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Making your own greeting cards can be both fun and rewarding.  Many people cherish home-made greeting cards because they are a true expression of yourself and the person you are making it for.

The first step in making a greeting card is to determine who you are making the greeting card for.  What interests does the person have?  What is the person’s hobbies?  Is the person your friend, family member, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, parent, husband, wife, or significant other?

The next step to making a greeting card is to decide if you want a funny greeting card or a sentimental greeting card.  If you want a funny greeting card, you will want cut outs of cartoons, or you might want to draw your own cartoons.  If you want a sentimental greeting card, you might gather cutouts of flower pictures.  If you want a Christian greeting card, you might cut out some pictures of crosses or bibles.  If you can draw your own, that’s even better.  But not everyone is an artist!

You also need to decide why you are sending the greeting card.  Is it for a birthday, anniversary, thank you, sympathy, holiday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or other occasion?  Maybe the greeting card is just because you care.  If you want to send a birthday card, a picture of a birthday cake might be best.  Or a picture of a flag for Independence Day greeting card would be nice.

The next thing you have to do is write the copy for your greeting card.  You can choose a poem you like or one that you know the person getting the greeting card will like.  You could also write your own poem.  You should remember though, that when you copy someone else’s poetry onto your card, you cannot sell the card.  Copyright laws forbid you to sell someone else’s work without permission.  But for the purposes of just making a greeting card for a loved one, copying a favorite poem, saying, or scripture is more than acceptable.

Now that you know what you will put on the greeting card, who it is for, and why you are sending it, the next step is to gather all the materials you will need to put the greeting card together.  You will want to gather cut outs of any pictures you want to include, as well as scissors, paste or glue stick, construction paper, crayons or markers, a pencil for outlining (in case you make mistakes), and don’t forget your creativity!  You may also want some lace, ribbon, doilies, pretty material scraps, paints, and other items.

The most important thing to remember when creating your own greeting card is that the sky is the limit!  There is no right or wrong way to make a greeting card.  The only thing limiting your greeting card possibilities is your own creative mind!  So break out those old magazines, poetry books, comic books, and cartoon strips, get those creative juices flowing, and make the best greeting card ever!  Your loved one is sure to enjoy your hard work, effort, and how much you care showed by your handmade greeting card for years to come!