Business Card Holders

It is possible to be simultaneously crafty and professional?

I found this wonderful tutorial to sew business card holders, which seemed like the perfect thing to make as I prepare to start my first big girl job this week. I changed mine from the original ever so slightly; Melanie from The Crafty Cupboard made a super helpful and thorough tutorial that you should definitely check out if you plan to make one. Ready to make your own?

You Will Need:

2 pieces of fabric 5-1/2” X 4-1/2”, one for the cover and one for liner

2 fabric pieces cut 2-1/2” X 4-1/2”

small hair tie

small button

sewing machine, or needle, thread, and perseverance
Mod Podge or thin cardboard (optional)

Start by sewing a double hem on one 4-1/2" side of each of the 2-1/2" X 4-1/2" pieces. Pin the 2 smaller pieces to the front of one 5-1/2" X 4-1/2" pieces. The hemmed sides should go towards the center. The larger piece used here will becoming the lining. You can use the same fabric for all of them, or whatever combination you'd like. Baste stitch around as close to the edges as you can (the original tutorial recommends 1/8" seam allowance) to tack the pockets onto the lining. You could skip this step, but I feel like it makes them a lot easier to work with.

Pin the other 5-1/2" X 4-1/2" piece that will be your outside cover, right side towards the stitched pockets. In the center of one 4-1/2" edge, feed the hair tie through. Leave about a third of the tie outside of the fabric; the part you just fed through will become the button hole.

Stitch around the edges with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving just enough space to turn everything right side out. The original tutorial used interfacing to add stability. I didn't have interfacing... I didn't want to go buy interfacing... So I didn't. Instead, I used a mixture of methods to add stability. One method was to cut a thin cardboard box into two rectangles that were just a little smaller than the card holder when measured together. After the fabric was turned right side out, I used the turning space to insert the cardboard inside the fabric and move it into each half. A stitch down the center kept them in place. The other option was to use a light coat of Mod Podge over the cover. Both worked well. Also, one time I totally forgot to do either and it still turned out pretty cute. There's really no way to lose.

Whatever stability method you choose, after you finish it stitch around the edges of the entire piece to close the turning hole and make a nice clean finish. Add a button to the opposite cover side from the hair tie. DO NOT make the same mistake I did and accidentally sew through the pocket when adding the button like a goof. I've had finer moments. A stitch down the center between the pockets finishes everything off.



It's a fun gift and a good way to use up scraps as well. I may have gotten a little carried away. Each one took less than an hour.





As soon as I press "publish," I'm getting in the car and heading out to start the moving process! Here's to the eight hour drive ahead *raises coffee in a toast-like gesture* Can't believe it's already time to say goodbye to my family again and hello to this next chapter of life.

Do you use business cards? What do you keep them in? Any fun suggestions? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. Happy first day of school for so many! My Mom's kindergarten class starts today. I'm not sure if the kids could possibly be any more excited than she is.

Homemade Business Cards

This weekend, I'm going to my first local crafty event as a craft blogger.

Normally, I would avoid this temptation. "You'll just want to buy everything," I would tell myself, "better to stay far, far away..." I love supporting local artists and I love knowing that the work is truly one of a kind. What I do not love, is trying to accomplish those previously mentioned goals on a poverty level living stipend.   But now I have an excuse! I'm going to meet artists, do a little networking, and see if there is any potential for posts about their work, their process, or anything else an artist might be interested in sharing.

I looked into buying business cards for these purposes. There are tons of free offers online but they are pretty restrictive on design and still charge shipping. Eventually, I'd love to have a personalized stamper for cards like this one but that is not a possibility at the moment. Also, I'm hoping that it won't be long before the blog will have a  big girl design overhaul. Instead, I went for the most costly friendly and cutest alternative I could think of: make 'em!

I went through a few different styles using materials on hand. The first round turned out like this:

Which I hated.

Eventually, I printed out the info and cut the sheets to size instead of trying to stamp or hand write like a crazy person.

Using a sewing machine on a 2" x 3.5" piece of thin cardboard was surprisingly easy, but not forgiving. And I bet you know what the base is made of already...

Sorry for stealing all your food boxes, roomie. 

I didn't make a tutorial for this because, frankly, most people probably would not make the desired professional impact handing someone a business card made out of a waffle box with a ribbon sewn on. But to local artists? I think they'll understand. I'm excited for the opportunity to meet these people and bring the enthusiasm back to BTCC. I just wanted to share that excitement with all of you :)

Would you be able to get away with handmade business cards? What kind of impression would these make on you? I'd love to know.

Sheila

PS. Don't worry, there's no personal information on these cards not available on the blog. I'm private, yo.