Sending greetings with a personal touch

Creative ideas for handmade cards, gifts

MOSES LAKE — Buying greeting cards at the store just isn't the same as making them yourself.

People can pay $4 for a card at the store when homemade cards can be made for 4 cents, said We Be Stampin' scrapbook teacher Lani Luna.

We Be Stampin' owner Belinda Alaniz said she is seeing more and more people make cards and homemade gifts.

People used to prefer a store-bought gift and they were embarrassed to give handmade items to their friends and family and now there seems to be a reverse the other way, she said.

A 40- to 80-pound weight paper is recommended for card making. Any ribbons or scrap materials lying around the house including safety pins, buttons, wrapping paper, magazines, fabric and sand paper can be integrated to make for an elegant greeting card. Don't forget about using stamps as well.

Mini memory books are one option that makes for a great Christmas gift and greeting card.

Photographs of friends and family can be inserted into the card similar to a photo album by making multiple folds in the paper. Mini greeting messages or photo captions can be written on the bottom of each folded section.

Rub-ons, available at craft stores, imprint letters and pictures by gently rubbing a popsicle stick or knife over the rub-on while holding it to the paper.

Rather than using glue, borders and pictures can be sewn onto cards for a different look.

Gift bags decorated with stamps, wall paper or wrapping paper can be filled with hot drink mixes and candy.

Other creative ideas include cutting and decorating potato slices using cookie cutters and paints to make your own stamps. Fruit can also be used and then dipped in paint to decorate cards. Foliage from outside such as leaves or small branches dipped in stamp ink or paint are also useful.

While these are just a few ideas, they help to add a more personal touch to giving gifts and cards around the holidays.

"People want something more personal out of people," Luna said.