Crafts and Gifts

For crafters, there a millions of postcards out there in new, used and antique markets, and millions more are being produced all the time. Sources include collectible and antique shops, local postcard and ephemera dealers and shows, and Internet sales and auctions. However, prices often reflect the collectible value of cards, rather than their value for crafts. For better prices, try purchasing cards in lots, focusing on less desirable holiday and topical cards, and 'recycle' cards from your family and friends.

Creating: You can create your own postcards as long as you adhere to US Postal Service regulations on size (no larger than 4" high and 6" wide), handling (machine cancellable with no detatchable parts), and the required areas for stamps, cancellation mark, address, and routing bar code at the bottom of the address side. Cardstock works great for the card base. The reverse side (opposite the address) can be hand colored, painted, printed, layered, or sewn but make sure any images or materials you attach are fully glued down. Unused vintage cards can be cut up and applied to create new looks and styles. The entire image from an old postcard can be glued to new backing to make a new postcard for a birthday, holiday, or special occasion.

Crafting: Postcards can be incorporated into home and personal accessories and gifts, or can become a work of art in themselves. They have been used to create luggage tags, quilt squares (when copied onto fabric), and Christmas ornaments. Images, messages, postmarks, and stamps can be cut out and applied to note cards, greetings, jewelry, hats, and many other show pieces.:

Scrapbooking: Postcards make excellent inputs for photo albums or scrapbooks on life events. They can punctuate a series of photos, introduce specific sections (large letter cards are particularly good for this), carry their own message about the story, and establish a specific style or feel for the story. By keeping a supply of scrap postcards on hand, you will have plenty of material to create a theme.

Decorating: Postcards can be incorporated into your decor. They have been used to create wallpaper and lampshades, and can be laminated onto all kinds of surfaces, including headboards, tables, crates, and cabinets. They add a touch of worldliness and vintage travel to just about any furnishing. Try framing particularly artistic postcards or those with personal meaning within a creative border or frame, as you would a beloved photo. Large office supply stores and Internet art and reproduction sites have copy machines that can take a postcard, enlarge it, and even apply it to fabric, cups, and other materials. Real photo postcards, in particular, can be greatly enlarged without distortion or loss of details. Professional postcard services have capabilities for high resolution scanning and restoration of vintage postcard images.