It’s coming up to Xmas time again, and again I have the struggle with the phenomenal wastage that occurs. We’ve already switched to reusable wrappings a few years ago (we use fabric bags and roll-hemmed fabric for using like wrapping paper – and after people unwrap their gifts, we just ask for the wrappings back and use them next year), but the card situation always poses a problem.
So I’m going to give fabric reusable cards a go. And I thought I’d share a tutorial on how to make them with you.
Now, those people who are into embroidery and patchwork and appliqué can go to town here… I’ve seen some cool felt ones with hand sewn Xmassy designs on the front. I’m about as creative as a brick with it comes to stuff like that, so I’m sticking with basic sewn ones… also, I don’t want to spent 3 hours embroidering on a dodgy looking snowman, only to have the card tossed in the bin. But, if you’re crafty, and can be bothered, go for your life.
The only problem with these is, that it’s only an eco-friendly idea if the person getting the fabric card is going to reuse it. So we may need to encourage people it’s a good idea and to at least use it as their card back to us, so at least limit some of the wastage.
A basic sewn card is pretty easy, cut an inside and an outside fabric… sew together. Done 
You may want some interfacing or an extra layer of cotton in there to stiffen it (or you can insert cardboard into it)
But I like the pocket card – It’s a card and gift in one 
hah!
So… To make a pockety card you’ll need…… One piece for the back, one piece for the front (I like them in contrasting colours), and the pocket bit. Now here I’ve used one side candycane fabric and one side plain white, just so I don’t “waste” the nice fabric on the inside pocket (and because I don’t know if I’ll have enough of it for all my cards if I don’t)…. you can of course cut your pocket piece on a fold so it’s the same both sides and you won’t have to sew the 2 pieces together..
The card can be any size you like, but if you’re going to buy envelopes for them, then you’ll be wanting to make sure the envelope fits your card. I plan to save some of the nicer paper wrapping paper we get on presents given to us this year, and make envelopes for sending out next year’s cards in. If you want the measurements for this card (which you’ll want if you download my inserts below), they are:
Card outer – 11.5cm wide X 16.5cm high
Card Pocket – 26cm wide X 9cm high
Now, when you cut these out… you’ll want to put the long/high side of the card outer on a fold. The pocket part, you can either cut it so the long side is on a fold (so you don’t have to sew 2 pieces together). Or if you’re wanting to save “wasting” the expensive nice fabric on the inside of the pocket, then cut one from a lining instead. Then sew the 2 pieces of pocket along one of the long sides, turn it over and sew along the edge to make it neat. Now assemble your pieces with right sides of the card outer & inner facing, with the pocket inbetween.
Make sure the outside of the pocket is facing the same way as the outside of the card front. If you put your pocket on the fold so it’s the same both sides, then you won’t need to worry about which side is which. Sew around the edges, leaving a gap in the bottom edge open for turning. Turn it, and you should get something like this – with a big long pocket.
Iron it flat, and then fold it in half and give it a really good iron on the fold…. you’re wanting to press a good crease into there. Because then you run a line of stitching along that crease, to define where the card is to fold.
You need somewhere to write your greeting on…. Take a piece of thin ribbon (30cm long works well), and sew that into the centre back of the card, about 2cm down from the edge. Just sew one little section. It’s just to keep it attached
I’ve made some inserts you can download… (they are a word file, prints to an A4 page). There’s the front with Xmas tree and holly border, and there is a “back”, which will print onto the right spot on the back of each insert, which says it’s a reusable card and to send it on. Also another version of the reusable card blurb, that I like to print on card, or laminate and have under the message, so that it stays in the card when it’s passed on and my extra printed inserts are all used up
You can edit the wording if you like. I cut them out just before the line, you can cut on the line if you prefer.
insert | insertback | instructions
Or you can make them yourself. You just need some paper a little smaller than the half of the card.
Punch 2 holes in the top to thread the ribbon through.
If you laminate the paper inserts, people can use a fine-tipped permanent texta to write on the insert and it will rub off with a bit of metho on a cloth. Making a completely reusable no-waste card. But if you don’t think your card recipients will have metho or textas don’t laminate them… they will be single use then, which is a shame, but less paper wastage than a regular card. Whiteboard marker will likely rub off onto the fabric, and those markers are generally thick and not nice to write with, so I wouldn’t recommend those.
If you print several of the paper inserts and pop them in the back pocket or tie a bundle into the ribbon and write on the top one only, your recipient will have a fresh insert for writing their greeting on, and so on.
Now, these do ok at standing up on their own, because the pocket gives them a bit of rigidity… but if you want a really stiff card so they stand on a mantlepiece, or you’re not going to do the pocket, then I’d suggest adding something in there to stiffen it. You could try interfacing, but to make it completely card-like, cut 2 smaller sections (10.5X14cm) from some clear plastic or thin cardboard (something like a cereal box, plastic from the lid of a gift box or something). You want it a bit smaller than half of the card.. so it fits inside.. and what you’d do is when you sew the card up, leave the whole bottom edge open, sew that middle seam in, and then slide your 2 stabiliser things in each side, and then sew around the whole card, sewing closed the opening.
And you have reusable fabric cards! You could do the same idea for birthday cards and other cards too. If you don’t want to do the pocket, just leave that piece out. Or you could put it on the inside. If you did put it on the inside, you could use a button and a loop of ribbon to keep the card closed to hide the goodies inside.
If you give this idea a go, please share some pics and tell me how you went!
