How to Make Your Own Postcards: Economic Paper Crafts!

Who doesn't like getting a nice surprise in the mail? From long artful letters to simple beautiful postcards. The idea of sending mail is starting to become more popular again and with the economy the way it is the idea of it being homemade is more appealing than the store bought novelty cards. Not only is it always appreciated to have something received that is homemade but it can make a fantastic project for the kids during time off from school.

Materials:

Card stock white or ivory is the best

Internet

Printer if you want to print

Scissors or Cutter

Markers, Color Pencils or other art items if you chose to draw your own design

Art Sealant or Aqua Net if you use Charcoal or Chalk for drawing

How you do it:

Select a postcard size that you want to send; the standard for the USPS $.28 stamp is 4 x 5 however you can make them any size you want just be aware of sizes that the USPS prefers for their postage rates. Take your cardstock and use your paper cutter or scissors after measuring out the size you want and cut to the proper size.

With the cards cut to the right size draw a line through the middle on one side. This will split the card so you have one side to right on and one side for the address.

Next you will want to choose your art for the front of your card. The fantastic thing about this is that you can select anything at all from holiday designs to pictures of your animals, your family or some vintage art work by your favorite artist. If you are going to be printing this artwork onto your card all you have to do is make sure the image is the correct size place your card in and hit print.

To make a truly handmade card you can draw or paint your own artwork onto the card. Find inspiration from any of the sources listed above or draw something abstract. Just remember to be creative and have fun with it. If you use something less permanent like charcoal make sure you seal it with an art sealant from Michaels or you can also spray Aqua Net on the card as a sufficient sealant.

That is all there is to it. You can make as many or as few of the cards as you want. There is any number of materials you can use to design this, the sky is the limit. You can personalize them putting names or titles on the front, or make them more abstract. Whatever you decide to do just have fun with the art of it, and imagine the look on an Aunt or Grandma's face when she gets a homemade card from the little one in their life.