I love making handmade cards. It’s one of my favorite crafts to make. Whether you are a beginner or experienced, when you DIY your greeting cards, there are some crafty pitfalls to avoid.

8 Card Making Mistakes To Avoid — Some affiliate links used below. See disclosure here.

Card making, like any other arts and crafts, is subjective. This tips below isn’t about making your card prettier or “better”, it’s about avoiding mistakes that could potentially waste your supplies, money, or time.

Watch the video below or on YouTube for a more in-depth explanation.

Here are 8 Card Making Mistakes to Avoid

Main Supplies I used:
Cutting Mat Grid
Craft Mat
Trimmer
Scissors
Stamp Cleaner
Clean Scrubbing Pad
Heat Tool

Crafty Supplies I used:
Star Border
Thanks Word Die
Butterfly Stamp
Gems
Heart Stamp
Friendship Stamp
Blending Inks
Grey Ink –
Stamping Inks

Not protecting your work surface

Protect it with a mat, I like this one that has a grid. For ink or paint, I like using this craft mat that cleans very easily.

Not being sharp

Dull edges on your trimmer or scissors will damage and waste your paper. Change the blade every so often depending on usage. This is the affordable trimmer I use. To sharpen your scissors, cut some foil with them.

Not Protecting your hands when inking

Inky fingers might leave marks on your surfaces or even your card. Use a piece of masking tape or cardstock to help protect your fingers and your work.

Not cleaning your stamp all the way

Not cleaning your stamps after inking may damage your stamps over time. I use this stamp cleaner with this scrubber pad. Then I quickly test the stamp on scrap paper.

Not organizing your supplies

If you don’t keep your supplies somewhat organized, you may find it hard to remember what you have in your craft stash. Or you might even end up buying two of the same thing. Keep them somewhat organized might help you save time and money. See more post on craft and stamp organization here.

Not letting your work completely dry

The last thing you want to do is mess up your card because your work isn’t completely dry. Let your work dry overnight for paint, nuvo drops, and glossy accents. If you’re really in a hurry, you can speed things up with a heat tool.

Not using your supplies

Make an effort to use them on a regular basis. Otherwise, they will collect dust and space in your room. And now they are a burden. It doesn’t have to be a card, just stamping or die cutting might be a little therapeutic and get you in the crafting spirit.

Throwing away right away if it’s not perfect

Sometimes we do get frustrated in our card making. I suggest that you take a break come back to it, and find a way to fix it. If it’s completely unsalvageable, learn from your mistakes and come back to it another day so that you are in a better mood to create.

What card making mistakes do you try to avoid?

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