How to Make Embossed Greeting Cards

Embossed greeting cards are elegant. There are two forms of embossing. Dry embossing is done with stencils and a stylus. Heat embossing is done with an embossing pen or rubber-stamped images and powder. A heat gun melts the powder, which almost magically creates the image. Embossing is a nice touch on wedding, birthday, congratulations and sympathy cards. You can even color the embossed image for added impact.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• Card stock
• Dry: Stencil
• Tape
• A piece of cloth
• Light box
• Stylus
• Wax paper
• Chalk or colored pencil (optional)
• Heat: Rubber stamp or embossing pen
• Scrap paper
• Embossing ink
• Embossing powder
• Heat gun for crafting

Dry Embossing

1. Place the brass or other stencil onto the paper that you want to emboss. Very lightly mark where the stencil should be, using a pencil.

2. Take a piece of tape and stick it to a piece of cloth then remove it. Repeat two or three times to remove most of the tackiness.

3. Use the tape to stick the stencil to the paper. Set the stencil and paper on a light box, with the paper on top.

4. Rub the ball of stylus over the paper, pushing down into the stencil openings. Make sure you rub down into the smallest parts of the pattern. If the stylus seems to stick on the paper, rub it on a piece of wax paper for smoother movement.

5. Carefully lift the stencil and paper from the light box. Remove the stencil and the tape. You have an embossed piece of paper.

Heat Embossing

6. Place a piece of card or mat for a card on a piece of scrap paper on your work surface. Press the rubber stamp into the embossing ink, and then onto the paper. If using an embossing pen, write or draw on the paper freehand.

7. Sprinkle embossing powder on the wet ink.

8. Pick up the card and tap the excess powder onto the scrap paper. Tap the powder from the scrap paper back into the embossing powder canister.

9. Turn on the heat gun. Gently blow heat on the powdered image. Do not overheat the embossed image. Do not use a hair dryer when heat embossing; the powder will blow off of the project.

10. Move from one portion of the powdered image to another, until all the powder has melted. You will immediately notice a raised image.

Making Embossed Greetings Cards

11. Use a piece of card that is the height of the card you want, and twice as long. Emboss on one side of the card.

12. Chalk or lightly color the embossed image with colored pencil, if desired.

13. Use a bone folder or craft stick to score and fold the card in half.

14. Add a rubber-stamped or hand-printed greeting inside the card.

15. Make a mat for a card. Emboss a piece of plain paper in a size that is at least 1/2 inch smaller in height and width than the card. Glue the paper to the center of the greeting card cover.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice embossing on a separate paper before making the card.