The Paper is a creative blog from The Paper Mill Store
18 ways dress up plain notecards

18 Ways to Dress Up Plain Notecards

Everyone loves receiving a handmade card, but not everyone has time to craft every card from scratch. That’s where plain notecards come in – by saving you the tedious task of measuring, cutting, and perfectly folding cardstock, plain notecards give you more time to creatively embellish your cards. Just think of them like a blank canvas awaiting your artistic expertise!

From DIY techniques to printables (with a couple of bonus envelope ideas), we’ve compiled a list of our favorite ways to dress up plain notecards.

All you need to get started is some plain white notecards:

Flat Cards

Fine Impressions Hi White Folded Cards - A7 (5 1/8 x 7 folded) 80 lb Cover Vellum - 250 per Box

BUY

Folded Cards

Classic Crest White Folded Cards

BUY

Panel Cards

Fine Impressions Hi White Flat Panel Cards - A7 (5 1/8 x 7) 80 lb Cover Vellum - 50 per Box

BUY

Take a look at our favorite techniques, tutorials, and printables:

1. String art

Bust out your embroidery thread and sewing needles to make these cute and kitschy string art cards. Choose any shape or design you like!

string art notecards hello wonderful

Learn how to make these cards on Hello Wonderful.

2. Paint scrape

With a few simple supplies, you can create a bright and colorful card that’s perfect for any occasion.

paint scrape notecards persia lou

Find the tutorial on Persia Lou.

Try using these paper supplies:

A2 Notecards

Fine Impressions Hi White Folded Cards

BUY

A2 Envelopes

Fine Impressions Hi White Envelopes - A7 (5 1/4 x 7 1/4) 70 lb Text Vellum - 250 per Box

BUY

3. Add a mini-lope

Tack a mini-lope onto the front of your card and fill it with sequins, confetti, or any other embellishment you please.

minilope notecards

These translucent vellum mini-lopes are perfect for the job:

Clear

Glama Natural Clear Envelopes

BUY

Ivory

Glama Natural Ivory Envelopes

BUY

Pastel Pink

Glama Natural Pastel Pink Envelopes

BUY

Check out our full selection of mini-lopes.

4. Dress up the inside of the card

Keep the exterior panels simple and surprise your recipient with a fun 3D interior.

balloons pop up notecard diy real

Get the tutorial from DIY Real.

5. Add a pop-up

Create a pop-up effect using this tutorial by Bead and Cord.

pop up birthday notecards bead cord

Try nestling a slightly smaller notecard inside a larger one to recreate the look:

A7 (5 1/8″ x 7″) – Tangelo

Flavours Gourmet Tangelo Folded Cards A7

BUY

A7 (5 1/8″ x 7″) – Chestnut Creme

Flavours Gourmet Chestnut Creme Folded Cards A7

BUY

A6 (4 5/8″ x 6 1/4″) – White

Fine Impressions Hi White Folded Cards

BUY

A6(4 5/8″ x 6 1/4″) – Ivory

Fine Impressions Ecru Folded Cards

BUY

6. Marbleize

All you need is nail polish to create a beautiful marble effect on your plain stationery.

marble notecard cup of jo

Follow Cup of Jo’s tutorial to learn how – it’s easy, we promise!

7. Splatter paint

Channel your inner Jackson Pollack and embellish your plain notecards with an artistic paint splatter effect.

splatter paint notecard elizabeth anne designs

Find the tutorial on Elizabeth Anne Designs.

8. Layering

Adhere color blocks of layered paper onto the front of plain notecards to create a modern, easily customizable aesthetic to suit any style.

layered notecard delightful waste

Find out how with Delightful Waste. Recreate this card using these card stocks:

White

Color Copy 98 Bright White Card Stock - 8 1/2 x 11 in 80 lb Cover 250 per Package

BUY

Navy Blue

CLASSIC Linen Patriot Blue Card Stock linen 80 lb

BUY

Red

colormates red card stock

BUY

9. Tape stenciling

Create geometric patterns using tape, paper, paint and this tutorial by Merry Brides:

tape stenciling merry brides

10. Dip dye

This simple but striking DIY is the perfect way to dress up plain notecards. Use any color you like to create the perfect palette for any occasion.

dip dye notecard poppy talk

Find the tutorial on Poppy Talk.

11. Ombré

Ombré is simple and eye-catching, and you easily can mix colors to suit any occasion or color scheme.

ombre notecard damask love

Create your own ombré notecards with this tutorial by Damask Love.

Printables

If you aren’t feeling crafty or need a quick stationery fix, printables are the way to go! Here are our favorites:

12. Stripes

Black and white are a classic pairing that gets punched up with bright yellow accents in this printable set by the 36th Avenue.

printable stripes notecard 36th avenue

Download the printables here.

13. Pastels

Create pleasant pastel notecards for every holiday with these printables.

pastel notecard printable oh everything handmade

Download the files from Oh Everything Handmade.

14. Just to say “hello”

Who says you have to wait for a holiday or special occasion to send a homemade card? This printable is perfect for all those times you just want to touch base and say hello.

printable hello notecard design eat repeat

Get the printables from Design Eat Repeat.

15. Monograms

Monogrammed cards are stylish, elegant, and perfect for any occasion. The floral motif of this design is perfect for spring and summer!

printable monogram notecard elegance enchantment

Download these customizable monogram printables from Elegance and Enchantment.

BONUS: Envelopes!

No stationery set is complete without envelopes! The right envelope can take your missive from everyday to exceptional. Dress up your plain envelopes with these tutorials:

16. Marbled contact paper

Create a marbled look without nail polish or paint using contact paper!

marbled contact paper envelope fall for diy

Learn how in this tutorial by Fall for DIY.

17. Lined edges

Bust out your markers and ruler to add a simple, colorful effect to any envelope. This look is insanely easy to create, but adds a whole new dimension to your correspondence.

lined edge envelope martha stewart

Learn the technique from Martha Stewart.

18. Envelope liners

No matter what you line them with, lined envelopes add a touch of sophistication and luxury to your correspondence. We love how the Budget Savvy Bride mixed stripes with glitter in this tutorial.

diy envelope liners budget savvy bride

Find out how to line your own envelopes on the Budget Savvy Bride.

Noteworthy Notecards

Designing your own handmade cards doesn’t have to be difficult! Whether you’re a casual papercrafter or a self-confessed craftaholic, you can easily make your own homemade missives and impress all your friends and family with your artistic skills.

Shop for notecards and envelopes.

Steph Schinkel

Steph is an avid crafter, DIY enthusiast, and regular contributor to The Paper who loves to handmake all of her cards. Above all else, Steph is a die-hard foodie with a massive sweet tooth and a deep, soul-consuming love for chocolate.