How to Emboss Cards

If you've ever held a professional business card, you're familiar with the look and feel of shiny, raised embossed images and lettering. Lend the same polished appearance to your handmade greeting cards by heat embossing simple stamped images, sentiments and borders.

Things You'll Need

• Blank cards or cardstock
• Rubber stamps
• Ink pads
• Embossing powder
• Embossing gun
• Electrical outlet
• Embossing pen

Instructions

1. Stamp a design onto cardstock using embossing or pigment ink. While dye ink may work, it dries too quickly to allow embossing powder to adhere properly.

2. Select a color of embossing power and sprinkle over the stamped image. If you used clear embossing ink, choose a colored powder. If you used colored pigment ink, however, you can use clear powder for a shiny finish or a coordinating color to deepen the hue.

3. Turn the embossing gun on and hold the end a few inches from the design. Move it slowly back and forth over one portion of the image. You'll see the powder puff slightly, and shine as it melts. Once one section appears smooth, move onto the next. Keep the heat gun moving to avoid scorching the cardstock.

4. Allow the melted powder to cool before touching it to prevent burning your fingers or smearing the image.

5. Vary the look by embossing a design stamped once in the center, applied several times as a background or along the edge as a border. Use an embossing pen to write simple sentiments or add doodles to the inside of the card.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find stray embossing powder sticking to areas other than the inked design, lightly rub the surface with an anti-static bag (sold at most rubber stamp stores) or a fabric softener sheet before stamping.

• Cut the time it takes to melt the embossing powder by covering a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil. Place the board beneath your project as you run the heat gun over the design.

• When embossing a design stamped on a small piece of cardstock, hold the paper with tongs to prevent burning your fingers with the embossing gun.

• Never allow small children to operate the embossing gun and keep it well out of reach.