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I prefer handmade cards over store-bought ones because they give you the freedom to create unique designs using whatever material you like, and deliver more emotional value. But what if you kind of suck at crafting and still want to give a card that carries the same sentiment while looking just as pretty? Well, I'll be giving a solution for that at the end of this post! But first, let me validate my preference for handmade cards.
Reasons Why Handmade Cards Are Better
Greater variety Store-bought greeting cards lack in variety; they always have the same clean look with the cursive font. While those cards a sufficient to serve a general purpose like wishing someone a happy birthday, you for sure will not be able to find one that specifically says "Happy 28th Birthday Nincompoop!" at a local store. But when you get birthday cards handmade, you can do and write whatever you want.
Personalizable It's tough to give a personal touch to an already finished card, which is why store-bought cards can rarely deviate from being generic. But, if you're making the card by yourself you can include things that mean something to the receiver like personal notes, various images or trinkets that represent a special incident, and more.
More heartfelt Handmade cards carry more emotional value since the person making them is constantly thinking about who the card is intended to; reminiscing the times they spent together, the laughs they shared, the tears they shed, all of that and more. Personally speaking, if someone gave me both a handmade card and a store-bought one, while the gestures are equally appreciated, I would feel a bit more for the handmade one even if it's looking really messy.
Themes It's hard to find cards that match the different themes you have in mind; it might be for a birthday party or the gift wrapper you have. There are quite a few things that might not add up like the colors, the vibe, the design, etc. So the best option you have is to make your own cards with whatever design and color you want to match the theme of the event.
Fun to make Craft work is always fun! And purchasing ready-made cards involve little to no fun at all. But when making them yourself you go through the elaborate process of surfing for inspiration, getting the required materials of finding substitutes, and setting your artsy-self to work.
Inexpensive Better-looking cards at high-end stores can be absurdly expensive. The funny thing is that you can make the same card, or something even better, from half that price. And even if you can't find the exact material, you can always come up with a cheaper substitute for them.
Prank If it's your best friends birthday, you would surely want to hit them up with a silly prank and have a laugh. However, prank greeting cards are pretty much nonexistent in local stores. Regardless of that, you can make one by yourself! If you look up for prank greeting cards online, you will see loads of fun results along with tutorials on how to make them.
A Great Substitute for Handmade Cards
While I would love to have birthday cards handmade, some times it's not an option. The best substitute for a handmade card is a customized one. What happens is that you pick the design, colors, wordings, and pictures you want to include, and then ask a professional to make it for you. Fortunately, these days there are numerous online craft stores that can do the job perfectly. And since they operate on social media platforms, you can take a good look at their previous work and decide if they can meet your needs.
I will be sharing some of the best local card stores I've come across in a future post, so stay tuned for that!