{"id":693,"date":"2010-02-11T12:09:48","date_gmt":"2010-02-11T20:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/?p=693"},"modified":"2010-02-11T12:09:48","modified_gmt":"2010-02-11T20:09:48","slug":"greeting-cards-simple-fun-classy-and-budget-conscious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/greeting-card-note-cards-announcements-invitations\/greeting-cards-simple-fun-classy-and-budget-conscious\/","title":{"rendered":"Greeting Cards: Simple, Fun, Classy and Budget Conscious"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Kimberly Foster<\/em><\/span>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s economy, every penny counts.\u00a0 Making classy, creative, expensive-looking greeting cards, invitations, place cards, bookmarks, and envelopes to match, will fit into any budget.\u00a0\u00a0 All you really need are 3 things to get started, and chances are good that you already have them: paper, glue and scissors.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>You can actually create your own cards and envelopes<\/a><\/span> with any type of paper you choose, but if you just want to dive right into decoration, you may want to start out with ready made blank cards and envelopes. Blank cards<\/a><\/span> are a perfect way to get started making professional looking cards even if you are just beginning.\u00a0 They truly leave you little room for error!<\/p>\n

So, once you\u2019ve either purchased or made your blank cards, it\u2019s time for the really fun part. A card means so much more when you create something with your own hands than if you were to go out and purchase a stock item from a store. The effort and beauty will most certainly be appreciated whether it\u2019s a birthday card for your mom, a place card at a retirement dinner or a simple hand-made bookmark for a friend.<\/p>\n

Choose your supplies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before you begin, you\u2019ll want to make a few choices.\u00a0 Are you making a card, place marker, bookmark, invitation, or announcement?\u00a0 What size is appropriate; will it be a large birthday card or small gift card to attach to a gift bag?<\/p>\n

Start Simple<\/strong><\/p>\n

What will your color palette be?\u00a0 Pastels, black\/white, earth tones?\u00a0 My suggestion, is to start simple.\u00a0 Choose one or two colors in addition to the color of the card and envelope.\u00a0 Choose colors that will contrast and compliment each other and that will lend themselves to the person or event you are creating the item for.<\/p>\n

Choose simple shapes.\u00a0 Use the color and the paper to create the design. When choosing your paper, look for different textures and weights to give your item a more three dimensional look and feel.\u00a0 Pay attention to the negative shapes that show through the shapes you cut out.\u00a0 Experiment by cutting out simple shapes and arranging them in different ways on your card. Don\u2019t be afraid of layering shapes or making your design asymmetrical.\u00a0 There is no \u201cright\u201d design; just a single paper shape placed on the front of a card in a contrasting color can be striking.<\/p>\n

Add a touch of unique detail.\u00a0 If you just can\u2019t help yourself and need to use something other than paper on your creation, try a button or two; maybe a ribbon, a piece of fabric or a small dried flower.\u00a0 And remember that the paper shapes don\u2019t have to be completely glued down; curl up the corners of a simple paper shape or leave a flap loose and have something else show underneath.\u00a0 The possibilities are endless \u2013 ah, but we were keeping it simple for now, weren\u2019t we?<\/p>\n

Finally, bring your envelope into the design.\u00a0 A simple splash of color or a shape similar to one on the card is a simple way to finish off the project and create a matching set.<\/p>\n

Oh, and don\u2019t forget that this wonderfully personal, unique and expensive looking\u00a0 creation, envelope and all,\u00a0 cost you less than a dollar to make.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Kimberly Foster In today\u2019s economy, every penny counts.\u00a0 Making classy, creative, expensive-looking greeting cards, invitations, place cards, bookmarks, and envelopes to match, will fit into any budget.\u00a0\u00a0 All you really need are 3 things to get started, and chances are good that you already have them: paper, glue and scissors. You can actually create […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,35,8,10,9,262],"tags":[616,98,286,15,282,276,288,275,619,287,279,39,274,281,277,284,618,283,278,44,280,285],"class_list":["post-693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-greeting-card-note-cards-announcements-invitations","category-crafts","category-creativity","category-envelopes","category-paper","category-papercrafts","tag-bookmarks-packaging-and-adornments","tag-budget","tag-buttons","tag-cards","tag-color-palette","tag-creative","tag-dried-flowers","tag-economy","tag-envelopes","tag-fabrick","tag-glue","tag-greeting","tag-greeting-cards","tag-invitation","tag-invitations","tag-layering","tag-paper","tag-pastels","tag-place-cards","tag-ribbon","tag-scissors","tag-shapes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oakcreekprintworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}