Making Homemade Postcards

You most likely want to get in touch with family and friends from far away more than just through social networking sites. However, when you listed them all, you will have to shell out a bunch for buying greeting cards and for the postage costs. If this is the case, you might want to turn to postcards to do the job. It is an economical way to maintain close relationships with everyone on your mailing list, as postcards are cheaper and so are their postage fees. But if you want to bring your "keeping in touch" to a higher level, why not venture into homemade postcard printing? Postcards can be easily mailed at the post office no matter what kind so give your postcards a personalized touch. Your loved one will surely appreciate the design and the effort.

If you would like to endeavor on making your own card mailers, here are some things that you can do:

1. Using a ruler, measure four-inch by six-inch rectangles on a card stock. Trace the shape using a pencil or just put markings on the corner where you are to cut.

2. To make your postcards really straight and neat, use a paper cutter to cut along the traced lines. If you do not have a paper cutter, use a cutting knife and ruler to make the sides straight. That will be the body of your card.

3. Now, on to the fun part. Decorate the front side of your board. Use your imagination as to the design and the materials you will use. You could actually use paint, crayons, markers, stickers, ribbons, and what not to create your own design. You may also look up the internet for possible designs. Or you may print out your family photos, and cut them out in interesting shapes so that you can stick them on the card along with your embellishments.You can also use scrapbooks decorations for this purpose. Let your designs dry up first working on the back side or the message side of your card.

4. When your design is already dry, turn it over. Using a ruler as a guide and a black ink pen or small point marker, draw a vertical line in the middle of the card. This follows the standard postcard format of the US Postal service.

5. Use the space on the left side as the area for your message. Write a brief note and don't forget to sign your name and include your mailing address if you have changed residence.

6. The middle part of the right side panel is reserved for your contact name and address. Don't forget the zip code. The upper right side is where you place a postage stamp. When you mail your cards, just buy stamps of the correct denomination and paste it yourself. Do not let your homemade postcard go through the postal machine because the printing could damage your design and the cute elements that you affixed there.

It seems like an easy project, huh? Of course it is and you can even make doing these homemade postcards like a pastime to express your creativity. But if you prefer, you could also make homemade ones by postcard printing your designs using your existing colored printer. Who knows, this can even become a new business venture for you.