It's all in the presentation

You know how you can go to a very fancy schmancy restaurant and pay double for the price of the food because you're paying for the ambiance, and the presentation of your courses. Generally, you feel content with paying extra because you're paying for the experience after all.

Well, with crafting cards it's exactly the opposite effect. When you make your own cards you get to have the experience of creating, and it also ends up costing you less in materials. If you go to any stationary store and pick up a set of note cards it can cost anywhere from $10-15. However, depending on the materials you use...you can make a set of cards for a fraction of that price. That fact just thrills my soul since I love a great bargain.

While saving money is great, let's not forget about the presentation. To put the final touch you can either bind your cards together with gorgeous ribbon, baking twine, or on occasion I've been known to even recycled cello packaging from when I purchase envelopes at Michael's. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, the clear plastic boxes from Papertrey Ink give a nice finishing touch. The boxes can fit up to 12 cards and 12 envelopes. (I first saw this used by my friend Kelly who is fabulously creative.) In the end, the gift recipient gets to enjoy handmade cards with a professional look without the professional price tag.


$ Money tip: Papertrey Ink will offer free shipping if you order a minimum of $55. Let's face it you're not saving any money if you have to spend money for shipping and handling. I would suggest that you get together with a couple of other crafters so that cumulatively you can order the $55 minimum and all benefit from the free shipping.