fast and easy handmade greeting cards

Create fast and easy handmade greeting cards using very basic supplies such as a paper pad and stickers. Give the handmade greeting cards an upscale look with high quality colored envelopes from Clearbags. These envelopes really put a quality spin on some very simple designs. Clearbags sent me the product to use in this post. Of course, these opinions are strictly mine. I ordered the sample package of the envelopes so I could get a feel for the quality. I am helping a friend with an upcoming baby shower and she is a bit on the high maintenance side. Let me say these envelopes were perfect. I used the sample pack to create cards for me and she picked the color for her invitations. It was a win-win all the way around as I ended up with a direction for the invite design and a massive set of all occasion greeting cards for me!

If you order from the supplies listed below I earn a very small commission on the sale.

Supplies for easy handmade greeting cards:

• Envelope sample pack 
• solid cardstock
• Pattern paper pads
• stickers
• tape runner

 

Very simple all occasion cards were created using the basic materials listed in the supplies list. I challenged myself to limit the materials since the envelopes are truly the shining star of these cards. The designs are very simple since I made several cards in one creative “session.’

I’m excited because now I have  birthday, sympathy, thank you, baby shower and many more themes, enough to tide me over for several months. Better yet, they are perfectly paired and coordinated with matching high quality envelopes.

This brunch invite design coordinates perfectly with this pink envelope front the sample pack. This invite  is one of my favorite designs in this set. My baby shower friend really liked this one and wants to adapt it for her celebration. Now I want to throw a brunch party! Nothing like putting the cart before the horse.

Create a variety of handmade greeting card themes.

Using a coordinating patterned paper pack that matches your envelopes helps to keep things simple so that you can get more accomplished with less time. I focused on the layout of my designs rather than focusing on embellishments and complicated techniques. This approach is also recommended for a beginner who is just getting started with card making.

Another benefit of the “less is more” approach is that you don’t have to spend tons of money on supplies you may only use once or twice or NEVER. And still another one is that you don’t have to make a mess. Fewer su-plies = less cleanup! Also using a tape runner in lieu of a wet adhesive means less sticky mess.

So many pretty colors. Obviously I’m partial to the pink. Probably since part of my mission was to design a baby shower invite! I really like the brights too. The colors are richer than you might expect. They will really demand attention.

 

Notes:

1. My pattern paper pads came from a big box store – pick your fav and use my designs as a starting place.
2. Use scraps of papers and stickers for the same effect.
3. Limit your supplies. Of course, some basic stuff like buttons and ribbons crept their way in, but you get what I’m sayin!