How to Make Greeting Cards Using Rubber Stamps

Creating your own greetings cards gives you the ability to tailor their colors, designs and sentiments specifically to the occasions and the recipients. Use rubber stamps to add images, textures and messages that will make them as attractive as they are meaningful.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Blank cards
• Card stock
• Patterned paper
• Adhesives
• Rubber stamps
• Stamping ink
• Pens or colored pencils
• Craft chalk
• Paintbrush
• Glitter

1. Design a card base by starting with a blank card or cutting and folding a sheet of card stock to create one. Cover the front with a coordinating shade of card stock or a beautiful piece of patterned paper. Trim it slightly smaller than the card base so you'll still see a narrow border of the original card color.

2. Choose a rubber stamp to suit the occasion of the card. Try generic images like flowers, leaves or geometric shapes. Use symbols of the event like trees and ornaments for Christmas, a cake or presents for birthdays and hearts or Cupid for Valentine's Day. Opt for text stamps to add a simple message like, "Thank you" or "Get well soon."

3. Add the image to your card with stamping ink. Dye-based inks dry quickly, while pigment inks have richer color, longer drying times and lend themselves to more advanced techniques like heat embossing.

4. Detail the stamped image by coloring it with pens or colored pencils or shading with craft chalk. Use a paintbrush to coat small spots on the design with glue and add glitter or microbeads.

5. Increase texture by coating the stamp with several different shades of ink before stamping. Ink bold stamps and press them lightly onto textured material like mesh or bubble wrap before stamping the image onto your cards. Or stamp the image onto another piece of card stock, trim it into pieces and raise certain portions with foam tape to add dimension.

6. Use specialty inks to achieve a variety of finishes. Watermark ink, for example, creates a tone-on-tone look when stamped on dark cardstock. You can also create a velvety look by stamping images in watermark ink, then rubbing craft chalk over the design. The clear ink will take on a soft, raised finish with a subtle shade. (See Resources)

Resources

• Try watermark ink to create different effects.