How To Make Funky Cards

Make your own cards with vibrant colors and funky designs.

Making funky cards is a whimsical method for putting your own personal stamp on card making. Create funky thank you cards with wacky pictures cut out of magazines, and write silly captions to go along with these. Design your own funky birthday cards that will be much more hilarious than the ones you could buy at the store. Make your own New Year’s cards, but the only resolution you have to keep is the vow to make wacky cards with recycled materials.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock
• Paper bags
• Cardboard
• Old magazines
• Poster paint
• Scissors
• Markers

Instructions

Make a Funky Thank You Card

1. Use a sheet of card stock to trace around the blank side of a brown paper bag.

2. Cut the traced portion of the paper bag out, which will be the paper for making your card.

3. Fold the paper bag cut out in half to make the card.

4. Cut letters out of an old magazine to compose a wacky message on the front of the card. Glue the letters on the card, but leave enough room for your image.

5. Look for zany pictures in old magazines. Choose a picture that you can use as an inside joke between you and your friend.

6. Rub the front of the card with a glue stick and place the picture on it.

7. Write a funny message on the inside of the card once all the glue has dried.

Make a Funky Birthday Card

1. Use your ruler and a pencil to make a rectangle of cardboard for your card.

2. Cut out the cardboard and score it in half with a knife.

3. Fold the card in half along the score line.

4. Paint the front of your card with a wacky color of poster paint, such as fluorescent orange or green.

5. Dip the paintbrush in blue paint and splatter dots of paint on the front of the card.

6. Sprinkle other colors paint on your card to create a splattered paint like effect.

7. Take some white paint and create a simple birthday cake on the front of the card.

8. Use yellow, blue and pink colors of paint to make candles and decorative flowers for the cake.

9. Dip the paintbrush in black paint and write the words “Happy Birthday” directly above the cake.

10. Allow the card to dry before writing a silly birthday message on the inside.

Make a Funky New Year’s Card

1. Make a paper bag card the same way you did for the funky thank you card.

2. Draw abstract pictures of people celebrating the New Year. Consider also drawing abstract pictures of party favors and party hats.

3. Use bright and clashing colors of makers to add a bit of funk to the card.

4. Use a black marker to write “Happy New Year,” and the year on the front of the card. Remind yourself to write the correct year on the card.

5. Write a whimsical message on the inside of the card that will have special meaning to the recipient.

Tips & Warnings

• Be wacky and over the top when drawing pictures on your funky cards. Use humor and satire to bring a smile to the faces of your friends. Making funky cards out of recycled materials is an ideal way to help the environment, and to save money.

• Consider starting an online business to sell your funky cards.

• Avoid writing messages on cards that might offend certain individuals.

References

• Oregon Metro: Waste-Wise Holiday Tips
• BBC: Recycled Christmas Cards
• University of Alaska, Fairbanks: Paint, Paste, Play Dough, Puppets and Paper Mache
• City of Newton, Massachusetts: Solid Waste and Recycling
• Student Entrepreneurs Get Down to Business