100 Days to A Cheapskates Style Christmas Day 5: Retro Christmas Cards
It's not too early to get those Christmas cards made, written and ready to stamp. With the way the post has been this year, sending them a little early ensures that they'll at least arrive sometime before Christmas (hopefully)!
If you have cards to send overseas plan on sending them before the middle of October to ensure they arrive at their destinations on time, international post is even slower and the closer it gets to Christmas, the busier the post will be and the longer it will take to arrive.
And if that doesn't convince you to start now, just think about relaxing, knowing all your cards are made, written and ready to send. You won't be madly making and writing in a rush during December; you'll be sitting back with a cool drink relaxing and quietly patting yourself on the back for being so organised.
This card I've called the Retro Christmas card, It reminds me a little of a late 1950s, early 1960s style with it's bright primary colours and bold but simple shapes. And it's so quick and easy to put together, no special equipment required, although if you have a circle punch that will save you some cutting and some time.
You will need:
Card bases & envelops
Red craft paper/wrapping paper
Yellow craft paper/wrapping paper
Green craft paper/wrapping paper
Gold foil paper/wrapping paper
White cardstock 13.5cm x 9.5cm
Small piece white cardstock for the greeting - 2.5cm x 6cm approx*
Christmas greeting stamp*
Black stamp pad*
15cm narrow red ribbon
Glue stick/double sided tape
Foam pop dots
Circle punch or egg cup with a 1-1/2" diameter base
Step 1. Punch or cut out three circles in each color paper, Arrange them on the piece of white cardstock. Some will go off the edge, that's OK. When you are happy with the layout, stick the circles in place. Trim the overhanging bits.
Step 2. Stamp your sentiment on to the small piece of cardstock. Cut the left side to make a flag. OR use a texta to hand write the sentiment if you don't have a stamp and ink pad. Put two pop-dots on the back and then adhere to the front of the circles on the right side.
Step 3. Measure a lenght of the ribbon with enough to glue onto the back of the circled mat, Stick in place. Use a small piece of the ribbon to tie a small bow and stick in place. Put pop-dots on the back of the mat and centre on front of card. Stick in place.
And you're done! How easy was that!
Here are a few variations:
The use of pop dots is entirely optional. If you don't have them, don't use them. Stick the mat straigth to the front of the card. Or skip the mat entirely and stick the dots straight onto the card front, making sure you stick the ends of the ribbon underneath a top and bottom dot so they don't show.
If you don't have a Christmas stamp and stamp pad, use a black texta to handwrite the sentiment before sticking it to the front of the card.
The circles can be cut from wrapping paper, coloured copy paper, plain scrapbooking paper - whatever you have.
You don't need to stick to plain colours - mix them up with a patterned paper in whatever colour theme you choose.
You can make the card bases - you'll need white cardstock that measures 29cm x 10.5cm, folded in half on the long side. Or you can buy card blanks from Kmart or $2 shops, Officeworks (although I think they are bit expensive) or buy them online from eBay or Ali Express.
If you have cards to send overseas plan on sending them before the middle of October to ensure they arrive at their destinations on time, international post is even slower and the closer it gets to Christmas, the busier the post will be and the longer it will take to arrive.
And if that doesn't convince you to start now, just think about relaxing, knowing all your cards are made, written and ready to send. You won't be madly making and writing in a rush during December; you'll be sitting back with a cool drink relaxing and quietly patting yourself on the back for being so organised.
This card I've called the Retro Christmas card, It reminds me a little of a late 1950s, early 1960s style with it's bright primary colours and bold but simple shapes. And it's so quick and easy to put together, no special equipment required, although if you have a circle punch that will save you some cutting and some time.
You will need:
Card bases & envelops
Red craft paper/wrapping paper
Yellow craft paper/wrapping paper
Green craft paper/wrapping paper
Gold foil paper/wrapping paper
White cardstock 13.5cm x 9.5cm
Small piece white cardstock for the greeting - 2.5cm x 6cm approx*
Christmas greeting stamp*
Black stamp pad*
15cm narrow red ribbon
Glue stick/double sided tape
Foam pop dots
Circle punch or egg cup with a 1-1/2" diameter base
Step 1. Punch or cut out three circles in each color paper, Arrange them on the piece of white cardstock. Some will go off the edge, that's OK. When you are happy with the layout, stick the circles in place. Trim the overhanging bits.
Step 2. Stamp your sentiment on to the small piece of cardstock. Cut the left side to make a flag. OR use a texta to hand write the sentiment if you don't have a stamp and ink pad. Put two pop-dots on the back and then adhere to the front of the circles on the right side.
Step 3. Measure a lenght of the ribbon with enough to glue onto the back of the circled mat, Stick in place. Use a small piece of the ribbon to tie a small bow and stick in place. Put pop-dots on the back of the mat and centre on front of card. Stick in place.
And you're done! How easy was that!
Here are a few variations:
The use of pop dots is entirely optional. If you don't have them, don't use them. Stick the mat straigth to the front of the card. Or skip the mat entirely and stick the dots straight onto the card front, making sure you stick the ends of the ribbon underneath a top and bottom dot so they don't show.
If you don't have a Christmas stamp and stamp pad, use a black texta to handwrite the sentiment before sticking it to the front of the card.
The circles can be cut from wrapping paper, coloured copy paper, plain scrapbooking paper - whatever you have.
You don't need to stick to plain colours - mix them up with a patterned paper in whatever colour theme you choose.
You can make the card bases - you'll need white cardstock that measures 29cm x 10.5cm, folded in half on the long side. Or you can buy card blanks from Kmart or $2 shops, Officeworks (although I think they are bit expensive) or buy them online from eBay or Ali Express.