Creating a Simple Card Base

Making a simple card base is relatively straight-forward. It might take a little practice to get this technique perfected, but once you've got it you'll find it's a piece of cake!

My preferred method of making card bases is to take a letter-sized piece of paper and cut it in half to make two card bases that will fit in an "A2" sized envelope. It makes the most of your cardstock and is very simple to do.

The first things you'll need are the following:

Cardstock (8 1/2 x 11 inches)

Envelopes

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil

Clean, well-lit workspace

Step 1
Turn your cardstock so it's oriented landscape (long end is horizontal) and measure 5 1/2 inches - which will be exactly half the length of your cardstock. Make a small mark at the top of the paper.

Step 2
Do the same at the bottom of the cardstock - measure 5 1/2 inches and make a small mark.

Step 3
Then turn your ruler so it is facing away from you and line it up with the two pencil marks you just made.

Draw a line to connect the lines.

Now you have a line down the center of your cardstock, dividing the paper in half.

Step 4
Take your scissors and cut down the pencil mark. Cutting in long, smooth strokes will lead to a more even cut than if you make small snips along the way.

Now you have two pieces of cardstock measuring 8 inches by 5 1/2 inches.

Step 5
Next, take one of your halves and turn it horizontal again, so it's landscape oriented.

Measure 4 1/4 inches along the top and make a pencil mark. Do the same thing along the bottom.

Step 6
Then fold the cardstock in half at the score lines - no need to draw a line this time as it should be a simple fold right in half.

Step 7
And now you have a base for your card!

The nice thing about this technique is that you get two card bases for each piece of cardstock.
Now you're ready to either stop here with this simple card and decorate the card base, or you can use it to layer something else on!


If you have a paper trimmer, or are thinking about adding one to your toolbox, check out this tutorial on using a paper trimmer to make your card base.

If you're ready to tackle some card making projects, head on over to Card Making Ideas for some tutorials and inspiration.

 

 

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