Make Your Own Christmas Cards: A Simple Craft

What's your favorite part of Christmas? For many people, it is giving and recieving Christmas cards. Hearing from loved ones far away and reading Christmas letters can be a real treat. It can be nice to really personalize your Christmas cards so they really say a lot about you and your family when people do receive them. Here is a simple craft to make basic Christmas cards to show your personal style and tastes. This craft is easy and simple to make, a beginning crafter can make these with ease. You should be able to complete these in an afternoon's time, depending on h ow many cards you have to make.

To make these Christmas cards, you will need a photograph for the front of the card. There are several ideas for the type of photo you could use. It is best to use a photo that reflects your family's personality and style. Remember that you can always add a photograph of your family inside the card. But it would be a lot of fun to take a photograph of your Christmas decorations and have that be your Christmas card. Or maybe a photo of your Christmas tree. Or perhaps your youngest children hanging their Christmas stockings? There are quite a number of choices. If you live in the North of the country where there is typically snow, a snowy scene could make a very pretty Christmas card. But don't feel limited if you don't have snow on the ground - think of a beautiful nativity scene, or another scene in town that always has meant Christmas to you. That could be the perfect Christmas card also. There are ideas all around you.

For this craft you will need:

blank cards, in red or green or ivory or white

photograph of your choosing

a calligraphy pen (marker style)

glue stick or glue

rubber stamp of a Christmas symbol - such as a Christmas tree, or Santa or another Christmas thing that you like

stamp ink pad

Begin by counting how many cards you will need, and having that number of photographs printed. It could be useful to have a couple of extra photos printed just in case you need to send some additional invitations out, or if you make a mistake while you are writing one then you will have one of the extras to write out. Then glue the photographs down to the outside of the cards. Write on the outside of the cards above the photograph "Merry Christmas" , or another greeting that you would like to use, using the calligraphy pen. Try to use a calligraphy pen that is a complimentary color with the blank cards. Black ink works very well for dark green or even red cards. Colored calligraphy pens work well for ivory or white cards. On the inside of the card, add your Christmas greeting from your family. Consider adding a Christmas letter on printed paper and a photograph of your family, this can often be such a nice thing to give and receive at the holidays.

Stamp the rubber stamp of a Christmas item on the inside of the card at the end of your message. Also stamp the rubber stamp on the outside of the envelope after you have addressed the card, on the back on the envelope. Your Christmas cards are ready to mail out.