Create hand-crafted, personalized cards at home using embossing techniques that add color, dimension and texture. Heat embossing cards with rubber stamps and embossing powder is one way to create intricate, raised lettering and images on the face or inside your cards. Another method involves a light box, a stencil or template and pressure with a stylus. The materials and tools necessary to emboss cards at home are available at your local craft store.
Instructions
Heat Embossing Cards
1. Fold the cardstock in half horizontally or vertically to make the card. Select the rubber stamp or stamps to create a design on the front of the card. Rubber stamps are available in a wide variety of images and sizes. Some image stamps will cover the front of the card; others work best as a design element in combination with letter or word stamps.
2. Cover your work space with a loose sheet of paper. The paper will catch the excess embossing powder.
3. Place the folded cardstock on top of the loose paper so that the front is facing up. Wipe the cardstock with an anti-static dryer sheet. The dryer sheet helps keep the embossing powder from straying to the paper surrounding the ink.
4. Press the rubber stamp into a slow-drying ink pad, then onto the cardstock. Slow drying ink works best to emboss cards at home.
5. Immediately sprinkle embossing powder generously over the wet ink. Hold the card upright and tap the card lightly at the top. The excess embossing powder will fall onto the loose paper. Place the loose powder back inside the powder container. Follow this process to complete the cover design for your card.
6. Heat the embossing powder on the face of the card with a heat gun. Hold the gun 6 to 8 inches above the paper while slowly moving it back and forth over the powder until it melts into a raised, glossy design.
Dry Embossing Cards
7. Fold the cardstock to create the card. Press the crease firmly at the fold, and then unfold the card.
8. Tape the stencil face down on top of the light box. Turn on the light box. Place the section of the cardstock to be embossed face down on top of the stencil. The pattern will shine through the cardstock.
9. Trace the outline of the stencil design onto the cardstock with a stylus. The pressure will create an embossing effect on the opposite side of the card.
