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Step 1
Raid the junk drawer. Pull out old keys, twine, wallpaper, coins, buttons, or broken bits of jewelry. Even a paperclip twisted in the shape of a heart is an easy way to make free cards. The key to keeping these looking chic instead of like a kindergarten craft project is that less is more. Use only your favorite element. Affix it with a heavy glue so it won't come off in the mail. If you plan to make a lot of cards, get a special shoe box. This way you'll be able to keep all of the odd's & ends in one place so when you are ready to make cards, you have them at hand.
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Step 2
Head to the dollar store. Even if you spent a dollar to make almost free cards, it would still be cheaper than buying a pre-made one. The dollar stores often have great scrapbooking embellishments & stickers for a lot less than you'd pay at the craft store. If you aren't comfortable making a card from card stock, check out the wedding aisle. You can often get a box of thank you cards for a dollar. You can just add your own embellishment to the front & cover up any elements of the blank card that you don't like. If you go to garage sales there will usually be a box with odds & ends in it, like small old toys that you can pick up for a few pennies.
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Step 3
Embrace drawing. If you don't consider yourself an artist, you probably don't think your drawing is good enough to make free cards. However, some of the prettiest cards just have polka dots, stripes, or even a lone heart on them. This will give your card a handcrafted feel that will have everyone ohhing & ahhing over it. Plus you get to be creative & bring out your inner artist.
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Step 4
Add a photo. If you are nervous about your card, skip the artwork all together. Use cute photo corners to fix a favorite photo to the front of your card. You can always use photoshop to add crazy hairstyles or sunglasses to the picture.
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Step 5
Make a collage. Even if you aren't an artist & you don't have a junk drawer, you can still make free cards. Just open up an old magazine that you don't want anymore. Start cutting out letters of all different shapes and sizes. They work best if they have a color background to them. Then you can arrange them for the saying on the front of your card. It turns into instant art.
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Step 6
Write your own jokes. One of the best parts of making a free card is that you can personalize it. Many birthday cards are funny, but can seem cruel if taken in the wrong light. Instead, include a funny personal joke or anecdote that will have the recipient laughing until they cry.
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Step 7
Go virtual. If you aren't feeling crafty or you don't have time, you can make your free card online. Use free scrapbooking software. You can make a single page, or an entire book to really tell the person how you feel. It also brings back all of the good memories that you have shared together.
Share it with the person. You can upload the card to your blog. If you use wordpress you can make the post private & only send the password to the recipient. You can also send your free card through email. -
Step 8
Teach your kids to make free cards. This is a fun family activity. Plus, it will get your children in the habit of practicing gratitude by sending thank you cards.
