How to Make Your Own Halloween Greeting Cards

Making your own greeting cards for Halloween, or any occasion, can be enjoyable and money saving. You also do not need to be a great artist, you just need some imagination and paper. Paper isn't even a necessity as thin cardboard and other materials can be used. For Halloween cards you might try using brown paper bags for a more eerie effect. Card making can also be a fun project the whole family can enjoy.

Size and type of card:

When beginning your card making the first thing to make sure of is envelope size. If you are planning on mailing your cards this can be critical as USPS does have regulations on envelope sizes. (http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/what.htm) Standard paper is 8 ½" by 11". Folding this size in half and then half again will provide you with a common size for invitations and thank you notes. If you fold in your paper in half once, and remove 1 ½ " to 2" from the longer portion, you will have a more standard greeting card size. You might also wish to create a postcard type of greeting. The standards for a postcard are 5 to 6" in length and 3 ½ to 4" in height. Greeting card kits are also available in many stores to provide you with a basic card stock to work with.

What do you want your card to say?:

Once you have decided on your card size it is time to work on the print. A simple "Happy Halloween" on the front with a personal message inside? A "you are invited" with details on the inside? This is one area that involves your own personal creativity. How you print this depends on whether you wish to use freehand or computer printing. Depending on the programs your computer uses you should have many options for font style and sizes. There are many web sites available that allow you to create your own templates or use one of theirs for free. Avery on-line has a wide variety of templates for use with their card stock or your own paper:

Decorating your card:

Artistic talent is not needed. If you have it great but help is available for those that don't. Clip art is widely available on the web for your use. Find the type and style you want and download it. You can then add it to the template you are working with or directly onto the word processing program you are using. Simply typing "clip art" into your search bar will provide you with plenty to choose from. Some of the art may be already colored, some may be just outlines. If you have a paint program on your computer you can add colors as you desire.

If you want you can freehand your design directly onto your card. Color pencils, crayons or water color paints can all be used for decorating. Add three dimensional objects for an added touch. If you are mailing your card this might require a first class package rate but can really add fun to your design. For Halloween, candy corn or a piece of black ribbon could be a great choice in added decoration. Artificial spider web that is used for home decoration or a small plastic spider would add a "spooky" touch.

Just use you imagination, a little web site help, and small items you have on hand for decorations and you should be able to create a unique and memorable card for Halloween.

Helpful links for ideas:

Avery on-line: http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Products/Cards/Greeting-Cards/_/Ns=Rank%7C0%7C%7CProduct%20Number%7C1
http://www.americangreetings.com/printables/index.pd
http://www.free-cardmaking.com/?source=044FMP
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/halloween/