How to Make Vintage Looking Postcards

Make a vintage-looking postcard using basic craft supplies.

When you send postcards to your family members and friends for the holidays, you may want to make them appear more old-fashioned and antiqued by using vintage-looking postcards. Although you may have difficulty locating vintage-looking postcards from a card store or supermarket, you can make your own vintage postcards using a few basic materials that can be purchased from an arts and crafts supply store. This enables you to make your holidays feel more authentic without having to search for a long time to find premade vintage postcards.

Things You'll Need

• Heavyweight card stock, cream
• Scissors
• Rubber stamps
• Embossing ink pad
• Embossing powder
• Heat gun
• Cotton swab
• Acrylic glaze, brown
• Cotton ball
• Paint pens

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of heavyweight card stock paper using scissors to measure 3 inches wide and 5 inches long. Select cream-colored card stock so the postcards will appear more aged and vintage.

2. Position the postcard horizontally onto a tabletop. Press an edging-shaped rubber stamp into an embossing ink pad, then press the stamp along the edge of the postcard. Select an edging-shaped stamp that appears more vintage, containing scrolling or flowers. Repeat to cover the edges with vintage-looking stamps.

3. Cover the wet embossing stamps with embossing powder. Shake off the excess powder.

4. Heat up a heat gun for five minutes, then hold the heat gun over the postcard for two minutes to heat the embossing stamps. Hold the heat gun at least 6 inches above the card. This will cause the stamps to become raised and rounded.

5. Soak the end of a cotton swab with brown acrylic glaze. Rub the glaze around the embossed scroll work. Rub the brown glaze around the edges of the postcard using a cotton ball, moving the cotton ball in small, circular motions. This will make the brown glazing fade into the edges of the postcard to make the postcard appear older and aged. Allow the glaze to air dry for 30 minutes.

6. Write a personal message on the front of the vintage postcard using paint pens and writing in old-fashioned looking cursive script handwriting. Allow the paint to air dry for 30 minutes before delivering the postcard.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep heat guns out of the reach of children.