Begin by choosing the occasion for your card – whether it's a birthday celebration or a Christmas greeting, this decision will guide your choices in backing paper design and colour, the toppers and sentiments to include, and even the overall layout. The theme plays a crucial role in shaping the design elements and overall feel of your card.

Card blanks and envelopes
Card blanks come in various sizes and colours and are scored down the centre. You simply fold them in half and you have a card ready to decorate. Matching envelopes are also available.

Backing card and papers
These will be needed to layer on the card front before the focal point and decoration on the card is added. Plain paper and card, metallic card and patterned papers can all be used.

Cutting Tools
You will need to cut the backing cards and papers to fit your card design. This can be achieved with a ruler and craft knife used on a self-healing mat but a guillotine is quicker and easier. Small sharp scissors are ideal for cutting out shapes to add to your cards, trimming ribbons, twines etc or neatening the edges of pre-cut toppers.

Adhesives
For instant strong adhesion and accurate application, our Perfect Precision Double Sided Tape Pen is PERFECT for card making. It's convenient, reliable and mess-free.
PVA glue is great for card-making as it dries clear and ensures a strong finish. It’s perfect for adhering mats and layers and adding small embellishments.
Foam pads are double-sided pads of various thicknesses that are attached to the back of toppers or decoupage to add depth and height to a design. Small foam pads can also be attached to the back of small bows and buttons.

Toppers or Die-cut 3D decoupage
A topper is a shaped image that is added to a card to create a focal point. To make it stand out more it is often attached with foam pads to add depth. Die-cut 3D decoupage is a more intricate layered design that is put together following the numbered steps on the sheet.

Sentiments
A sentiment is a short message added to the card front. These can be die-cut sentiments that can be attach with foam pads or in sticker form which can be applied on the topper or backing papers.

Determine if your project will be in a landscape or portrait layout, then start assembling your materials. Consider all the elements you plan to incorporate. Before you start to stick anything in place, arrange them loosely to get a feel for your desired design. This way, you can tweak and adjust the layout until it's just right, ensuring everything comes together perfectly in your final composition.

The term matting and layering refers to the backing card and papers that are layered on the card front before the focal point and embellishments are added. Mats and layers help to draw the eye towards the focal point and help it stand out. You can add as many layers as you like using plain card, metallic card or patterned papers.

Tip - Use the colours in your focal point as a guide to what colours to use in your mats and layers for a coordinating finish.

The most common first layer on a card is generally 0.5cm or 1/4” smaller than the card front. This can be cut using a craft knife and a metal ruler on a self-healing mat or with a guillotine. The next layers can be any size you wish, just play around with sizes before adhering in place with glue.

Layers can also be added with foam pads to create extra depth or be used to create a frame around your focal point.

Once your mats and layers are in place on the card front it will require an image of some sort to create a focal point. A topper is a shaped image, often die-cut, that can be attached to the card front with foam pads to add depth and make it really stand out. A pre-cut topper will often have small “pips” around the edge when it’s removed from the backing. These can easy be snipped off with small scissors. Foam pads are then attached to the back before being attached to the card.

3D decoupage is a pre-cut design that is built up in layers using foam pads. Usually the design has numbered pieces, the largest being number 1 and the first layer. The pieces numbered 2 are attached on top of this and so on until the image is complete. These require a little practice but once mastered, make a lovely focal image on a card.

A sentiment is a short message added to the card front. Sentiments add a personal touch to your cards and add to the composition of the design. Sentiments often come as pre-cut shapes or on toppers that are simply removed from their backing and attached to the card front with foam pads.

Stickers are another easy way to add a sentiment. These can be pre-written words or alphabets which allow you to write a personal message or name. They come in various colours and are simply peeled off and applied to your chosen area of the card front or topper. They can also be applied to a piece of card, trimmed to size, then attached with foam pads.

Die-cutting is a quick way to cut out shapes from card, paper and other materials. A die is a metal shape with a sharp cutting edge on one side. Dies come in all shapes and sizes including words, letters, animals, flowers, etc.

A die-cutting machine is required to use with the die. These come in either manual or electric versions and they use a combination or rollers and cutting plates to apply pressure to the metal die, making it cut through your chosen material.

Simple shapes are ideal to start experimenting with die-cutting such as circles, squares and ovals. These are ideal to die-cut toppers or sentiments. To start, lay the image or sentiment you wish to cut out on top of the cutting plate. Lay your chosen shape die on top, cutting side down. Tip - Secure the die in place with a small piece of craft tape or low-tack masking tape so it doesn’t move when it goes through the machine. Lay the second plate on top then put the plates through the machine (either by turning a manual handle or switching the machine on and pushing through to start). The die will cut around the image or sentiment. It can then be removed from the die and attached to the card front.

Once the focal point and sentiment has been added to the card you may wish to add some embellishments. Embellishments enhance the design and add an extra touch of colour and interest. They can really complete the design and help bring all the other elements on the card front together.

Various items can be used as embellishments including gems, bows and pre-cut shapes such as small butterflies or flowers. Brads, decorative tapes and glitters can also be used, the list is endless! Pre-cut shapes and bows can be glued in place or secured with a small foam pad on the back. Many gems are self-adhesive and can simply peeled off their backing and placed in the corners of the card front or added to the sentiment or focal point. Non-adhesive gems can be fixed in place with a tiny dot of glue.

Now the outside of the card is complete you may want to add something on the inside. You can simply write a message in the card or hand-write a verse. Alternatively, adding an insert will add another decorative layer in the card and give a professional finish. Insert papers are printed one side and they can be trimmed to fit inside any card blank. To decide how big your insert should be, open up the card blank, lay it flat, then measure the width and height.

Trim the insert approximately 0.5cm or a quarter of an inch smaller. These are folded in half then placed inside the open card on the right-hand side. Double-sided tape is then attached down the left-hand side, right next to the fold, then the backing removed. The card is then closed, the left-hand edge is lightly pressed, and this will adhere the tape to the card, securing the insert in place.

A message can now be handwritten in the card, alphabet stickers could be added to spell out a message or a self-adhesive peelable verse could be added.

Tip - vellum or plain coloured paper could also be used as inserts.