I’m all about using watercolour for fun letter cards! And it won’t take you all day when you discover my secret tips!
If you love card making that’s quick, cheerful, and a little artsy, you’re going to adore this idea! Let’s talk about how you can turn scrap pieces of pre-watercoloured paper into stunning letter cards in no time. Plus, we’ll add some layering and dry embossing for extra dimension.
OK, total transparency here! Almost everything I used on today’s card was already done! I mostly used scraps! 😀
Ready to dive in and find out how?
Why Watercolour Scraps Are a Game Changer
OK, I have a teensy confession. I didn’t watercolour any paper at the time I made this card. Whaaat?
Have you ever painted a gorgeous watercolour background, used a portion of it, and then tucked the rest away for “later”? Yep, me too! In fact I have lots of them in many different colour combos!
Did you know those colourful offcuts are pure gold when it comes to making fun and unique cards?
Using pre-watercoloured scraps for your die-cut letters means:
- Every card is one-of-a-kind.
- No extra time spent painting and waiting for your paper to dry.
- You get beautiful blended colours with zero effort.
Watercolour for Fun Letter Cards
What You Need:
The magic in this card is all I really had to do was put it together! See what I mean when I list the supplies you need:
- Pre-watercoloured scraps (my BEST shortcut trick!)
- Alphabet dies (or pre-cut letters – my next best time saving trick!)
- Tag dies (or again, pullout your -precut ones, I know you have ’em!)
- Dry embossing folder (guess what This one was already done too!)
- Cardstock in coordinating colours
- Designer Series Paper (yup, you guessed it, a scrap) in coordinating colours
- Adhesives and Stampin’ dimensionals
- Twine and embellishments to coordinate
What if you don’t have any scraps like me? Make your own fun letter cards:
- Create some background washes on your Fluid 100 Watercolour Paper like I did in this photo tutorial.
- Dry emboss a fun background in a cheerful colour and mat it onto a slightly larger piece of Basic White
- Cut with your die cutting machine: two tags, one Basic White and one a coordinating colour, your letters from the watercolour paper
- Pull out a scrap of DSP that matches your letters
- Glue everything together!
See the close-up here.
Layering for Extra WOW Factor
To keep things super fun, layering and texture is key. In this card, I used:
- Stacked tags: A Basic White tag with stitched edges layered over a Flirty Flamingo one.
- A dry-embossed background: The So Swirly 3D embossing folder adds lots of texture to the yellow cardstock creating depth without overpowering the design.
- Dimensionals: Popping up elements makes everything stand out beautifully.
And let’s not forget those pretty little embellishments! Just a few glossy dots and twine can add that perfect finishing touch!
Now what about those letters? Are they cute?
They’re cut with the Mini Alphabet Dies. It’s one large die that cuts out all the letters at once. So I just placed my scraps over the different letters to get the different colours! Easy peasey!
How to Make This Idea Your Own
The best part about this design? You can tweak it endlessly! Here are a few ideas:
- Switch up the colours. Try a cool-toned palette of blues and purples.
- Use patterned paper instead of watercolour scraps for a different look.
- Swap the letters for a stamped sentiment or a focal image.
- Try different embossing folders for varied textures.
Give It a Try!
Want more watercolour card inspiration? Check out this Easy Watercolour Card to Make at Home and learn how to create your own backgrounds!
If you’re loving the watercolour look and want to dive deeper into the technique, my Watercolour Backgrounds for Card Makers online class is perfect for you! Learn how to create stunning, professional-looking backgrounds that are the envy of your friends! Sign up today at this link!
Who knew using up scraps could be this fun?
With just a few dabs of glue, a couple ties of twine and some glossy dots, you’ll be all set to pop this card in the mail! This idea to use watercolour for fun letter cards is your ticket to crafting finesse – not a huge time investment required!
