Incorporate Sewing into your Paper Crafts with Jacqueline Dawson

Today we have special guest Jacqueline Dawson on the blog to inspire you to create! She is an expert with sewing machine crafts!

How to Sew Fabric Onto Greeting Cards

While a large number of people engage in scrapbooking, an alarming 60% of people don’t know how to sew (https://www.marthastewart.com/1517398/60-percent-people-havent-learned-how-to-sew).
Part of the joy of crafting, however, lies in learning how to use your favorite supplies in a way that is unique and creative, and that includes learning how to mix various mediums and materials. Therefore, if you love paper crafts and embroidery floss, then you’re in luck, as there are many fun and easy ways in which you can sew fabric onto greeting cards (http://blog.fotobella.com/2018/10/world-card-making-day.html) that will allow you to add a special touch and add dimension to the craft. 

Gather Your Materials

For this project, you’ll need to choose your favorite type of fabric and ensure it matches with the color scheme of the greeting card you want to make. You’ll also need a pair of scissors, a blank card, needle, thread and a sewing machine. If you need a sewing machine suited for amateurs (http://sewingmachineexpress.com/brother-1034d-review/) and plan on working with soft, synthetic fabrics, you might want to look into an overlock machine as they’re versatile and allow you to more easily move around the card you’re creating. Depending on the occasion, you’ll want to craft a theme for your greeting card.
Seeing as you’ll be using fabric and stitching to create this them, it will be important to find fabrics that enhance the story (https://artsandculture.google.com/usergallery/importance-of-texture-in-art/mgJyUz09oax4KQ) you’re trying to tell. If it’s a baby shower card, for example, try going for soft silk. If it’s a fall-themed card, you might want to opt for something more rough and symbolic of nature.

Have Fun with the Stitching

What’s great about sewing is that most modern-day machines offer a variety of stitching options that can really add texture and depth to your greeting card. A standard sewing machine will typically offer at least 25 different stitches, so there’s likely a style that will fit just perfectly into the theme of your card. Play around with the stitching settings (https://www.dummies.com/crafts/sewing/making-machine-stitches-work-for-you/) on blank paper before you figure out what you want and what will add the most value to the card’s aesthetic. To craft a really elegant card, for example, you can embroider around the edges of the card to draw attention to the center text. Or, if your goal is to enhance the artistic value, you can make your own patterns by stitching around pasted elements. This will result in a very artist-like piece that almost looks as if you’ve drawn on the stitching.

Get a Head Start on World Greeting Card Day

Even though World Card Making Day isn’t until October, learning how to incorporate different types of fabrics into your greeting cards will give you a head start to ensure you’ve got the process down like a pro by the time the special day rolls around. Playing around with your sewing machine’s settings will likely yield interesting results that can be incorporated into greeting cards to add a unique texture, creative design and personal touch.

We hope you are inspired today! Head over to www.FotoBella.com to grab your supplies and start creating!