Welcome to Class 3 of our Card Making 101 series! Now that we’ve covered stamps and inks in Classes 1 and 2, it’s time to dive into cardstock and paper for card making. While the variety of paper products is less extensive than stamps and inks, there’s still plenty to learn about cutting and scoring. This guide will simplify the process, helping you create beautifully layered cards with ease. Plus, we’ve included a free downloadable cardstock cutting guide to make your card making experience even smoother!
In class 3 of our Card Making 101 series, you will learn about:
- Pre-cut and scored note cards and card bases with coordinating envelopes
- The paper trimmer and bone folder
- How to cut a card base and why you should score them
- Sizes to cut for card layers
- Designer Series Paper and how quick and easy it makes a card
Want to learn more about the basics of card making? CLICK HERE for our full Card Making 101 series where we discuss stamps, ink, and more for your card making.
Card Making 101, Class 3
In this video class, I (Jackie, an experienced card maker) teach Jesi (my daughter, a new card maker) everything she needs to know about cardstock and paper for card making. We hope that if you’re also new to making cards you can learn alongside Jesi and build your knowledge and confidence as she does.
There’s a lot more information shared in the video class than what’s written below. So make sure to give it a watch to learn everything you need to know about paper for card making! Below is just quick information about some of the most commonly asked questions about cardstock.
CLICK HERE to download your free cardstock cutting guide.
NOTE: This guide is based on creating A2 size cards, the most popular in the United States.
How To Make A Card Base
Making a card base is simple, you take an 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of cardstock and cut it in half in either direction and you have two card bases. Whether you cut the cardstock in half the long way or short way, you will always have the same size card front to create on. The card front will be 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″, which is commonly known as an A2 size card.
But before you dive into cutting your cardstock, let me share my favorite card base cutting tip! SCORE ONCE, CUT ONCE! It’s the most efficient way to make two cards bases at once. If you score first, when you cut the cardstock in half both pieces will already be scored and ready to fold. Why do you want to score your cardstock? It’s the easiest way to get a nice straight fold every time. Make sure to watch the video tutorial to see proof!
How To Cut Layers For Your Cards
Now that we have our card bases cut, how do we determine what sizes to cut our paper layers? Honestly, it’s a personal preference for how you want to design your card! Most of the cards I make use the same basic measurements because I like the look of an equal border all the way around. This is not a card making rule, just my personal preference.
To help with paper layering sizes, I created a set of templates with the basic sizes that I use most often. I can then mix them around and stack them to visualize my card and decide what layer sizes I want. In the video I show these layer templates and how I use them, and you can get the sizes to make your own by clicking the link above for your free cardstock cutting guide download.
Also, I’m a big fan of cutting in eighths. But I know not everyone is. If you don’t like cutting in eighths just use the quarters! It’s all about what you like and what you find easiest.
Designer Series Paper For Card Making
And now it’s time for the fun part! Let’s make a super simple, yet beautiful note card! Designer Series Paper (DSP) is one of my favorite products for making quick and easy cards. When you use beautifully printed paper, let it be the focal image of your card.
To make these cards, we used Basic White Note Cards & Envelopes for our card base. We cut different sizes of DSP to adhere to the front and stamped a sentiment. That’s all – super easy and a beautiful handmade card!
The different sizes of Designer Series Paper are:
- Thank You and Let’s Celebrate Cards: 4 3/4″ x 3″
- Thinking of You Card: 3″ x 3″
- Happy Birthday Card: 3 1/4″ x 4 1/4″
Shop The Products To Make Easy DSP Note Cards
I’m trying to show throughout Card Making 101 that you don’t need a lot of supplies to make beautiful handmade cards, and I hope this simple project shows that. This is all we needed, and it would make 20 cards! The Note Cards & Envelopes come in a pack of 20, but there will be plenty of DSP left over to make a lot more cards.
Shop My Recommended Essentials
When it comes to paper for card making, these are my recommended essentials. A good Paper Trimmer to cut your card bases and layers and a Bone Folder for a crisp edge. Note Cards are my go-to card bases for quick and easy card making, I use them in most of my projects. And a pack of neutral cardstock gives you many different options for layering. I do not have any Designer Series Paper linked here because new prints become available often and there are many choices! To browse and shop DSP, CLICK HERE for the online store.
Learn More About The Basics Of Card Making
Don’t miss any of the other classes in Card Making 101 that will help you learn all about card making, what you need, and how to get started!
January 2025 Happenings
Create 6 new card templates from Volume 4 of our FREE Creativity Made Simple: Card Templates video series. Create layouts to help you design quick & easy cards using any stamps, ink, & paper you have.
In addition to making your free card templates, there are even more exciting January happenings…
- Spring Mini Catalog coming Jan. 7
- Sale-A-Bration coming Jan. 7
- New Online Exclusive Products coming Jan. 7
- Creativate Retreat Jan. 17-18
Thank you so much for visiting my website today! I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy card making project. If you did, please leave us a comment below! If you have any questions, I would love to help you and answer them, just follow the link below to contact me. If you would like to place a Stampin’ Up! order, I would be thrilled if you selected me to be your demonstrator.
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First off, Thank you for doing these beginning step Videos. I would have loved this information when I started card making several years ago. I did take classes but everything was pre-done so I never got what you are teaching. After a while I I started following different Demonstrators and began to pick up the information I was looking for. Great job!!💐
Thank you! We truly hope that these classes will be able to help others as you wish you had it!
I’ve been stamping a few months and have watched some videos, but I’ve learned so much from these videos! And I’m one of those….THANK YOU FOR THE RULER GUIDE!!
Yes!! You’re very welcome!!!!