Greeting Cards

If you are planning on hosting a Halloween party this year, you'll need some wicked scary invitations!

You will need: Card stock, fabric scraps, fusible webbing (Wonder Under), scissors, iron, sewing machine, thread, measuring tape, seam ripper. Try to coordinate the color of the fabric to the cardstock.

Before you decide what size to make your cards, purchase the envelopes. I used 4-3/4" x 6-1/2" envelopes, so the finished, folded cards are 4-1/2" x 6-1/4". I cut The cardstock into 6-1/4" x 9" sheets. If your envelopes are a different size, cut the cardstock accordingly.

Fusible webbing is wonderful. It is a paper-backed material that allows you to fuse one fabric to another, or in this case, fuse fabric to cardstock. Cut a piece of fabric about 9" x 9". Cut a piece of fusible webbing about 8" x 8".  Iron the fusible webbing to the wrong side of the fabric, paper side up. Then cut out your shapes, and remember when you are cutting out letters, cut them out with the paper side down so the letters are not reversed. Peel the paper backing off. Place the letters or shapes onto your paper and press with hot iron.

If your letters are large, you can sew around the outside edge of the letter and then again on the inside of the letter. If the letters are smaller, (like the Happy Birthday card) you may just want to stitch in the center of the letter. Also, instead of backstitching to prevent the stitching from coming undone, leave at least 6" of thread hanging (at both the beginning and ending points) and gently pull on the bobbin thread until a small amount of top thread is pulled through to the back. Using the seam ripper, grab the loop of top thread and continue pulling it through to the backside of the card. Tie the top thread to the bobbin thread in a knot and cut excess thread.

Get creative for other occasions too, add shapes and find different designs for letters. Think about other Holidays (Overlapping hearts for Valentines Day) What about a Get Well Card that you can attach to a plate of home made cookies... Write your message on the inside of the cards, stick them in an envelope, address them, put a stamp on them and drop them in the mail. Anyone would love to get one of these home made cards!