Making Cards on a Budget

I love to make cards, but I can't afford all the fancy stuff to make cute, artistic, scrapbooky, professional cards. So I do what I can with what I already have. You'd be surprised what you can use to make cute cards without spending a dime!

• Cut off the front of a greeting card you've been given and glue it to cardstock to use as the front of your handmade card.
• Cut out or remove cute items from other handmade cards or invitations you've received.
• Keep the punched-out paper from a hole puncher.



hole-punched paper and buttons

• Cut out words and pictures from magazines.
• Search your junk mail for useful items. For example, Disney sends out a package to join their club to get discounted DVDs and includes Disney stickers inside.
• Save ribbons from presents and packaging.



ribbon on the outside and inside

• Take stickers your kids get from the dentist, doctor, daycare, or school if they don't want them.
• Use extra buttons that come with clothes or remove buttons from clothes to be made into rags.



button and stickers

• Keep any cute, scrapbooky, or small item you find randomly in your house: a fake flower petal that fell off, leftover wrapping paper, a scrap of fabric, etc.