How to Create Postcards

A standard postcard layout.

Long before the time of email and instant messaging, people often sent postcards to deliver brief greetings and showcase a trip or vacation. You can revamp this lost art by making your own postcards. It's a very quick and easy project with a nice personal touch. You can make postcards out of paper collages, plain paper, old greeting cards or even photographs. Just keep in mind that whatever you put on your postcard will have to survive postal processing and can be viewed by anyone who comes into contact with your card.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock Ruler Scissors Embellishments Mod Podge Paint brush

Instructions

1. Prepare the back of the postcard. No matter what kind of postcard you create, the standard size for postcards is 4 by 6 inches. Designate which side will be the front, or the area where the postage, address and message will go. On this side, draw a line down the center to differentiate the message portion from the address portion. Compose your message on the left side. On the right side, place your return address in the top left, your postage on the top right and your recipient's address in the center, toward the bottom.

2. Create a post card out of card stock or heavy paper. Cut out your 4-by-6 inch rectangle, and follow step one to create the back of the post card. On the reverse, create a drawing, collage, watercolor, or embellish the postcard with any kind of paper craft you like. Keep in mind that your postcard will likely be fed into a sorting machine. In order to protect it, apply a thin coating of Mod Podge over your design with a soft paintbrush. Allow the sealant to dry completely, then apply another coat. Do this until you have built op three to five coats.

3. Create a postcard from a photograph. Use a 4-by-6 inch photograph as a unique mailer. Because photographs have a tendency to curl up, reinforce the back of the photo with a piece of 4-by-6 inch card stock. To add durability, trim one quarter of an inch off each side of the photograph before attaching it to the card stock. Then apply a think layer of Mod Podge over the top to protect the surface of the photograph from mail processing. Allow the Mod Podge to dry and apply another coat. Repeat this for three to five coats. Follow the instructions from step one to create the mailer portion of your photo postcard.

4. Create a postcard from an old greeting card. Cut the cover of the card off at the folded seam. If there is writing on the back of the design, use paint or correction fluid to cover it, or glue a fresh piece of paper over the top. Greeting cards are already made of thick paper, and have great designs, so no reinforcement or decoration is needed unless you feel it's warranted. Follow step one to create the necessary elements needed to mail your postcard.

Resources

• Browse Paper Craft Ideas