Do you find yourself looking at videos of card making projects thinking “Wow. They made that so quickly!” Well, I have a secret for you. They may have made that Christmas card in 5 minutes on screen, but there was likely a bunch of prep work going on behind the scenes that you didn’t see. Today, we’re demystifying some of the ways that you can prep card making projects like a pro, allowing you to worry less about your supplies and focus more on the creative process.
Find your inspiration.
Before you can start any card making project, you need to feel some inspiration. So start there! Go through your supplies, look at color pallets, go for a walk, or listen to your favorite music. Do whatever helps come up with new ideas. Find more ways to get inspired here.
Put your idea down on paper.
Once you’ve found your inspiration, write it down! Sometimes I feel like my card making ideas leave my mind just as fast as they entered it. So once I have an idea I need to write it down as soon as possible. I always recommend keeping a small notepad nearby so that whenever you have an idea that you like you can quickly jot it down.
Later on, you can turn this idea into a quick sketch that you can use to help prep your design. Remember your sketch doesn’t have to be pretty. It just has to convey a general idea.
Pick out your supplies.
Once you have a rough idea of what your design looks like, start pulling together any supplies you think you might need. You don’t have to use everything you pull out, but having it visible can help you make sure you don’t forget something you wanted to use. For example: If I’m planning to emboss something on my card but I don’t have my embossing powder out on the table, I will likely forget to emboss all together.
If going through your supplies helps you feel inspired then you can definitely start with this step and then create your sketch afterward, so you have the flexibility to use the creative process that works best for you.
Try to use what you already have in your stash.
Buying new supplies won’t ensure that you’ll be happy with the end result of your card making project. So, I would encourage you to use materials that you already own. As you sit down to create your design, you will likely learn more about the supplies you own as you think outside the box and use them in new ways. It can feel really rewarding to learn like that and you might find that you are pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Be willing to change when something doesn’t go as planned.
Part of being an artist or crafter is being flexible when something isn’t going your way. Many times we have an idea in our mind of what we want something to look like, but it very rarely ends up looking exactly like that picture we had. So show yourself grace and patience while working on your card making project and be willing to switch up your design if something is not going the way you envisioned.
Have fun pulling your card making project together!
Lastly, and most importantly… have fun creating! Keep finding ways to remove any stress from your creative process, so you can spend more time enjoying the process. So even if you decide that your process looks different than mine, that’s ok! Just as long as you’re finding joy in the projects that you’re working on.
Learn even more about how I made this With All My Love card here.
I hope this article has helped you learn more about how to prep card making projects like a pro. For more helpful how to content, please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! You can also shop all the handmade cards that I’ve designed here.