the retailers listed below.

b. Vintage Stickers which can be bought at craft stores or the following online retailers.

The Heartwarming Vintage Collection offers many sticker assortments to make your own DIY Retro Cards. They also offer vintage cuts which are a must have for both these DIY Retro card idea's featured here.

123 Stitch also offers many vintage stickers, cuts, and papers.

c. Card stock with a vintage appearance. You can purchase this card stock at the above retailers or any Craft Store in your area. You can also visit Ebay for a large choice of retro scrapbook card stock paper to fashion your card.

d. Scissors

e. Ruler

f. Glue such as Elmer's or even a glue stick.

g. Double sided tape.

Now you have all the supplies that you need to sit down and fashion your Retro Christmas cards. Take your Retro Card stock and fashion these into folded Christmas cards. Now take the supplies that you have such as the old children's Christmas books, magazines, and old cards. Decide what interests you about these photos and how you can paste them onto your card stock to create your own unique looking mosaic for a card front. You can also utilize your Retro Stickers and your Retro Cuts that you have purchased for a more professional appearance. Create a scene that is reminiscent of a bygone era from your many supplies.

For the inside of your card you can either handwrite your Christmas message or you can print up a message on card stock using your computer and printer. Take your ruler and scissors to cut out this message and use the double sided tape to attach it to the interior of your card. I think that printing up the message makes the card look better then handwriting unless you have amazing handwriting talent which I don't.

2) Geometric Design Retro Christmas Cards Or Three Dimensional Christmas Cards

The supplies that you will need.

a. Ribbon that is adhesive

b. Brads which you can purchase at any Craft Store. Buy them in Christmas colors.

c. Jewels to attach which can also be bought at any Craft Store.

e. Foam double sided tape

f. Glue such as Elmer's

g. Retro Christmas Card stock which you can purchase at any of the retailers I have listed above or at any Craft Store.

h. scissors

i. Christmas Cuts which are simple designs such as snowflakes or other Christmas looking geometric looks

j. ruler

Sit down with all of your supplies. Take your card stock and fashion it into folded cards. Now begin to make your Christmas card. Remember that the look from the 1950's was simple shapes, styles, and dimensions. You will achieve this effect by using the adhesive ribbon to highlight the cards, attach the brads in design shapes around the card and also attach the jewels here and there. You are looking to make a Christmas collage of shapes and stand out looks. The double sided foam tape will help to push out the cuts so this gives them an appearance of popping off the page. Use your imagination to create your cards in Christmas colors that signal the holiday season. The designs should be simple and nothing too extreme.

In the 1950's many of the Christmas cards were fashioned to appear to be a package. You can do this by utilizing the ribbon, brads, cuts, and jewels. Make the front of the card appear to be a package. Use one of the cuts as the gift tag. Perhaps decorate the 'box' with snowflakes.

Set your imagination free with the idea that you are using either geometric designs to give your card the appearance of the 1950's or you are simply making a three dimensional holiday box.

Inside your card either handwrite your Christmas message or print up a sheet on your printer using the same card stock as your card and then attach it inside using the double sided foam tape. You can even highlight the edges using the adhesive tape. Remember to utilize your ruler for straight cuts.

Now you have two Retro 1950's Christmas cards that you have handmade for a true sense of accomplishment. Give these wonderful cards to people that you know will appreciate the beauty and unique taste of the 50's. They will be very much appreciated by any recipient who is lucky enough to have one of your unique creations bestowed upon them this holiday season.