Make Easy Fabric Postcards for Special Events

Do you often run to the store, only to come home and realize you have forgotten to buy a card for a birthday or other special event? Does the price of greeting cards seem ridiculously high? Instructions for making inexpensive fabric postcards may be the answer you have been looking for. They offer a more personalized greeting that will become a piece of art for the recipient. These cards are too special to throw away.

Ideas for Fabric Postcards

Fabric postcards are wonderful for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or simple thank you cards. Use basic patterns and shapes to appliqué on the front of the postcards. Make several cards ahead of time and have them ready for those events that pop up unexpectedly or that you may have forgotten.

Materials for Fabric Postcards

Lightweight cotton fabrics are the best choice for making postcards. They will result in a lighter weight card and postage will be more manageable. You will need to check the postage weight before mailing. Muslin is used for the writing and address side of the card. These cards are made using poster board and fusible web, sandwiched between two pieces of fabric. Find shapes, patterns and templates for the designs to decorate the front of the postcards and permanent markers for a greeting or verse. You will also need a sewing machine, pencil, ruler, matching thread, iron and scissors.

Instructions for Making Fabric Postcards

Cut one piece of cotton fabric, one piece of muslin fabric and one piece of poster board 4 inches wide by 6 inches long. This is the standard size of a postcard. Cut two pieces of lightweight fusible web 4 inches wide by 6 inches long. Place one fusible web rectangle on one side of the poster board with the glue side down and iron. Turn the poster board over and iron the other fusible web in the same way. Remove the paper from one of the fusible web sides revealing the glue. Place the muslin rectangle over the glue and iron in place. Set the postcard base aside.

Trace shapes and patterns for the design of your postcard on the paper side of the fusible web. Do this in reverse if the design has a particular direction. Iron the shapes to the back of coordinating fabric for the fabric postcard. Cut the shapes out and peel the paper from the backs. Arrange the design shapes to the front of the fabric rectangle and iron. Zig zag stitch around the edges of the shapes. Remove the paper from the other side of the postcard base. Place the appliquéd fabric rectangle with the wrong side down on the postcard base and iron.

Zig zag stitch around the outer edges of the fabric postcard, as close to the edge as possible. Use a permanent marker to write a greeting on the front side of the postcard. A ball point ink pen works well for writing the message and the address on the back of the card. Glue the postage stamp or stamps to the card.