How to Make a Trading Card
For more than a century, people have collected or swapped trading cards, beginning with pictures and biographical information about professional athletes distributed by tobacco, candy and chewing gum makers. The simple trading card has moved into the 21st century with a whole new look as artist trading cards. Anything goes for these tiny canvases; use the same technique to create an infinite number of designs, each different from the one before. Add your name and contact information, and start trading.
Things You'll Need
- Scrapbook or origami papers
- White craft glue
- Water
- Sponge brush
- 3 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch cardstock
- Paint
- Embellishments
- Photograph
- Scissors
- Crackle medium
- Brown acrylic paint
- Paper towels
Instructions
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Scrapbook Collage Cards
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1
Tear decorative papers into small pieces.
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2
Mix equal parts glue and water. Brush a light coating on one side of the card stock.
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3
Arrange the torn paper to the glue layer, overlapping the pieces, until the entire card is covered. Brush the surface with the glue mixture, and allow it to dry.
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4
Embellish your card with paint, stickers, buttons, charms, yarn or ribbon, rubber-stamping and embossing, die-cut or origami figures or any other embellishments.
"Antique" Photo Cards
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5
Use scissors to crop your photo to fit on the card. Use craft glue or spray adhesive to attach it to the card stock.
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6
Paint the photo surface with crackle medium. For fine cracks, apply a thin coat; for larger cracks, apply a thicker coat. Allow the medium to dry completely.
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7
Thin the brown paint to the consistency of a weak cup of coffee. Brush the surface of the crackled photo with the paint, and then wipe most of it off with a paper towel.
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8
Add embellishments to your card, as desired.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Trading cards for book characters or historical figures make a change from the traditional book or biography reports.
Quilters may choose to make trading "cards" from fabric, rather than paper.
References
- Photo Credit businessman holding visiting card #3 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
