Ever try making a handmade greeting card? These are 6 basic supplies which you should have and use whenever making one. I have been using these products throughout my card-making journey and I totally recommend them for anyone attempting to make professional-looking cards.
1. Card stock
Card stock is crucial for making cards as it serves as a base for any design in mind. There
was a time where I used construction paper and even printer paper, but those do NOT work as well as card stock, especially if you are going to use other mediums, such as paint and oil pastels. I usually use 4 inches by 5-inch white card stock from Michaels for all my basic designs. However, I also use other colors such as cream and brown as well to switch it up. It comes in a pack of 25 and is less than 5 dollars. I always go ahead and buy 3-4 packs from beforehand and it lasts me for a couple of months! The great thing about the card stock is that it includes envelopes and is pre-scored. This makes it easier to fold it perfectly in half without the hassle!
I generally buy from Michaels or Amazon. Click the links below to see the products I have been using.
2. Stamps + Stamp Blocks
Stamps make any card stand out. You can buy all sorts of designs and customize any
card the way you like. If you are not great at handwriting sentiments, you can buy stamps of different sentiments in all sorts of fonts. Some of the basic stamps of sentiments you should have are “Happy Birthday”, “Get Well Soon”, and “Thank you”. Other than sentiments, a lot of stamp sets come with either little flower, balloon, or heart stamps. It depends on the theme of the stamp set. I usually use these stamps to add more variation to my cards. Along with this, you should also have some stamp blocks on hand. This is where you place the stamp in order to use it. The stamps usually stick very easily to the blocks but if it doesn’t then a thin layer of water on the back of the stamp will help! Using this, I usually stamp designs with black ink and paint them in with watercolors to add a pop of color! Stamps are honestly so amazing and easy to use!!
I generally buy from Michaels or Amazon. Click the links below to see the products I have been using.
Stamp and Stamp Blocks at Michaels
Stamp and Stamp Blocks at Amazon
3. Ink
If you have stamps you definitely need ink! Some basic colors you should have are black,
white, and gold. I have a couple of other colors like pink, green, and purple as well. You can either buy inks in their respective color or you can buy sets of 4 or 5 colors. Inks are also pretty inexpensive and if you have the three basic colors, you should be covered for some basic designs!!
4. Embossing Kit
Embossing is a technique where you make a design stand out on the paper by melting
different colored powders. This technique is one of the main ways that can make your card stand out from the others. Using a plain old sharpie to write sentiments is honestly boring, so here I am to introduce you to the world of embossing!! An embossing kit will usually include embossing ink, embossing powder, and a heat gun. Embossing ink is different from regular inks as it is stickier, making the powder adhere to it much better. A brand of embossing ink that I absolutely recommend is VersaMark Ink and you can get this in Micheals and even Amazon! Embossing powder comes in all sorts of colors and can have different finishes. Some colors you should have are white, gold, black, and silver. Lastly, the heat gun is what melts the powder. Funny story: In 5th grade when I started to make cards for the first time, I thought a heat gun was just a fancier name for a hairdryer and before you know it, I was at my desk holding a hairdryer over the card stock and I was just blowing on paper and doing absolutely nothing LOL. What you should have learned from this story is that HAIR DRYERS DO NOT WORK. The temperature just doesn’t go high enough unlike a heat gun. A quick rundown on how to heat emboss: First, stamp on your design of choice on the card stock using the special sticky ink. Second, apply the embossing powder and pour any excess powder left back into the container. Lastly, use your heat gun to melt the powder and wait for 30 seconds to fully dry. You don’t have to wait that long but I recommend it as it will prevent any smudging.
Michaels- Embossing gun
Michaels- Embossing powder
Michaels- Embossing ink
Amazon- Embossing kits:
5. Watercolor palette
Whenever I make cards, I use watercolors 75% of the time. What I love about it is that
the colors blend so well and the medium is really easy to work with. Also, you rarely make a mess when painting with watercolors, unlike acrylic and oil paints. You definitely don’t need a very high-end, expensive watercolor palette as I have been using my $5 watercolor palette for the past 5 years and it is still going strong. Watercolors can add so much dimension to your cards and I definitely recommend having a palette on hand whenever you feel creative!
Watercolor palette at Micheals
6. Sharpies + Colored Markers
I did say previously that sharpies can get boring at times BUT they are really important in
making different designs stand out. When purchasing sharpies, you should always buy a thin-point black sharpie and the regular thick one. The thin-point sharpie helps you so much in drawing small, itty-bitty designs and patterns on cards. It makes cards look clean and sharp. I use thin-point sharpies when drawing borders, hand-written sentiments, and small designs like flowers and stars. In addition to this, I also use a lot of colored markers. Some of the basic colors I recommend having on hand are gold, silver, and bronze. These markers can add a nice touch to any card and I mostly use them to add borders or accents.
Sharpies and Markers at Michaels
Sharpies and Markers at Amazon
Now that you know what you need, go ahead and buy these simple products and step up your greeting card game!!!
Keep being creative!!
