Fabric Cards

I can never seem to get my Christmas cards out on time, and truthfully, I've all but given up on ever getting it together. Valentine's Day is a different story. The pressures of the holiday season have eased and no one is really expecting a card from me, so it's that much more fun to create them. Still, I have a job, a toddler, a household, and a life to run and I need cards that I can create quickly.

For several years, I have been using these heart shaped cards from Paper Source. They come in a number of colors, 20 to a pack, and they're so simple, yet infinitely versatile. This really works for me because I like to tailor the card to the recipient. Each year I try different things and have a lot of fun in the process. This year I decided to make fabric cards. It couldn't be easier. Here's how:

Supplies:

heart shaped cards, double-sided adhesive sheets, fabric scissors, scraps of fabric that are as large as the cards, rubber stamps (optional), red pigment ink pad (optional), embellishments (buttons, ribbon scraps, ric rac, lace)

Directions:

Plain Fabric Covered Card: Cut a piece of double-sided adhesive that's slightly larger than the heart card; peel off one side of the backing and adhere it to the back side of a fabric scrap. Turn the adhesive backed fabric over and smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles with your hands. Turn the fabric back over, remove the second piece of backing, and lay the heart card onto the adhesive. Trim any excess fabric and adhesive, following the lines of the card as a guide. (If the adhesive comes off on your scissors, just peel it off and keep going. It won't harm your scissors). Embellish the card as desired.

Stamped Fabric Card: To minimize any waste, cut out pieces of fabric and stamp them BEFORE adhering them to the card. This way, if you make a mistake, you won't lose the card itself, only the fabric scrap. I like to use clear stamps for these. They generally come in multiples and I like being able to see exactly where I'm placing the design. However, regular rubber stamps will work as well. Also, give your fabric a little time to dry before handling it. Then proceed with the directions above.

Tip: If you want to cut out your own heart shapes, cut rectangular pieces of fabric, adhesive, and card stock and layer them together. Place your heart template on the layered card stock and lightly trace around it with pencil; cut out just inside the traced line.

And that's it! You can try this with textured fabrics (though smoother fabrics are better for stamping), including velvet, lace, linen, cotton, silk, burlap, muslin (my favorite for stamping), etc. It takes so little fabric to create these that it's a great way to use leftover scraps from other projects - which is a lot better than tossing them in the trash.

Product Resources & Recommendations:

Therm O Web double-sided adhesive sheets
Fiskars Micro-Tip Scissors
Fabri-Tac glue for embellishments
Clear Stamps used: "xoxo" from Martha Stewart Crafts (Valentine set); similar Stamped Stitches